Apr 22 2008
The Stop + Shop Supermarket Company of Quincy, MA, today announced that they have been awarded LEED(R) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. This achievement distinguishes Stop + Shop not only as the first supermarket chain, but also the first company in the country earning Volume Certification under the Portfolio Program. Fifty-one existing stores and close to 3.4 million square feet of stores have met the green and sustainable criteria of USGBC. LEED is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
"We are tremendously proud to have achieved LEED Portfolio Volume certification," stated Stop & Shop president and CEO, Jose Alvarez. "At Stop & Shop, we are deeply committed to corporate social responsibility and believe it is important to embed sustainability in every part of our company. This achievement is proof of our commitment to and our success in leading the industry in green and energy efficient operations and buildings."
According to the USGBC, buildings in the U.S. account for 39% of total energy use, 71% of electricity consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions.
LEED Portfolio Volume Certification enables building owners to integrate the LEED green building rating system into existing buildings in their company's portfolio in a cost effective way without sacrificing the technical rigor and integrity of LEED. The Portfolio Program recognizes market leaders who have committed to and achieved high levels of LEED certification within their portfolio.
"Stop & Shop is a true leader in green building," said Richard Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "Many people think that only new buildings can be green. At Stop & Shop, they understand that there's a lot that can be done to improve a building's energy efficiency and minimize its impact on the environment."
Stop & Shop's LEED Portfolio Volume Certification was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include recycling, solid waste management, and water conservation, white reflective TPO roof membrane, daylight harvesting, T5 florescent lighting systems with dimmable ballasts and occupancy sensors controlled by state-of-the-art energy management systems, refrigeration systems with high-efficiency fan motors, low energy glass, and more.
For years, Stop & Shop has been committed to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life of its associates, customers and residents of the communities in which it operates through various programs and initiatives. The organization also recently earned recognition for superior energy performance of their supermarkets by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They were the only supermarket chain in the country and the only company in New England to be named an ENERGY STAR Leader in 2007.