In contrast, the November announcement of the opening of its second energy-efficient prototype in Aurora, CO, attracted about as much coverage as a tumbleweed rolling through an Old West ghost town—drawing far less media attention than its predecessor, and markedly less than its public relations woes, many of which are illustrated in the Robert Greenwald film Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.

The conglomerate continues to face lawsuits and battle public opinion on a number of issues including its environmental impact, health care, wages, discrimination, hiring practices, outsourcing, and even a “simple” holiday greeting policy. Nevertheless, the retail giant forged ahead with its plan to “learn more about how Wal-Mart and the entire industry can improve in the area of environmental sustainability” through experiments with materials, technology, and processes to reduce the amounts of energy and natural resources required to construct and operate the store—this time in the Rocky Mountains. “Our mission statement called for two stores,” explains Don Moseley, manager of experimental projects for Wal-Mart. “Two stores with intentional differences were part of the foundation of the experiment.” He reiterates the goals of the two-pronged experiment: to build better buildings that are more sustainable. While acknowledging there’s no end to the work of becoming environmentally friendly, he applauds the company’s “aggressive start. Two stores illustrate our commitment. We’re leading by example.”

Critics abound, dismissing the green experiment as a diversion, with cries of “greenwashing” in the face of repeated violations of the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, and significant contributions to urban sprawl. According to Forbes, Wal-Mart’s history of violating environmental laws reaches a long way back: In 2001 Wal-Mart agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine and establish a $4.5 million environmental management program to settle federal charges that it violated the Clean Water Act storm discharge rules at 17 sites in four states. Clean Water Act violations cost the company another $3.1 million in penalties in 2004, the same year the mega-retailer paid $400,000 to settle violations of the Clean Air Act. In August 2005, Wal-Mart was slapped with another $1.5 million in penalties for more stormwater violations in Connecticut.

The violations lend credence to the Sierra Club’s Eric Olsen’s dismissive assessment: “One store out of thousands does not make for an environmental champion … There’s lots more that can be done, especially from a corporation that can leave such a huge footprint on the environment.” Executive director Carl Pope considers Wal-Mart’s new commitment “important first steps,” but calls for plans to “more responsibly site their stores, obey our nation’s clean water laws … and address community concerns at all of their locations.”

The Same, But Different
Decisions regarding the two experimental stores were made by the same building team and the same site companies. Many of the same energy-saving applications incorporated into the Texas store have been duplicated in Aurora: pervious pavement, infiltration beds, rainwater harvesting pond, bioswale, Xeriscaping, LED lighting, recycling, wind turbines, radiant floor heating, waterless urinals, fabric duct air systems, and solar energy through use of roof-mounted photovoltaic glass and plastic laminates.

But even where technology is similar, it is sometimes used in different ways, in different parts of the store, or to different degrees. The Aurora store features more of radiant floor heating, covering the checkout area, entrance vestibule, and the tire and lube service pit. It’s the only source of heat in the garden center, which is enclosed during the winter. Radiant heat snowmelt is necessary at the Colorado store. Heat generated by the supercenter’s waste-oil boilers and gas microturbines keeps crosswalks, handicapped parking spaces, and the pharmacy drive-thru clear.

Aurora uses smaller, more efficient and optically superior T5HO (high-output linear fluorescent) lamps that use half the energy of Wal-Mart’s standard T8 lamps. “There’s been a lot of discussion about that,” says Moseley. “We use T5HO at both stores, but we’re testing different types at the two stores: a 4-inch fixture at McKinney and a 5-inch fixture at Aurora, which is the European standard. We’ve had better success with the 5-inch.” The problem with the 4-inch is complicated. “It has to do with the relationship between the ballast and the bulbs. The barium inside the bulbs isn’t doing what we want. We’re looking for the right solution for dimming in a retail store setting. It’s a challenge at McKinney. Opportunities with dimming are limited; there aren’t a lot of retailers using sky lights.”

