Home Depot Implements Energy Conservation Measures
Atlanta, GA, September 6--In response to the government's call to conserve energy in light of the recent hurricane, Home Depot today announced it will implement energy-saving measures in all of its U.S. stores by Sept. 8.
In addition, the company is increasing its efforts to educate consumers about products and services that can help save money and conserve natural resources during this critical period.
The company said it will voluntarily implement conservation measures in all of its stores until further notice. Measures include reducing the use of ceiling lights in stores equipped with skylights and cutting back illumination of lighting displays by five hours per day, per store. The company estimates these actions alone will save approximately 15 million kilowatt hours per month, enough to power 17,400 homes per month. In addition, the company will challenge its associates to be especially vigilant about energy consumption throughout store operations.
The company also will implement energy-saving measures in its U.S. store support facilities and has a similar program in place in its 123 Canadian stores.
"As we help empower consumers to reduce their energy costs through products and services, we also believe it is right for us to reduce our company's own consumption and help contribute to the country's energy conservation efforts at this time," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president & CEO of The Home Depot.
In 2004, the company implemented a number of energy conservation initiatives to reduce electricity demands in the stores, including retrofitting stores with T5 fluorescent lighting, converting front signs to LED and implementing a low-watt bulb program in each store's light display. In addition, the company has achieved an average energy savings of 34 percent in new stores built since 2003 by engineering a number of changes in their design and construction process.
Consumer Education Planned
In addition to these internal measures, the company announced plans to conduct clinics at 2 p.m. every Sunday in September on how to save money on energy bills. It also has created an online home energy-efficiency audit at www.homedepot.com/energy to identify which parts of a consumer's home use the most energy. Consumers can use the checklist provided to track problem areas and help prioritize necessary energy-efficiency upgrades.
The company also offered consumers some immediate solutions they can implement today to help conserve energy:
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They can last five years and use only 16 watts of energy but produce light comparable to a 60-watt incandescent.
Turn off lights when you leave a room. In forgotten areas, such as closets and pantries, install motion sensors that turn the lights on only when activated and turn them off automatically. Also, adding light timers can reduce energy usage.
Clean or replace air filters. Dirty air filters cause the AC unit to work harder than necessary.
Use appliances and electronics efficiently. Only run washing machines, dryers and dishwashers when you have a full load in order to save water and energy. Turn off computers and office equipment.
Switch to ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances. ENERGY STAR-qualified products incorporate advanced technologies that use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models.
Install a programmable thermostat to change the set point while you are at work or asleep. This will save about 2 percent on heating bills and more than 3 percent on cooling bills for each degree.
Install a ceiling fan. Studies show that by setting thermostats higher and using ceiling fans, homeowners can save as much as 40 percent on summer cooling bills and 10 percent on winter heating bills without sacrificing room comfort.
Seal and insulate ducts. Ducts running through unconditioned areas (attics, crawl spaces an
