1920s JC Penney Stores Earn 'Energy Star'

by Robin Fiedler

JC Penney is the leading retailer in earning the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy

Star rating for a total of 81 stores in three years. It was the first retailer to win the award in 2007 for four of its Washington stores; however, six of its stores built in the 1920s have also won, showing that age is just an attitude when it comes to saving energy.

What is this "Energy Star" stuff all about? It's an energy conservation program run by the Department of Energy's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Businesses volunteer to participate, and JC Penneybecame a member of Energy Star in 1999. Products, appliances, and buildings are rated for energy consumption. When it comes to buildings, the EPA compares energy use of a building to a national average for the same type and size building.

According to Energy Star "Rate Your Building's Energy Performance," to qualify for the Energy Star label, the building's energy and water use must score above the 75% percentile, which means it uses less energy than 75% of nation's average. Not bad.

The first and only four retail buildings in the United States to win the Energy Star Label in 2007 were all JC Penney stores located in Washington State, in Puyallup, Vancouver, Bellevue, and Burlington. The four stores' Energy Star profiles list that they were constructed between 1980 and 1994. Some may argue that's an easy feat for relatively young buildings, but even in the 1980s and 90s, building construction's focus on high energy efficiency was minimal.

In 2008, the second year for retailer awards, 302 retail buildings across the US earned the Energy Star label - of these, 48 were JC Penney stores. Four of those stores were constructed in the 1920s at a time when energy efficiency was as far away in building construction as space travel.

• 1920 - 901 W Morton, Jacksonville, IL

• 1925 - 321 Main St Fort Morgan, CO

• 1929 - 324 E San Antonio St, EL Paso, TX

• 1929 - 201 S Main St. Bishop, CA

In 2009, 231 retail buildings won an Energy Star rating across the US, including 31 more JC Penney. Two of these were constructed in the 1920s.

• 1925 - 621 Main St, Alamosa, CO

• 1928 - 6420 S Pacific Blvd, Huntington Park, CA

Of the 1920s winners, the Huntington Park store "is one of JCPenney's longest continually operating stores in the country," according to Energy Star's building profile. It's also one of 63 stores in the JC Penney's Advanced Energy Management Programs that uses a "data recorder" to estimate the store's energy consumption on a daily basis. In addition to enduring optimal building maintenance, the store manager is an active volunteer in using JC Penney's software applications designed to monitor and conserve energy. The store's success in energy conservation is due to "people's" efforts, regardless of the building's age.

In all, 83 JC Penney stores received the designation from 2007 to 2009. Here's a link for an interactive Google Map of all 83 Energy Star JC Penney Stores. You can check to see if an energy efficient JC Penney is located near your hometown.

JC Penney's goal is to earn the Energy Star rating for 200+ stores by 2011.

Besides earning Energy Star labels for retail stores, JC Penney is also recognized as an Energy Star Leader "for organization-wide improvement or top energy performance" and an Energy Star Partner"for outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency." In 2009, Energy Star announced, "JC Penney has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year twice, and is receiving Sustained Excellence recognition for the first time. . ."

What did JC Penney do to earn Leader and Partner Awards?

• Earned Energy Star labels for its retail stores

• Pledged to build all new stores to Energy Star standards

• Committed to a 5-yr schedule to have 800 stores equipped with energy-management systems for a 6% energy savings

• Issues monthly energy-performance ratings to store managers

• Installed lighting retrofits in 240 stores

• Expanded Advanced Energy Management program after 15% energy savings in 10 trial stores

I also found JC Penney's solar and wind power projects very exciting, since renewable energy sources are more innovative than simply reducing inefficient energy resources. JC Penney has contracted with SunPower to have 10 stores in New Jersey and California equipped with solar power, reducing emissions over 30 years equal to those "generated by more than 800 cars."

JC Penney announced that "California stores scheduled to receive solar systems are located in El Cajon, Palmdale, Redlands and Santa Clarita, and the New Jersey store locations are in Cherry Hill, Deptford, East Brunswick, Freehold, Wayne and Woodbridge."

While solar power benefits the aesthetics of retail stores, another "pilot program to install wind turbines at JC Penney's 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in Reno, Nevada" uses the industrial space available for a field of roller-blade-turning giant fans.

Jim Thomas, vice president and director of corporate social responsibility for JC Penney, said,

"We are proud of what we are accomplishing as an organization to reduce energy consumption and extend JC Penney's legacy of social responsibility, and our Associates remain focused on seeking new ways to protect the environment."

JC Penney summarized its energy-conservation activities best: they are "adding to the ENERGY STAR Galaxy," bringing old buildings into an energy-efficient age and piloting renewable energy's future possibilities.

Sources

 "Energy Star." JC Penney.   

"Energy Star Labeled Building Profile." Energy Star. EPA.

"Energy Star Labeled Retails for 2007." Energy Star. EPA.

"Energy Star Labeled Retails for 2008 owned by JC Penney." Energy Star. EPA

"Energy Star Labeled Retails for 2009 owned by JC Penney." Energy Star. EPA

"Portfolio Manager Overview." Energy Star. EPA.

"JC Penney Launches Solar and Wind Power Projects." SunPower. 13 Aug. 2008.

"J.C. Penney Company, Inc." Energy Star. EPA.