On the 12th of October, a new BILLA store with around 600 m² of sales area opens at Hauptstraße 11 in Obdach, Styria.
The new building was certified as a Green Building and, with its climate-sensitive construction and energy-saving operation, exceeds the requirements of the European Union's GreenBuilding Programme.
BILLA is the first food retailer in the world to receive a GREENPASS® gold award for the new store.
Among other things, the extensive greening of roof surfaces and façades as well as the outdoor areas and car parks played an important role in the construction and now contributes to a cooling microclimate in the immediate vicinity.
"As a food retailer, protecting the climate and the environment is very close to our hearts. Accordingly, REWE Group's goal is to become climate neutral at the corporate level in all countries by 2040. By 2030, we want to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by a further 30 per cent compared to 2019. On this path, sensible but also economic measures such as sustainable construction and the energy-efficient operation of our stores are crucial," explains Robert Nagele, BILLA CEO responsible for real estate.
Energy savings of around 40 percent and preservation of biodiversity
On the green roof of the new BILLA store there is also a photovoltaic system with an output of 40.46 kWp. This produces around 42,500 kWh of electricity annually, which is mainly used to cover the store's own needs. Green electricity from Austria is used for the remaining electricity supply. The use of natural refrigerant for normal and deep freezing, a low cooling capacity through wall refrigeration units with doors, energy-saving electronic EC fans as well as the coverage of the complete heating demand through heat recovery reduce the energy demand by up to 40 per cent. In addition, the entire building is illuminated inside and outside by LEDs.
Newly planted trees provide shade in the car park. Green spaces with wildflowers and six insect hotels designed and built by children from Obdach provide a home for beetles, butterflies and bees. Dead wood, a dead tree lying on the green roof of the market, provides additional habitat for insects but also mosses, lichens as well as fungi. Accumulated rainwater serves as a watering hole for insects and birds. For the first time, the infiltration-capable TTE eco-soil system is used in the car parks, which absorbs rainwater and protects against flooding during heavy rainfall. In addition, charging stations for e-cars and bicycle racks for CO2-saving shopping trips are available.
"BILLA has been regarded as an important local supplier in town and country for more than six decades and with the construction of a new store we are also moving into a community as neighbours. It is therefore important to us to integrate ourselves as well as possible, to give back space, to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and to ensure the well-being of our employees, customers and fellow citizens in the surrounding area. With the new store here in Obdach, we have certainly succeeded", says BILLA Head of Sales Peter Gschiel.
BILLA store in Obdach as a green pioneer in food retailing
As a result of all these ecological measures, the location in Obdach was the first representative of the food retail sector worldwide to receive a gold certification from GREENPASS®. Greenpass supports companies in making building projects liveable and adapting them to the currently advancing climate change. In addition, the new BILLA store was awarded by the Austrian Institute for Building and Ecology (IBO) as a Green Building under the EU GreenBuilding Programme, which aims to increase the energy efficiency of private and public service buildings. With a reduction in energy demand of around 40 percent, the new BILLA store exceeds the criteria of the European Union's GreenBuilding Programme, which stipulates a 25 percent saving in new buildings compared to the building code.
