Sprouts’ Culver City Store to Be Recognized for Green Efforts

The new 32,800-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market, which opened in late June in Culver City, Calif., has installed high-performance heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC) solutions to meet the Phoenix-based grocer’s sustainability objectives — and will be honored by its vendor partners today for this achievement.

Sprouts executives expect these solutions — from Bridgeton, Mo.-based Hussmann and LaCrosse, Wis.-based Trane — will use about 50 percent less refrigerant than the industry average, providing the company with upfront and long-term savings.

“Choosing these energy-efficient systems reflects our commitment to being an environmentally responsible business within the community,” said Doug Sanders, president and COO of Sprouts.

Based on its commitment to being environmentally responsible, Sprouts’ management will receive the first-ever “Energy Efficiency Leader in Retail Grocery Award” from Hussmann and Trane for the sustainable energy and operational efficiency solutions selected for the store. The award recognizes the importance of Sprouts’ commitment to improving the shopping and working environment while increasing energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Dennis Gipson, EVP, cold chain at Ingersoll Rand, the parent company of both Hussmann and Trane, will present the award to Frank Davis, Sprouts’ energy and refrigeration manager, during a ceremony today at the Culver City store.

Sprouts’ various green initiatives at the Culver City store earned it Gold certification from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GreenChill program, the grocer’s fifth award since becoming a GreenChill partner last year. Hussmann and Trane collaborated with Sprouts on two projects that received Gold awards and one that received a Silver certification. The two vendors’ initiatives also contributed to the grocer’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certification, which the Culver City store will receive later this year.

“We selected this project to be our first LEED-certified building, and it has proven truly energy-efficient in its design,” said Jerry Stutler, Sprouts’ VP of construction and facility engineering. “This award and our EPA award bear this out.”

Prior to selecting HVAC solutions for the new store, Sprouts’ leadership team conducted an energy analysis to identify the most effective solutions for the space. Based on the results, the team selected Hussmann Protocol-distributed refrigeration systems designed to be placed on top of walk-in coolers close to the refrigerated cases, to allow for short piping and use of less refrigerant.

Sprouts operates 51 stores in Arizona, California, Texa and Colorado.