One million LED light bulbs saves the Shoprite Group R346 million in electricity costs 

The Shoprite Group has diminished its electrical energy consumption by 11.8% following the set up of 1 001 932 energy-efficient LED lightbulbs throughout 1 647 of its supermarkets and distribution centres nationwide.

This has eased stress on the nationwide electrical energy grid in addition to generated financial savings of 164 million kWh and R346 million in electrical energy prices for the Group throughout its 2022/2023 monetary yr.

“By taking a proactive stance in vitality planning, the Shoprite Group has bolstered its shops’ vitality resilience to face up to each anticipated and unexpected disruptions in vitality provide and electrical energy tariffs,” mentioned Sanjeev Raghubir, Sustainability Supervisor for the Shoprite Group.

The retailer’s funding in its LED substitute venture, which commenced in 2017, totalsR371.1 million to this point, together with R48.7 million over the previous yr.

“LED lamps are sometimes 50% extra vitality environment friendly than fluorescent lamps, and we encourage everybody to play their half in decreasing their vitality consumption to stabilise our nationwide grid,” provides Raghubir.

It varieties a part of the Group’s technique to enhance vitality effectivity as a lot as potential after which to make use of renewable vitality throughout its operations together with distribution centres, vans and trailers.

Along with the LED installations, the retailer has greater than doubled its put in capability of photo voltaic photovoltaic (PV) programs over the previous two years. At the moment, 71 websites masking 174,534 m² are geared up with photo voltaic PV, leading to a complete put in capability of 32,321 kWp. That is ample to energy 4,554 common sized households yearly.

The Shoprite Group goals to energy 25% of its operations with renewable vitality inside the subsequent 5 years as a part of its dedication to succeed in science-based emission targets by 2050.

Putting in photo voltaic PV on trailers can be a precedence for the retailer because it permits drivers to change off truck ignitions at supply places, decreasing exhaust air pollution whereas maintaining the chilly chain intact.

In 2022, it expanded the variety of trailers in its fleet geared up with photo voltaic PV to 1,041.

These interventions have helped to cut back the Group’s electrical energy prices, elevated effectivity, and enhanced enterprise resilience.