• EHI study Energy Monitor 2010

Efficient energy management continues to enjoy top priority among retailers, in particular because energy efficiency in the sense of responsibility for society and the environment can make a crucial contribution to competitiveness. Measures designed to reduce energy consumption and conserve resources accordingly will continue to be some of the most important projects and will exert decisive influence on investment decision

Offers prevent savings

In the next two years the majority of the surveyed retailers expect their energy costs to rise by an average eight percent. Along with reasons rooted in the general economy, mainly internal reasons such as longer opening hours or the retention of existing store and lighting concepts intended to make stores "shine" as brightly as possible (for example in the clothing business) lead us to expect a renewed increased in energy costs in the medium term. In the food trade the undiminished expansion of frozen and chilled product assortments – keyword convenience as growth-bringer – makes for a rise in energy costs despite the use of state-of-the-art technology.

The volume of energy costs is very much dependent on retail sector. In food retailing more than 51 euros per square metre sales area are incurred for energy; in DIY stores and the furniture trade, on the other hand, it is just under 16 euros and a good 16 euros, respectively. Clothing retail ranges in the upper middle of the field with a good 37 euros per sqm retail space. Refrigeration is the biggest energy consumer in food retail with a 44 percent share, whereas in non-food retail the lighting accounts for 62 percent of energy costs. 

Green electricity as marketing tool?

The purchase of green electricity is gaining more and more importance in German retail. Fifteen percent of the surveyed companies supply all their properties entirely with green power. Of the remaining 85 percent, another 20 percent at least partly supply their facilities with green power.

Fact is, it is important for most companies to position themselves as a resource-conserving enterprise with sustainable operations. Whether customers actually rate this as essential and reward it by their choice of retail outlet remains to be seen in most cases! Not all companies active in this area have opted to date to market this aggressively vis-à-vis customers. Nevertheless, the publication of sustainability reports and climate balances gains growing importance.

In close cooperation with the retail enterprises, in its Energy Monitor 2010 EHI again has compiled key figures on energy consumption, identified the major power consumers in the different retail sectors, and defined measures intended to cut energy input.
The study is available free of charge to EHI members in the download area. Non-members can obtain the study through our publishing house.

• Energy Management Working Group

The Energy Management Working Group sees itself as a communication platform for retail, manufacturers and service providers for the purpose of exchanging experience on the technical possibilities and innovations in the area of energy efficiency optimisation in retail buildings.

• EHI Energy Management Award (EMA)

Download application papers for the EHI Energy Management Award (EMA) 2010

Rising energy costs produce a significant effect particularly in the shops and stores of the retail industry. Room temperature regulation, lighting, central building control systems and construction, but also food refrigeration are major cost pushers.

EHI now takes this trend and, not least of all, the increasingly urgent demands for sustainable activity into account, pursuing the topic of energy management with particular emphasis in the research area Store Planning + Design:

• Documentation of concrete measures and projects for the energy-efficient operation of a retail business in the areas lighting, refrigeration, central building control systems and construction.
• Outlook for more advanced concepts and products for saving energy in the retail business, based on interviews with store planners and the technical experts of the retail and manufacturing industries.

Particularly innovative or successful energy-saving concepts are chosen by EHI to receive the Energy Management Award (EMA). The prize goes to retail enterprises who have implemented up-to-date, successful concepts for energy saving and/or the resource-conserving use of energy in their sales outlets.

The next awards presentation takes place on 26 October 2010 in the setting of a festive evening event; the award-winning concepts will be presented by the award winners on 27 October 2010 at the Energy Management in Retail conference.

The closing date for entries is 10 September 2010.
Application papers can be requested from Ms Ljiljana Rakita