Other unforeseen factors impact the lighting at the Aurora store. The “sawtooth” roof design that plays off tall clerestory windows against low, flat sections translated into a demand for different dimming circuitries. Three rows of north-facing 15-foot clerestories flood portions of the store with indirect natural light without negative heat gain or adverse UV effects, thereby saving energy by reducing the need for artificial lighting. “We’re talking significant areas of glass,” Moseley states. However, areas of the store under the lower sections of the roofline remain darker. “In the baseline store, all the lights go off at the same time,” Moseley elaborates, referring to the traditional Wal-Mart store in Centennial against which the experimental store is being monitored. Because the lower sections, necessary to house HVAC and other systems, don’t receive the abundance of natural light provided by the clerestories in other areas of the store, Moseley says they have to leave the lower lights on longer. Despite such minor discrepancies, Moseley says by dimming, they expect to save 350,000 to 450,000 kWh a year compared to a typical supercenter that uses 1.5 million kW annually.

While McKinney’s straight, vertical, south-facing windows with building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) panels saved electricity, the 10-degree incline of Aurora’s roof creates a more efficient solar orientation. Single crystalline PV glass and plastic laminates were installed on the north side; edge film growth PV glass modules were installed on the east and west ends of the southernmost angled roof via a rack system attached directly to the upturned seams of the standing seam metal roof. The more traditional system is self-ballasted and designed for standing-seam roofs, according to Moseley. By installing polymer-encased amorphous PV laminates in the flat portions of the standing-seam metal roof on the southern section, the back seam—visible to traffic on Interstate 70—is made more attractive, he believes.

A Solartube skylight was introduced at Aurora. The passive system redirects sunlight down a highly reflective tubular shaft and through a diffuser that uniformly spreads light throughout the break room, further reducing the store’s dependence on artificial light.

Cogen
To help reduce the store’s dependence on the power grid, a combined cogeneration system will assist in providing electricity, heating, and cooling, and will provide backup protection in case of power outages, although Moseley says he’s “not concerned about needing backup power in Aurora, calling it merely “a complex experiment with educational value.”

Wind is part of the energy mix.

UTC Power, a unit of United Technologies Corp., supplied the world’s first PureComfort 360 system—the industry’s only combination of six 60-kW natural gas–powered microturbines and a double-effect absorption chiller from Carrier Corp., UTC Power’s sister company. “This integrated system has low operating costs because it is highly efficient and reliable,” stated Jan van Dokkum, UTC Power president, at the November unveiling. “Additionally, the system provides an alternative to the electric grid, giving customers added security and flexibility. This technology is very well suited for supermarkets, schools, hotels, hospitals, and emergency response facilities.”

Exhaust from the microturbine is collected in a manifold and used to directly drive the double-effect absorption chiller, where it is used for heating or cooling. The process achieves an overall fuel utilization of roughly 80%, compared to 33% typical of a central power plant. Patented air-bearings in the microturbines enable them to operate lubricant-free for thousands of hours between scheduled maintenance intervals. Inverter-based power conversion simplifies interconnection with the grid. Exhaust-driven chillers generate an output rate of 130%, 30% higher than the waste it absorbs. Furthermore, the system maximizes its efficiency by using partial heating and cooling. In addition, it emits 40% less carbon dioxide and 90% less nitrogen oxide, according to a statement provided by Richard Morgan, director of communications and marketing for UTC Power.

Based in Connecticut, UTC Power develops innovative combined cooling, heating, and power applications in the distributed energy market, all of which inflict minimal environmental impact on the earth.

The cogen system isn’t large enough to run the store on its own, but it will provide approximately 10% of the store’s energy needs. “We’re evaluating this and other scenarios from different vendors for prudent applications of peak sharing,” says Moseley. “We’re looking at fuel cells, microturbines, batteries, and a variety of ways to reduce our requirement from the grid.”

Building Components: Erecting Fences or Bridges?
Committed to the goal of reducing the amount of raw materials needed to construct the Aurora store, substituting renewable materials whenever possible, Wal-Mart shunned PVC and other plastics in flooring, irrigation systems, cart bumpers, wire and cable insulation, ceiling tiles, metal and fiberglass trim, and cooler doors. Studies show that PVC has toxins that pose long-term health and environmental risks. “There’s a lot of debate about the off-gassing to make and dispose of these products, so we put forth an enormous effort to avoid chlorine-based plastics and formaldehyde in wood, such as pressboard and plywood,” explains Moseley. “We want to understand the alternatives and illustrate how they can be incorporated. The challenge in our mission statement is to find different materials.”

