Walgreens Embraces Green Building Techniques

Walgreens, the popular pharmacy and drug store retail chain, is scheduled to build its first fully self-powered green commercial building utilizing geothermal, wind, and solar building technologies.

The store recently announced its plans to go “net zero” energy usage and become a leader in green building for retail and commercial use. Environmentally friendly construction techniques have grown in popularity in those business sectors with high energy usage such as data centers and manufacturing plants but retails locations have been slower to embrace the change.

The new, environmentally friendly store will be constructed in Evanston, Illinois, and is replacing an old Walgreens store that was energy ineffective and required updating. Customers coming to the new store probably won’t see much of a difference, but behind the scenes there will be wind turbines and solar panels, geothermal heat, LED lighting, and high efficiency refrigeration.

Designers of the store believe that when finished, the facility will produce more energy than it consumes therefore eliminating the monthly energy costs from the red into the black.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Even if you don’t have the word “green” in your business name like Walgreens does, you can still embrace smart green building techniques the next time your facility needs updating or new construction. Not only can these enhancements save you money in the long run, but they might even get your business some good press for being forward-thinking and environmentally conscious!