Waitrose commits to heat pumps

UK: Waitrose has revealed plans to switch from fossil fuel heating to electric heat pumps in its stores, powered by zero-carbon renewable energy.

The retailer will combine the heat pumps with heat recovery from its upgraded refrigeration systems as part of a plan to reduce energy consumption by 25% by 2028.

To maximise its building efficiency, Waitrose is also rolling out air door technology to lessen hot and cold air infiltration into its buildings, switching to water-cooled systems and low GWP refrigerants and converting to LED lighting across all of its stores.

“No business is immune to rising energy costs. We’ve already set an ambitious plan to reduce our energy consumption and reach our goal of net zero emissions by 2035,” explained John Lewis Partnership energy and innovation operations manager Neil Coleman. “With energy prices rising, we’re accelerating this. We’re focusing on heat recovery solutions and thermal efficiency to help lower the general heating and cooling load of our buildings.”