Find them, they did: IceStone countertops made from 75% recycled glass and concrete; bamboo flooring in the optical department; BioFiber wheat board cabinetry and wainscoting; and low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint. Stained concrete was covered with other flooring in the clothing and other specialty departments. “We used linoleum because it’s a more natural product than laminate or vinyl.” Linoleum is made from jute and linseed oil.

Not only did Wal-Mart find alternative products, but Moseley says they were easier to find than anticipated. “Sometimes all we had to do was ask. There are a lot of great products out there. Sometimes they’re expensive, but not always. For instance, there was no cost premium with the low-VOC paint.”

Wal-Mart officials like to refer to the number-two green store as “the world’s largest recycling project.” Mimicking the process used at McKinney, waste cooking oil is collected and burned in a waste-oil boiler to generate heat, which is directed into the heating, ventilation, and radiant floor heating systems, reducing the need for natural gas by almost 22,000 therms. Ditto the waste engine oil from the tire and lube department. That saves 30,000 therms.

Approximately 50% of the waste generated from the building materials used during construction was recycled, and an ongoing composting program continues to reduce waste otherwise sent to landfills.

Working with locally based Recycled Materials Company Inc. (RMCI), Wal-Mart brought in 518 tons of material and Portland cement concrete from the old Denver Stapleton Airport runways, crushing and recycling it to use in the foundation of the new store. Stapleton was closed in 1995 after being replaced by the Denver International Airport. The land was redeveloped into residential, business, and recreational areas after RMCI demolished the existing runways.

Recycled Asphalt pavement (RAP)—reprocessed asphalt pavement materials containing asphalt cement and aggregates that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills—was used in the parking lot and drive aisles. RAP was combined with new aggregates, new asphalt binder, and recycling agents via a hot recycling method to produce a new paving mixture. As at the McKinney location, fly ash and slag cement were used in a portion of the concrete pavement, slab, and foundation, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy consumption and urban heat island effect, and reducing the overall amount of raw materials needed.

Because of its proximity to I-70, the Aurora Wal-Mart anticipates increased volume of recreational vehicles, campers, tractor trailers, and other heavy vehicles. A designated parking area and access route have been specially designed to accommodate the larger vehicular traffic, with pavement constructed to last longer. Environmentalists decry the oversized parking lots, no matter what materials are used, because of what they symbolize: high-volume traffic and pollution.

In response to criticism, Executive Vice President of Wal-Mart Stores USA Pat Curran issued a statement saying the retail giant wants to be a leader in “corporate responsibility for the environment” and continue education about environmental sustainability and how it applies to business. “We believe that being a good steward of the environment and operating an efficient and profitable business are not mutually exclusive.”

Wal-Mart may want to be a leader, but not a LEEDer. Jim McClendon, Wal-Mart’s mechanical engineering manager, says Wal-Mart will not petition the US Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification of the two stores until the three-year monitoring period ends, citing ongoing changes in the application process for retail certification.

Environmentalists aren’t the only ones who view Wal-Mart’s green stores as nothing more than publicity stunts to divert attention from bad business practices. In 2005 the City of Vancouver, BC, fought a “green” Wal-Mart because, as city councilor Anne Roberts said, “A Wal-Mart flies smack in the face of what we’ve been trying to do.” What the city wants to do is reduce traffic congestion and exhaust pollution. The energy-efficient design didn’t offset the 6,000 cars expected to drive to the store each day. Roberts told the Vancouver Sun the green design simply doesn’t solve the basic environmental problems it creates. “No matter how you paint it green, it doesn’t get around the land-use issue. It doesn’t get around the fundamental flaw that this is not smart growth. A store this size depends on attracting a huge amount of auto traffic.”

