Stop & Shop Installs Fuel Cell in N.Y. Supermarket

A Bloom Energy fuel cell is now powering Stop & Shop's Mount Vernon, N.Y., store. The 250-kilowatt system will generate more than 2 million kilowatt-hours annually, leading to yearly carbon reductions of more than 700,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Bloom's solid oxide fuel cell converts fuel to electricity through an electrochemical process, instead of combustion, to provide on-site, clean and reliable power.

Stop & Shop’s clean and renewable energy portfolio also includes solar panel systems on the roofs on 38 of its stores, capable of generating 9.5 million kilowatt-hours each year. As part of its Better Neighbor Promise to care for the environment, the grocery chain aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2015, using 2008 as a baseline, and has a goal of reaching zero waste by 2020, meaning that at least 90 percent of the waste generated by its stores will be diverted from landfills. Additionally, the company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA's SmartWay program.

"Stop & Shop has invested heavily in energy conservation, green building and alternative energy projects," said Don Sussman, president of Stop & Shop New York metro division, in Purchase, N.Y. "This project … will contribute to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental impact of our operations on our communities. It will also increase the resiliency of our stores and enable us to serve our customers during grid interruptions."

"This project represents the leading edge of distributed generation, a new power generation solution that is both sustainable and resilient," added Charles Fox, director, East Coast business development at Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Bloom Energy.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provided support for the project.

Stop & Shop's sustainability efforts have led to LEED (NC) certifications for 15 of its new stores, and recognition from the EPA for the energy management of its locations.

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC, a division of Ahold USA, employs about 59,000 associates and operates 395 stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.