News

Jewel-Osco opens first green store

September 25, 2008

ITASCA, Ill. — Jewel-Osco, one of the largest private employers in the state of Illinois, announced it will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for its first "green" store opening in Chicago.

The application for certification represents a major commitment from Jewel-Osco to meet strict standards established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for sustainable sites built with attention to energy use and atmospheric impact, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, handling and recycling of materials and resources, and innovation in design.

The USGBC is a nonprofit coalition of members from the building and design industry that developed the LEED rating system to determine and certify the level of a building's environmental performance. To meet the guidelines, the Jewel-Osco project team made design modifications, researched green products, obtained special permits, and maintained meticulous documentation throughout the construction phase.

Among the special design elements:

• A highly reflective and heat emissive LiveRoof system, incorporating vegetation, which will reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling.
• Use of building materials with recycled content, obtained within a 500-mile radius in order to reduce transportation needs.
• Energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, including temperature monitors that sense the need for more heating or cooling based on the number of people in the store.
• Strict attention to the recycling of 98 percent of construction debris.
• Water-saving fixtures, energy-efficient lighting, use of non ozone-depleting refrigerants in cooling equipment, and refrigerant leak detection monitors.