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The John Lewis Partnership is not like other retailers. Yes, the business needs its John Lewis and Waitrose stores to make a profit, but its partners and customers expect the business to make its money in a socially responsible way. So while the company is embarking on an ambitious expansion plan for both of its trading arms - the biggest in its history - it is no surprise to see the chairman set a tough energy target for those managing its burgeoning estate. The partnership aims to deliver a 15% absolute reduction in operational carbon dioxide emissions by 2020/21 from a 2010/11 baseline.

鈥淎s a business, we are renowned for our desire to do the right thing,鈥� says Tony Jacob, head of construction, energy and the environment at John Lewis Partnership. 鈥淭here is an expectation within the partnership and, we believe, among our customers to be a socially responsible business and it makes sense to link in with the broader government targets around carbon reduction.鈥�

A backdrop of hugely rising fuel costs and government levies from initiatives such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme has brought energy efficiency to the fore. 鈥淭he days of cheap energy are gone forever,鈥� says Jacob. 鈥淭he capital and carbon efficiency of both our new and existing space is vital to the longevity of the business. We have embarked upon a programme of very carbon-efficient new-space growth, not just in the selling space, but in new distribution and data centres brought about by the growth of our online operations.鈥�

The mix of commercial acumen and corporate conscience resulted in a world first when Waitrose was awarded a BREEAM Outstanding rating for the fit-out of its new store at Westfield鈥檚 Stratford City retail centre in east London. Indeed, seven out of the top 10 ranking retail stores assessed under BREEAM in 2011 belonged to the John Lewis Partnership.

The Westfield Stratford outlet is the first Waitrose store to do away with conventional fossil fuels, and has achieved an A-rated energy performance certificate. It is run entirely on renewable energy generated from a power plant that serves the whole retail centre. While this is a significant contributor to the BREEAM Outstanding rating, and has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 20%, a host of M&E initiatives have played their part. These include:

• water-saving sanitaryware and technologies, such as sanitary supply shut-off valves
• no traditional refrigerants - only hydrocarbon propane, a gas that has a much lower global warming potential
• free cooling in the form of cold-air retrieval from the refrigerated cabinets
• no electric heating, thereby minimising the nitrogen oxide emissions from electricity generation.

Waitrose operates an in-house policy that all of its stores are BREEAM assessed, with the minimum requirement being a Very Good rating. As there was an opportunity at the Westfield site to connect into the development鈥檚 energy centre, Waitrose decided to do this and to strive for an Outstanding rating for the fit-out work.

鈥淲e realised we could get to BREEAM Excellent as a design standard, but with energy centres, an Outstanding rating has become tangible,鈥� says Jacob. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not about doing it for BREEAM points, we will only invest where it makes economic sense to do so.鈥�

The team has gone one step further with the opening at the end of March of its own low-carbon biomass-powered energy centre at a Waitrose store in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Here, Waitrose has partnered with MITIE Asset Management to develop renewable energy plant that uses local woodchip to power, heat and cool the store (see box, overleaf).
MITIE is delivering a second energy centre, using the same technology, at Waitrose鈥檚 store in Bracknell, Berkshire, which is due to become operational at the end of May. Both the East Cowes and Bracknell outlets are on track to achieve the BREEAM Outstanding rating for retail stores in use.

鈥淲e could have the first three shops in the world to achieve BREEAM Outstanding,鈥� says Jacob. 鈥淭o get that sort of recognition would give us even more belief and more power to our elbow to commit to more focus in this area. We are still at the foothills - there is so much more to go for.鈥�

Chipping away: Waitrose鈥檚 first energy centre

Waitrose East Cowes biomass-fuelled energy centre is helping the supermarket chain achieve an absolute carbon emissions reduction of 15% by 2020/2021 when compared with 2010 levels. The energy centre will cut the store鈥檚 carbon emissions by more than 750 tonnes per year - equivalent to 1,500 transatlantic flights. 

About 175 tonnes of woodchip, sourced from Firestone Copse on the Isle of Wight, will be delivered to the centre every month. The system burns wet woodchip at very high temperatures to turn it to gaseous form. The gas is then combusted in a furnace to produce heat. In total, there are four furnaces, each driving a 35kW Stirling engine to generate a total of 140kW of electricity for use in the store.

Not only is the heat generated from the plant used to heat the store, it is also used to drive the refrigeration system, with an absorption chiller that is driven thermally rather than electrically.

鈥淲e are able take advantage of the natural cycle of food retail,鈥� says Toby Marlow, engineering manager, feasibility at John Lewis Partnership. 鈥淚n summer, we can use the heat for the refrigeration cabinets. In winter, we are able to make use of free cooling when temperatures are below 12潞C and there will be an abundance of heat from the plant, which we can use to heat the stores and export to the local community.鈥�

We will spend no more money over 12 years on this than we would have done on our utility bills

Toby Marlow, John Lewis

While no agreements have yet been signed, the idea is to use the excess heat to supply a district heating circuit serving a new housing development and health centre currently being planned.

The energy centre also doubles as a visitor centre to inspire interest in the technology. Yet there is no hint of greenwash about the project - it has to stack up economically.

鈥淢ITIE Asset Management will operate the energy centre for Waitrose on a 12-year life cycle,鈥� says Marlow. 鈥淲e will spend no more money over 12 years on this than we would have done on our utility bills. In fact, while it鈥檚 hard to be certain about the sums we will receive under the Renewable Heat Incentive in the future, we are confident that the plant will generate an income for the business.鈥