Boulogne-Billancourt, France, 2015-2-13 — /EPR Retail News/ — Carrefour Market has entered into a partnership with PHILLIPS and French start-up ECHY in order to test a revolutionary new hybrid fibre-optic lighting technology. The system reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in stores by harnessing natural light, improving the visual comfort of customers in the process.
For Carrefour, 2015 is all about tackling climate change, and so it has joined forces with ECHY and PHILLIPS to develop an innovative new lighting solution in order to reduce its energy consumption.
The system developed by French start-up ECHY and PHILLIPS – a global leader in lighting solutions – is getting its first retail sector test at Carrefour. The Bonneval Carrefour Market (south-west of the Paris region) is where it is being tried out – it has been installed at the entrance to the store which is lit using sunlight. Lens panels installed on the roof capture natural light which is then transmitted via fibre-optics to the store entrance and distributed with the help of a hybrid lighting unit.
The light is completely natural, so it falls within the same area of the spectrum as sunlight. But it has none of its disadvantages (no ultraviolet, no heat). Store customers enjoy the sensations of well-being and visual comfort that it provides, while employees enjoy the very pleasant working environment that it creates.
Sensors ensure that appropriate lighting levels are maintained in the store throughout the day, regardless of outdoor weather conditions. LED lighting kicks in automatically and gradually as soon as natural lighting levels are no longer sufficient to meet requirements.
With the help of this new system, the Bonneval Carrefour Market should be able to reduce the amount of energy that goes on lighting by 40%. This represents considerable savings, given that lighting is one of the major areas of energy expenditure for a store like Carrefour.
Carrefour will remain committed to tackling climate change throughout 2015
By testing this new lighting system, Carrefour is continuing with the course of action that it embarked upon 20 years ago to tackle energy wastage. Carrefour has undertaken to reduce the CO2 emissions that its business generates by 40% between 2009 and 2020. To help it do this, the retailer has introduced a number of energy efficiency initiatives: energy consumption management is now centralised, doors have been installed on its fresh food and frozen food cabinets, air-conditioning is now regulated based on outdoor temperature, new energy-saving ovens and lighting systems have been introduced, and stores are now lit using LED lighting systems.
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