Watching Wal-Mart
The Sun quoted Ross Hill, president of the Kerrisdale Business Association and business owner, as saying of Wal-Mart, “They’re not really willing to change their concept or the way they do business.” Despite Hill’s pessimism, Washington, DC’s Wal-Mart Watch organization remains intent on forcing Wal-Mart to become a more responsible company by informing and motivating consumers, workers, activists, and elected officials.

Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott has responded to increasing pressure from environmentalists by allocating $500 million to increase fuel efficiency in the company’s truck fleet by 25% over three years and doubling it within 10 years; reduce greenhouse gases by 20% in seven years; reduce energy use by 30%; and cut solid waste from US stores and Sam’s Clubs by 25% in three years. On a personal level, Scott now drives a Lexus hybrid.

Reaction from activists is varied. Pope sees progress, but says Scott has not addressed some environmental problems with their business model. Without exception, critics fault Scott for not including any public reporting in his energy-saving plan. Others lob targeted criticism at Wal-Mart’s plan of growth. Mitchell says more stores mean more driving. “That is the biggest piece of the company’s environmental impact. The best thing for the environment would be if Wal-Mart stopped building stores.” With stores in 15 countries, and as Mexico’s largest private employer, Wal-Mart has plans to add more than 60 million square feet of retail space and to spread even further abroad.

Heather Rogers, author of Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, calls Scott’s professed environmentalism a “distraction” and says “the real environmental impact comes from what Wal-Mart sells: cheap commodities that are designed to wear out quickly.” She points out the “double impact” Wal-Mart has on the environment by using additional raw materials to replace worn-out products, sending discarded items to landfills, and generating more traffic when consumers return to stores to replace the items. Scott announced he intends to hold suppliers to higher environmental standards and to begin selling clothing made from organic cotton.

Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest corporation with $7 billion in annual profits, is the largest importer of Chinese-made products in the world, purchasing $10 billion worth of merchandise from China. Consulting firm Retail Forward estimated in 2003 that 50% to 60% of the merchandise sold in Wal-Mart’s US stores was made overseas.

Alternet.org reports Stacy Mitchell, senior researcher at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, criticizing the company’s new initiatives as missing the bigger picture. “What is truly sustainable is local sourcing. Of course we will always have trade, but sourcing locally cuts down dramatically on fuel and energy use.” Gwen Ruta, director of corporate partnerships for Environmental Defense, agrees, telling Alternet.org she wishes Wal-Mart would “flex their purchasing muscle. If you can make a change in Wal-Mart, even if it’s a small change, it’s really a big change, especially if it affects the supply chain.”

While environmentalists are keeping an eye on Wal-Mart’s growth and business practices, the retail Goliath will be watching its two experimental stores, which play a major role in determining what products and processes will be incorporated in new stores or retrofitted in existing stores. More than 50 different experiments are being conducted at Aurora to evaluate technology on the road to reaching Scott’s goal of becoming 25% to 30% more efficient and produce 30% less greenhouse gas emissions within four years.

National Renewable Energy Lab of Golden, CO, will provide monitoring, testing, and analysis of store systems and materials, in the Aurora store for three years. Moseley says concepts, technology, materials, and vendors will be evaluated, and he promises to share lessons learned with the industry so everyone “can benefit from these technologies becoming more mainstream.”

Tara Stewart, Wal-Mart spokeswoman, says monitoring of the Texas store has already revealed an 8% energy savings, and 1,700 existing stores have been retrofitted with new lighting to save money. However, Moseley adds that “we will apply what we learned, even without cost savings.” Multipurpose experiments will address energy and environmental issues, but because some of the technology isn’t fully mature, costs can run high. Stewart says, “It’s not just about gas prices today; it’s about achieving environmental sustainability.”

Pope, who also sits on Wal-Mart Watch’s board, says that it’s important to acknowledge Wal-Mart’s progress toward environmental sustainability, but he, Ruta, and various watchdog organizations intend to see that Wal-Mart lives up to its environmental promises. What the media will be watching is anybody’s guess. DE

Indianapolis, IN-based writer LORI LOVELY specializes in technical subjects.

DE - May/June 2006