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It may have just seen £4bn wiped off its value following
worse than expected results over the Christmas period, but
supermarket giant Tesco has one cause to celebrate after the
company opened its first 'zero-carbon store' in Ireland.
The store, which is the fourth 'zero-carbon store' to be
opened since 2009 following similar projects in Cambridgeshire,
Lincolnshire and Powys, is located in the Cabra suburb of
Dublin.
To meet Tesco's 'zero-carbon' standards, the supermarket
has been designed to first curb energy demand and then use
onsite renewable energy technologies to ensure that over the
course of a year it "transfers as much renewable energy to
the National Grid as it uses".
For example, the store features a biomass-fuelled combined
heat and power (CHP) system to provide electricity, heating
and cooling to the store, as well as advanced lighting controls
that reduce lighting demand based on the level of sunlight.
In addition, special roof lights allow more daylight to reach
the shop floor, while efficient refrigeration units and LED
lighting technologies have been installed.
Bukky Bird, head of engineering and environment for property
services at Tesco, said the store was the latest step in an
on-going programme to reduce the environmental impact of the
company's stores.
"Our zero-carbon stores are designed with both the customer
and the environment in mind," she said in a statement. "This
is our fourth such store in the UK and Ireland and each time
we are able to refine the design and include more innovative
environmental features.
"Building Zero Carbon stores like this will help us
achieve our goal to become a zero-carbon business by 2050."
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