Weis Whacks Wattage

As part of its chain-wide program to reduce energy usage and conserve resources, Weis Markets’ distribution center in Milton, Pa., recently upgraded its lighting system with low-watt fluorescent and LED lighting, which lowers the 1.1 million square foot facility’s energy usage and costs by 30 percent.

This new lighting system replaces metal halide and high pressure sodium lighting systems, which annually used 6.4 million kilowatt hours. The new lighting system will use 1.3 million KWH a year.

The total cost of the program is $870,000. The project is also expected to benefit from PPL Electric Utilities’ E-Power rebate program, which helps companies become more energy efficient.

“Our sustainability and conservation initiative is based on practical programs and systems that are good for the environment and helpful to our business,” said R. Kevin Small, Weis Markets’ VP of construction and development. “With the help of PPL, we’re able to reduce our distribution center’s carbon footprint and lower our lighting system’s annual kilowatt hour usage by 80 percent. This lowers our center’s overall energy usage and costs by 30 percent, which translates into nearly half a million dollars in annual savings. The energy we save could power three of our supermarkets for an entire year and is also the equivalent of three months energy usage for our distribution center.”

Weis Markets is currently building three superstores that will incorporate technologies and systems reducing store refrigerant charges to 60 percent less than a typical supermarket.

Founded in 1912, Sunbury, Pa.-based Weis Markets currently operates 162 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and West Virginia.