JCPenney Breaks Ground on First LEED Store
The store, which was certified "Designed to Earn the Energy Star" for its initial rating of 84 out of 100 points, also make the retailer the first in the country to earn the designation.
JCPenney has broken ground on a new 115,000 square-foot store in Texas that marks its latest foray into green building.
The company broke ground on the Fairview store in late October. The store, which was certified "Designed to Earn the Energy Star" for its initial rating of 84 out of 100 points, makes the retailer the first in the country to earn the designation. A second planned location also is expected to earn the certification. The Fairview store is expected to earn LEED certification, making it a first for the company. The store will use 41 percent less energy than one of similar size.
"JCPenney is committed to pursuing environmental initiatives in ways that make sense for the Company," Michael Dastugue, senior vice president and director of property development, said in a statement. "Because LEED is the recognized benchmark for green building, this store will provide further insights to features and best practices that can help the environment and potentially deliver long-term energy and cost savings.
JCPenney also will participate in the Dept. of Energy's Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative in an effort to strengthen energy efficiency. Along with 20 other companies, JCPenney will work on project with the DOE to boost energy savings 50 percent beyond current standards for new commercial buildings. The initiative also aims to drive energy savings 30 percent above today's standards for existing building retrofits.
The company announced last year it was incorporating green building features in new stores, as well as invest in energy management systems, high-efficiency HVAC and lighting. Four JCPenney's stores were the first retail businesses in the U.S. to attain the EPA's Energy Star rating in 2007. In addition to deploying solar power systems on a slew of retail stores, the company set a goal over the summer of earning Energy Star status at 200 or more stores by 2011.
The company broke ground on the Fairview store in late October. The store, which was certified "Designed to Earn the Energy Star" for its initial rating of 84 out of 100 points, makes the retailer the first in the country to earn the designation. A second planned location also is expected to earn the certification. The Fairview store is expected to earn LEED certification, making it a first for the company. The store will use 41 percent less energy than one of similar size.
"JCPenney is committed to pursuing environmental initiatives in ways that make sense for the Company," Michael Dastugue, senior vice president and director of property development, said in a statement. "Because LEED is the recognized benchmark for green building, this store will provide further insights to features and best practices that can help the environment and potentially deliver long-term energy and cost savings.
JCPenney also will participate in the Dept. of Energy's Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative in an effort to strengthen energy efficiency. Along with 20 other companies, JCPenney will work on project with the DOE to boost energy savings 50 percent beyond current standards for new commercial buildings. The initiative also aims to drive energy savings 30 percent above today's standards for existing building retrofits.
The company announced last year it was incorporating green building features in new stores, as well as invest in energy management systems, high-efficiency HVAC and lighting. Four JCPenney's stores were the first retail businesses in the U.S. to attain the EPA's Energy Star rating in 2007. In addition to deploying solar power systems on a slew of retail stores, the company set a goal over the summer of earning Energy Star status at 200 or more stores by 2011.
