WHOLE FOODS BUYS MORE NEW ENERGY

Whole Foods Market(R) Announces Alternative Energy Investment, Energy Savings with New Store Designs, Existing Store Retrofits; Natural and Organic Grocer to Add Solar To More Than 20 Additional Locations. Contracts for Third Year of Wind Energy Credits to Offset 100 Percent of Its Non-renewable Electricity Use
April 21, 2009 (PR Newswire)

"Whole Foods Market [announced] a comprehensive energy commitment that more than triples the number of stores with solar panels, extending its commitment to offset 100 percent of its use of non-renewable electricity with wind energy, and investing in energy reduction opportunities while retrofitting existing stores with energy efficient lighting, equipment and mechanical components…

"Whole Foods Market recently contracted to add solar to more than 20 locations…[and will be on] the rooftops of more than 30 of the Company's stores nationwide. With an installation at its Berkeley, Calif., store in 2002, the Company became the first retailer to introduce solar power as its primary lighting source. Including potential future rollout phases, Whole Foods Market hopes to have close to 70 total locations with rooftop solar panels, close to one fourth of the Company's total number of stores…"

Solar roof at the Berkeley Whole Foods. (click to enlarge)

"Continuing its industry-leading commitment to wind power, Whole Foods Market is once again offsetting electricity use in its North American locations in 2009, bringing its four-year total purchase to 2 million megawatt-hours of renewable energy credits from wind farms…In December 2005, the Company became the first Fortune 500 Company to offset 100 percent of its electricity use with wind energy credits…

"The Company is also expanding its comprehensive energy approach to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by using on-site alternative and renewable energy sources for new stores while reducing energy consumption in existing stores and facilities.

"Whole Foods Market hosts and pays for the energy delivered by an on-site hydrogen fuel cell at the Glastonbury, Conn., store. The fuel cell, a first for a supermarket, generates 50 percent of the electricity and heat and nearly 100 percent of the hot water needed to operate the store. Plans are in place to add fuel cells to other locations…"

3656 N. Halsted, Chicago. LEED Gold-certified. (click to enlarge)

"Whole Foods Market has set internal energy-reduction goals for new stores as well…and is participating in programs to develop buildings that will use 30 to 50 percent less energy than required by code, as well as working with manufacturers and partners to develop increasingly higher energy efficiency equipment and systems for supermarkets…

"Environmental certifications for new Whole Foods Market stores have been abundant…The Company opened the first-ever LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified grocery store in Sarasota, Fla., in 2005. Since then...Austin, Texas; Pacific Coast Highway/El Segundo, Calif.; Lakewood/Dallas, Texas; and...the Chicago South Loop store have earned LEED certification...The Company is also setting internal goals for greenhouse gas [tracking and] reduction in future years by using smart design and energy reduction technologies."