Energy audits offer a baseline
Common wisdom says it's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where you've been. Energy auditing provides a way of determining a baseline measurement of energy consumption.
  An energy audit will illuminate peak energy months and help you budget accordingly. You'll also be in a better position to find anomalies on your utility bills, such as if you've been put in the wrong rate class or if you're accidentally paying for your neighbour's costs. An energy audit will also make it easier to decide whether to lock into a fixed rate energy plan.
  Cara Sweeny, Program Manager of Cool Shops, says energy audits can help retailers develop a plan for reducing future consumption.
  "If everybody does simple things, it makes a big difference and can save you a lot of money," she says.
  In areas where free programs like Cool Shops don't yet operate, private companies offer energy audits. Seeking out remedies provided by trained energy efficiency professionals is worth considering for retailers who are serious about changing their organization.

Steps For a Simple Energy Audit Collect data on energy consumption. Get missing bills from utilities. A three-year history will provide a good idea of where you've been. Examine utility data and determine consumption levels. Determine how the energy cost per square-foot has fluctuated over the months. Take into account upgrades to your store that may explain fluctuations in your bills. Set a target rate of consumption and find ways to lower it over time. Measure your success against the historical baseline.

Bring energy efficiency to consumers
With rising gas prices and warnings of rolling blackouts, Canadian consumers are eager to learn how they can save money on energy. Retailers who provide energy efficient products can catch a ride on the movement toward green retailing.
  Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, Ontario, recently launched the "Swipe, Conserve and Win" campaign to get people thinking about their own energy consumption and how they might be able to reduce costs. Not only does the swipe kiosk provide mall-goers with conservation tips, but it also enters their name in contests for daily prizes.
  Nick Cowling, Senior Manager of Communications at The Home Depot Canada, suggests the best way retailers can reach wallet-conscious Canadians is to sell customers on the return on investment of energy efficient products.
  The upfront cost for an Energy Star product may be higher than another product, but these products produce considerable savings in the long run.

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
When you've got the right organizational mindset and a committed staff, the last thing to do is translate intentions into action. Upgrading the technology in your store is the area where you'll see the biggest reduction in energy consumption — and the biggest savings.

Bright lights a big blight
Improper lighting is the single biggest drag on a retailer's utility bill. Incandescent lights consume huge amounts of electricity and because they give off heat, also make demands on a store's cooling system.
  MJM Furniture Centre, a chain of stores in Surrey, Abbotsford and Coquitlam, B.C., retrofitted more than 2,000 light fixtures in the three stores. The new fixtures save 560,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year or roughly $28,000 in annual energy savings. The retrofit paid for itself in savings in less than a year and was done through Power Smart, an incentive program offered through BC Hydro.
  Here are some tips for putting the dimmer on exorbitant lighting bills:

• Turn off the lights. Too obvious and too often overlooked. When you're not in the store, turn off the lights.
• If you leave your lights on at night to dissuade thieves, consider tying your lights into your alarm system so that your store lights up if somebody trips the alarm, instead.
• Control the lighting. Restrict control of the lights to people who understand the need to conserve.
• Use the right lights for the right application. Your entire store doesn't need to be lit like the lighting department. In the back room, use low wattage bulbs and desk lamps instead of ceiling lights. On the floor, consider using a mixture of soft and bright lighting to save money and add fl air to the design of your store.
• Paint the walls and ceiling white. White surfaces will reflect light and brighten your space.
• Use LED lights in signage and exit signs. LED lights are more efficient than fluorescent and incandescent lights.
• Use natural light. If it's a sunny day, throw open the curtains, turn down the lights and let the sun do the work. If you have permission to alter your building, consider installing a skylight in the ceiling.
• Know the traffic patterns of your store and light accordingly. During those hours when your store is relatively empty, dim the lights.
• Light according to your needs. Early morning stock clerks need light to work by, not to shop by.

If you're using T-12 fluorescent lights, retrofit your store with T-8 tube lights and electronic ballasts. T-8 lights are a newer generation of lights that provide greater efficiency, produce less flickering, generate less heat and offer a more natural-looking light.
  In other areas of the store, substitute incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights. These last 10 times longer than incandescent lights, produce more light while using less energy (saving almost 75 per cent on energy costs) and fit in regular sockets.

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