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Longo’s to open Canada’s first near net-zero energy supermarket

The 40,000-square-foot store is expected to use 35% less energy than typical supermarkets and produce 65% of its own through renewable processes and a ‘micro-grid,’ thereby reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to taking 274 to 366 cars off the road. To reach these goals, it will use carbon dioxide (CO₂) refrigeration with heat ejectors, combined cooling, heating and power, a high-efficiency building envelope, LED illumination, advanced heat recovery and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on the roof, façade, shopping cart corrals and carports.

“Longo’s has a long-standing commitment to supporting energy reduction initiatives,” says Anthony Longo, the retailer’s president and CEO. “We were the first Canadian grocery retailer to have a solar energy system tied to the grid.”

NRCan is investing $1.44 million in the $11-million project, which has been developed in partnership with Neelands Group of Burlington, Ont., which specializes in refrigeration, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and energy efficiency, and s2e Technologies of St. Jacob’s, Ont., which will provide the store’s micro-grid.

“Supermarkets are one of the more energy-intensive retail businesses, due to their large cooling and heating loads,” says Ady Vyas, vice-president (VP) of energy solutions for s2e. “Canada’s northern climate makes reducing energy use—and therefore GHG emissions—even more challenging. Collaboration with our partners is a key aspect of this project. Our success will pave the way forward for this sector to have the confidence to adopt these design strategies as a standard going forward.”

Now nearing completion, the store is scheduled to open on November 1 and should create approximately 165 new jobs in the area.