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Identified best environmental management practices to improve the energy performance of the retail trade sector in Europe

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  • Galvez-Martos, Jose-Luis
  • Styles, David
  • Schoenberger, Harald

Abstract

The retail trade sector has been identified as a target sector for the development of sectoral reference documents on best environmental management practices under the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. This paper focuses on the important energy-related needs in retailers' stores such as for food refrigeration and lighting, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning of the building. For the definition of best environmental management practices in the European framework, frontrunner retailers have been identified as those retailers integrating energy minimization and saving measures as standard practice systematically across stores. These best performers also integrate a comprehensive monitoring system in the energy management of every store or building belonging to the company, enabling the rapid identification of energy saving opportunities. An integrative approach is needed to define how best practices should be implemented in combination to optimize energy management within stores: building aspects such as insulation of the building envelope or the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, should be optimized in combination with best options for refrigeration in food retailers. Refrigeration systems are responsible for half of the final energy use in stores and of their carbon footprint. Natural refrigerants, heat recovery from the condensation stage and covering of display cases are measures with high environmental benefits to reduce the impact of refrigeration. Finally, practices for lighting, as optimal lighting strategies, and the integration of renewable energy sources in overall zero energy building concepts can save considerable amounts of fossil energy, reduce the carbon footprint and produce significant cost-savings in the long term.

Suggested Citation

  • Galvez-Martos, Jose-Luis & Styles, David & Schoenberger, Harald, 2013. "Identified best environmental management practices to improve the energy performance of the retail trade sector in Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 982-994.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:63:y:2013:i:c:p:982-994
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.08.061
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ferreira, Ana & Pinheiro, Manuel Duarte & de Brito, Jorge & Mateus, Ricardo, 2018. "Combined carbon and energy intensity benchmarks for sustainable retail stores," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(PB), pages 877-889.
    2. Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes & Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J., 2017. "Assessing environmental performance in the European Union: Eco-innovation versus catching-up," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 240-252.
    3. Alessandro Franco & Giacomo Cillari, 2021. "Energy Sustainability of Food Stores and Supermarkets through the Installation of PV Integrated Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    4. Antonella Biscione & Dorothée Boccanfuso & Annunziata De Felice, 2021. "Regulations and Corporate Environmental Responsibility: evidence from a panel of firms in Transition economies," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(54), pages 6286-6299, November.
    5. Ana Ferreira & Manuel Duarte Pinheiro & Jorge de Brito & Ricardo Mateus, 2022. "Embodied vs. Operational Energy and Carbon in Retail Building Shells: A Case Study in Portugal," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    6. Radojko LUKIC, 2016. "Energy Efficiency In The Food Retail," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 6(1), pages 16-35, March.
    7. Antonella Biscione & Annunziata de Felice & Teodoro Gallucci, 2022. "Energy Saving in Transition Economies: Environmental Activities in Manufacturing Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Ana Ferreira & Manuel Pinheiro & Jorge de Brito & Ricardo Mateus, 2022. "Assessing the Sustainability of Retail Buildings: The Portuguese Method LiderA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-26, November.
    9. Styles, David & Schoenberger, Harald & Galvez-Martos, José Luis, 2015. "Water management in the European hospitality sector: Best practice, performance benchmarks and improvement potential," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 187-202.
    10. Radojko LUKIC, 2014. "The Analysis of the Efficiency of Trade Costs Management in Serbia," Economia. Seria Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(2), pages 195-209, December.
    11. Ana Ferreira & Manuel Duarte Pinheiro & Jorge Brito & Ricardo Mateus & Vitor Sousa, 2023. "Water Intensity Indicators in the Global Retail Sector," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 37(1), pages 219-234, January.
    12. Gimeno-Frontera, Beatriz & Mainar-Toledo, María Dolores & Sáez de Guinoa, Aitana & Zambrana-Vasquez, David & Zabalza-Bribián, Ignacio, 2018. "Sustainability of non-residential buildings and relevance of main environmental impact contributors' variability. A case study of food retail stores buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 669-681.

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