The Opportunity
The Kroger Co. is the largest full-service grocery retailer in the United States with a presence in 35 states and the District of Columbia, including 13 fuel centers in Appalachian Power’s territory. With such a large presence in the area, our program representatives reached out directly to Kroger’s energy engineer, Jim Cooper, to educate them on the financial benefits of Appalachian Power’s Commercial and Industrial program in Virginia.
The Project
The first Kroger fuel center in Roanoke to upgrade to LED lighting replaced 36 single lamp metal-halide units with 36 LED fixtures. The LEDs last longer (20 years) and are more durable, helping to reduce maintenance costs. They are 80 to 90 percent more energy efficient than conventional lighting and are also ecologically friendly.
After seeing the benefits of high-efficiency lighting in this facility, Kroger is now completing similar installations at their other 12 locations eligible for the Virginia program. All this translates into lower energy use, lower energy costs and higher performance for Kroger.
“LED lighting upgrades will save us on both energy use and maintenance costs, so we’re rolling them out across all Kroger facilities in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and many other areas across the country.”
Jim Cooper, Facility Engineer–Energy
The Results
At just the first Roanoke location, Kroger will save almost 23,000 kWh per year. They qualified for a $1,145 rebate from Appalachian Power, and their expected annual energy cost savings is $1,832. Between the rebate and the annual savings, the lighting upgrades will pay for themselves in 6.5 years, and the reduction in annual maintenance will make it even shorter. Kroger is now rolling out LED upgrades in 12 more facilities, which will help brighten their bottom line.