J.C. Penney, Retailers Team With U.S. Department of Energy

Plano, Texas J.C. Penney has joined The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory as a part of an effort to encourage adoption of energy-saving technologies for new and existing commercial buildings.

J.C. Penney is among 21 companies, including retailers such as Macy’s, Best Buy and Whole Foods Market, selected to receive awards totaling $15 million as part of the Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative.

The companies will team with two of the DOE’s National Laboratories on projects to achieve cost-effective savings of 50% above the standard set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers for new commercial-building designs, and a savings of 30% for retrofits to existing buildings.

Each company selected will have their design and facility management teams work with the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to design, build, tune and operate at least one new prototype building and to retrofit an existing building project for 50% and 30% energy savings, respectively.