When groceries end up as waste, the entire economic input used to produce and transport them is lost.

In Finland, the value of food waste in the retail grocery sector has been estimated to be 1.5 % of the total sales value. For grocery stores, food waste even causes additional work costs, when the expired products need to be collected, transported, reloaded and deposited.

Diagnosis of a building can help designers and architects to decide which aspects should be retrofitted in order to improve the energy efficiency of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.

The most important aspects to watch out for and recommended actions are:

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed to make a building more comfortable for its occupants. In the case of retail businesses that means customers and staff. Several zero-cost measures can be included to improve energy management control in retail organisations.

Useful HVAC controls include:

If lighting in a shop or warehouse uses over 12 kW/m2 of power, there is a high likelihood that savings can be made. Firstly, it is important to monitor energy consumption for lighting to find out which elements of the system are consuming the most. Find solutions to rectify the problem, whether it is replacing older fittings, using new technologies, or simply installing more energy efficient bulbs. 

A number of organisation-wide measures can make a difference:

Food retailers tread a fine line when it comes to having enough stock to satisfy their customers but keeping spoilage and waste to a minimum.

Some best practices can help retailers prevent food waste and improve information in the supply chain:

Food and product display cases are integral features of the customer browsing experience and vital to maintaining product quality, especially cooled displays and refrigeration cases. 

Little-known but effective display case practices can help shops and handlers save on energy and improve overall performance. Interaction between display cases and the surroundings is one of the most important aspects. 

Companies planning to retrofit their building or to implement an energy efficiency project can often face difficulties in terms of the most effective solution to measure energy performance and guage the benefits of the project.

The biggest savings in retail and wholesale can be made in areas where the energy consumption is highest, such as in lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.

In each of these main areas, there are clear opportunities to save energy:

Solar shading describes a number of systems used to control the amount of heat and natural light that is admitted into a building.

As an integral part of the 'building envelope' in buildings with good energy performance, solar shading has evolved from a 'component' or add-on to being part and parcel of the natural light and solar management system.

Shading is a cost-effective way of delivering energy savings up to 60 times its CO2 footprint over a 20-year lifespan.

Tackling food waste as a priority

• Welsh government explored ways to reduce food and packaging waste
• Tackling food waste alone saves more than 16 tonnes of CO2 and over € 4 000 (£ 3 600) in costs per year

The Welsh government employs around 5 500 staff and provides catering services at 10 of its 38 locations. In 2012, WRAP undertook a Resource Optimisation Review to identify opportunities for improving resource efficiency and advised on the wording of a catering contract tender.