Built Environment

Tesco Plc won the Over £1m Project category for its Cheetham Hill store in Manchester, where energy bills are 48% lower than at other stores.

Built in 2009 the store boasts a sustainable timber frame, a combined heat and power plant and a metering system to monitor energy and water use.

The activity:

In 2007, Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy set a target – to construct new stores that have a carbon footprint 50% lower than those built in 2006. In 2009, the first such store was completed in Cheetham Hill. The new store includes a sustainable timber frame; roof lights to allow natural daylight in; a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to generate energy from sustainable sources, such as recycled vegetable oil; a natural ventilation system; recycled materials in signage and fixtures; and a metering system to monitor energy and water use.

The savings:

Energy bills at Cheetham Hill are 48% lower than other stores of an equivalent size.

The benefits:

A significantly reduced carbon footprint; staff are trained and knowledgeable about the environmental credentials of the store; and it’s an excellent model for others to follow.