Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner has opened a Waitrose energy centre that almost entirely powers, heats and cools the retailer’s store on the island.
The East Cowes supermarket now mainly runs on sustainably-sourced local woodchip, the first store to do so in the UK.
The technology saves around 750 tonnes of Co2 per year - the equivalent of 1,500 transatlantic flights - and has the capacity to heat homes and other buildings.
Waitrose said the energy centre, developed with energy services company Mitie, will also generate £150,000 a year for the local economy through new jobs and the purchasing of wood chip.
Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner said the decision to use the technology to reduce reliance on the national grid and cut carbon emissions is a very positive move.
“The John Lewis Partnership’s commitment to reducing its absolute carbon footprint by 15 per cent by 2020 is a shining example for other businesses on the Island,” he said.
“We are now yet another step closer to achieving our Eco-Island goals.”
The East Cowes store uses a number of green initiatives such as propane-based refrigeration technology, which reduces energy usage by 20 per cent.
It also uses what are known as sun pipes to let natural light in until it gets dark and it uses a cold air-retrieval system instead of air-conditioning.
No comments yet