Sustainable energy has long been a key issue for REWE Group Austria and the reason for ongoing investments in efficiency measures, especially in store expansion. This is of particular importance for the implementation of the European Union's Green Deal and contributes significantly to the company's cost efficiency. Innovative energy concepts are used in supermarkets in particular, where refrigeration and lighting are among the largest energy consumers.
Energy-efficient stores in figures: Savings equivalent to over 25,000 households
Of the total of 1,232 BILLA stores, 701 are energy-efficient, while 243 of 313 PENNY stores are also operated with low emissions. This means that six out of ten BILLA and PENNY stores are already energy-efficient. In addition, 198 BILLA and 44 PENNY stores have photovoltaic systems. These measures have enabled BILLA and PENNY to save 111,886,100 kWh of electricity - comparable to the electricity consumption of almost 25,500 households - and 30,492,400 kWh of heat. Every store that is converted is checked for energy efficiency measures and, where technically possible, converted to heat recovery, for example. This means that the waste heat from the refrigeration system is used to heat the stores. The proportion of heat recovery is around 35%.
Auch hat BIPA mittlerweile 30 Photovoltaikanlagen österreichweit in Betrieb und beabsichtigt bis Ende 2024 auf ca. 50 Filialen zu erhöhen. Hier wird die notwendige Energie bei beinahe allen Neu- und Umbauten mittels nachhaltiger und energieeffizienter VRV-Anlagen (Luft-Wärmepumpen zur Beheizung und Klimatisierung) bereitgestellt. In Ausnahmefällen, z.B. wenn behördlich keine VRV-Anlage genehmigt wird, werden Neu- und Umbauten mittels Nah- oder Fernwärme beheizt und mittels Split-Klimageräten gekühlt.
BIPA now also has 30 photovoltaic systems in operation across Austria and plans to increase this to around 50 stores by the end of 2024. Here, the energy required for almost all new builds and renovations is provided by sustainable and energy-efficient VRV systems (air source heat pumps for heating and air conditioning). In exceptional cases, e.g. if no VRV system is approved by the authorities, new buildings and conversions are heated using local or district heating and cooled using split air conditioning units.
Robert Nagele, BILLA Board Member for Real Estate & Sustainability, emphasizes: “REWE Group has set itself the goal of achieving the Net Zero target at company level in all countries by 2050. Measures such as sustainable construction and the energy-efficient operation of our stores are crucial to this. The implementation of LED lighting, measures for resource-saving cooling and the construction of new energy-efficient stores are key success factors. We continue to work on constantly improving our energy efficiency.”
REWE Group has been pursuing the concept of the “Green Building” since 2006, which is constantly being expanded. These efforts have led to a steady reduction in energy consumption in relation to expansion. Since the beginning of 2008, the entire electricity procurement for stores, warehouses and central buildings has been converted to 100 % certified green electricity from renewable sources such as wind energy, hydropower and photovoltaics. A particular concern is to build new stores in the most climate-resilient way possible. Seven BILLA stores have already been Greenpass certified since 2022.
Austria's greenest BILLA
One example of these initiatives is the BILLA store on Pilotengasse in Vienna Donaustadt, which will open in November 2024.This store sets standards as the “greenest” BILLA in the BILLA family.The new building is based on certified wooden building materials from Austria, uses renewable energy and promotes electromobility.In addition, comprehensive greening is being implemented in accordance with the new BILLA greening manual, which includes shade trees, natural meadows, green facades and a green roof with photovoltaic systems. The store is also certified according to the standards of Green Building, Klimaaktiv, ÖGNI and Greenpass.
Refrigeration Partner Conference 2024
This year's Refrigeration Partner Conference, organized by BILLA and PENNY, took place at the BILLA PLUS Academy and brought together around 60 guests, including leading maintenance companies and partners in the field of refrigeration technology. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Energy Efficiency Award to the companies Reindl Kältetechnik, Lepuschitz Kältetechnik and Caverion, in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the field of energy efficiency. Comprehensive statistics on system and supplier performance with a focus on sustainability were presented during the conference. Future projects were also presented and the challenges overcome in recent years were discussed.
