Green' hypermarket shaping up
At first glance, Bangkok's latest Tesco Lotus outlet on Rama I Road in Pathumwan looks just like any of the dozens of others that the British retailer has built _ a low-rise concrete block painted creamy white with large plate glass windows all around.But from a bird's-eye view, the building's high-tech touches become visible.
Slightly over half of its roof area, about the size of three football pitches combined, is covered with hundreds of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy panels.
The canopy on the store's main entrance, the storefront and even the benches out front are made of PV panels that turn sunlight into electricity.
Welcome to Tesco Lotus's ''Green Store'', a 600-million-baht retailing complex that incorporates a number of cutting-edge energy conservation and environmentally friendly features, including the region's largest rooftop solar energy system.
The Rama I store represents a pioneering approach by Tesco Lotus to addressing energy-saving and environmental protection issues at its commercial buildings in Thailand. Tesco points to the new operation as tangible proof of its sincere efforts to save energy.
Tesco Lotus, the largest hypermarket chain in Thailand, has voluntarily spent some 88 million baht on increasing its use of renewable energy sources, reducing water waste, stringent pollution controls and efforts aimed at making its stores healthy places to work in.
The company hopes to use the innovations introduced at its 49th Thai store _ the first of its kind in Tesco's global network _ at all of its new stores in Thailand, following an evaluation period.
''This is no gimmick. We want to demonstrate Tesco's willingness to invest in innovative and socially beneficial projects in Thailand and lead the way so that others will follow,'' said Kasidit Manopinives, vice-president for property services at Tesco Lotus.
The centrepiece of its ''green'' initiatives is the 75-million-baht rooftop PV system, supplied by Shell Solar (part of the Royal Dutch/Shell group), with a capacity to produce 460 kilowatts of power, or 600,000 units of electricity per year.
The PV system covers 7,376 square metres, or 54% of the total roof area, with excess electricity output from the system to be fed into the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) grid.
However, electricity produced from the solar panels will provide only 12.5% of the Rama I building's consumption, for a cost saving of 1.6 million baht per year. The balance of its electricity needs will still come from the public grid.
With the current high cost of solar panels, the electricity from the PV system is five to six times more expensive than simply plugging into the public grid, according to Christophe Inglin, managing director of Shell Solar Singapore Pte Ltd.
But there are benefits. The PV system, installed with no government support, will reduce peak demand on the grid with the added benefit of offsetting 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from Thailand's fossil-fuel power plants.
Among other innovative features at Tesco Lotus's Green Store are:
- Extensive use of laminated glass skylights that reduce heat gain while maximising ambient light in the building.
- Reduced-flow faucets and chilled, condenser water for air-conditioning.
- Lower energy consumption through the use of an integrated chiller plant equipped with a sophisticated energy management system.
- A rainwater collection system to supplement the supply from the building's cooling tower.
- Use of recycled, treated water in toilets.
- Replacing R-22 refrigerant with ozone-friendly R-407 (as required by the European Union) for use in small air-conditioners, and using R-404A and R134A for large refrigeration systems and chiller plants.
Mr Kasidit said that Tesco Lotus had spent 180 million baht on an energy conservation programme at its 48 stores over the past two years, which has resulted in energy savings of 145 million baht a year.