STORE SPACES

Bernardino, Calif.  -- Three new Stater Bros. a that three supermarkets have earned the prestigious EPA GreenChill Gold Certification for meeting tough standards and using refrigerants that do not harm the earth's ozone layer.

Stater Bros. is the only Southern California grocer to have three stores that are certified at the Gold Level, which is the second highest award from GreenChill.

EPA's GreenChill Partnership works with supermarkets to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

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.

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.

New York City -- Retailers across the nation issued updates on their environmental initiatives in the days leading up to Earth Day, April 22. Starbucks Coffee Co. released its tenth annual "Global Responsibility Report," noting it has reduced water use, increased its renewable energy purchases and is testing a new energy management story (see story here).

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s will rebuild its store in Sanford, N.C., that was demolished by a tornado April 16, the company announced Thursday.

Lowe’s will tear down what is left of the remaining building, which has been condemned, and build a new facility on the site, said company spokeswoman Karen Cobb. The chain hopes to re-open the store 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.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot is launching the 2011 Green Business Challenge in partnership with Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI) and elected officials from across the United States.

Houston -- Kroger Southwest on Thursday said it plans to lower energy usage by 50% -- an average decrease of 2% to 4% annually -- during the next five years. Since 2000, the company has reduced energy consumption in its stores by 30%.

In its ongoing effort to reduce usage, Kroger Southwest appointed a task force of energy-conservation technicians whose sole focus is to identify ways stores can operate more efficiently.