by Shane Henson — November 25, 2013—JCPenney has more than just great Black Friday sales to brag about; the clothing and home furnishings retailer recently announced that it has secured ENERGY STAR certifications in more than 500 stores, one supply chain facility and its home office, far surpassing the company’s initial goal of having 400 locations certified by the end of 2013.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards ENERGY STAR certifications to buildings that rank within the top 25 percent of similar commercial buildings nationwide by meeting strict energy performance levels set by the EPA.
JCPenney has taken many steps to drive energy efficiency at the store level. Projects such as light-emitting diode (LED) lighting retrofits in hundreds of locations, advanced metering technologies that track electricity usage, and in-store energy management systems have all contributed to meaningful energy savings. Additionally, JCPenney has installed rooftop solar energy systems in 12 retail locations.
“JCPenney has long been a pioneer in corporate energy management, even becoming the first retailer to earn the ENERGY STAR for one of its stores in 2007,” said Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings and industrial plants. “Now, 500 ENERGY STAR certified stores later, JCPenney’s long-standing commitment to protecting the environment can inspire us all to continue to save more energy, save more money and reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than the day before.”
In addition to ENERGY STAR certification achievements, JCPenney says it has made remarkable strides in its 20 by 2015 initiative, which aims to reduce energy consumption by up to 20 percent per gross square foot by the year 2015. Within the first three years of the initiative, JCPenney has successfully reduced energy usage by nearly 17 percent, resulting in the reduction of scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.
