Sustainability

Target is the newest member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill organization. The decision to join the group comes as Target has been expanding the frozen and refrigerated capacity in its stores at a breakneck pace as part of the PFresh remodeling program. Greenchill is an EPA partnership with food retailers to help them reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

ATLANTA -- The Home Depot Foundation announced that it has created a $1 million weather impact fund to aid relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts in response to the recent storms throughout the Southeast and Midwest United States, and in expectation of continuing violent storms throughout the spring season.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- One of the largest commercial solar rooftop installations in the five boroughs has gone live. Ikea announced that the solar energy system on its store in Brooklyn, N.Y., now is commissioned, operational and certified by Con Edison and New York City. The 200 kW array occupies 19,000 sq. ft., with four different module types totaling 1,104 panels.

New York City -- Ikea announced that its 415,000-sq.-ft. store in Centennial, Col., will open on July 27.

“The excellent construction progress made this past fall and winter by Saunders Construction and the subcontractors -- as well as professional and timely reviews by local authorities -- created an opportunity for us to open much earlier than originally envisioned,” said Ikea project construction manager Doug Wolfe.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) GreenChill program. The program further Target's efforts to reduce refrigeration emissions by adopting green refrigeration technologies in its stores.

Phoenix -- PetSmart celebrated Earth Day on Friday with the announcement that its distribution center in McCarran, Nev., has been awarded Silver Certification under the LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system.

Bloomington, Minn. -- Mall of America plans to replace 5,400 metal halide and high-pressure sodium fixtures in the parking ramps with specially designed new fixtures LED technology from Acuity Brands. The installation will begin in July. It is part of a multi-faceted sustainability program that will be announced during the coming months. Anticipated completion will be this fall.

Norwalk, Conn. -- Emcor Group, a leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure and facilities services for a diverse range of businesses, announced that its Emcor Services Mesa Energy Systems subsidiary has been awarded a contract to perform an energy retrofit project at the Westfield San Francisco Centre, a high-end shopping center in San Francisco.