Grocery and Convenience Stores

As a grocery or convenience store owner/operator you want to offer your customers an unparalleled shopping experience in an inviting, attractive setting that entices return customers. This may mean the latest technology in lighting, refrigeration, water management and air conditioning. At the same time, you’re looking to maximize your operating budget as much as possible. You've got a lot on your mind, from staff management, to sales and inventory, to customer service. LADWP is here to help with a variety of programs that can help you achieve both of these goals with long-term, cost-effective solutions.

Savings Opportunities: Peak Demand Management

Discover ways to maximize energy savings, manage demand or develop a time-of-use action plan.

Plug Loads

• Turn off coffee brewers, fans and scales when not in use. Add "night covers" to display cases after hours.
• Use sensors to turn off conveyor ovens and electric fryers when food is not present.

Long-Term Strategies

• Pre-cool your space before the peak hours of 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
• Use a smart thermostat to align temperature set points with foot traffic.

Ready to lower energy costs and reduce your environmental impact? Check out more tips below to improve efficiency in each area of your store:

Refrigeration

• Check and replace walk-in cooler and freezer door gaskets.
• Replace fluorescent refrigerated case lighting with motion-activated LEDs.
• Install strip curtains and automatic door closers on walk-in coolers to reduce air infiltration by 75%.
• Add high-efficiency electronically commutated (EC) variable-speed evaporator fan motors (which typically use 70% less energy) to walk-ins and reach-in refrigerated cases.
• Install anti-sweat heater controls in refrigerated cases.
• Provide adequate air flow around the condenser coils of refrigeration equipment and clean them regularly.
• Purchase Energy Star-certified ice machines, which use 15% less energy and 23% less water than other models.

To learn how your business can save money on food service equipment, visit the LADWP Food Service Program website. If you have any questions, please email foodservice@ladwp.com or call 1-213-367-4134.

The LADWP also offers rebates for water conservation equipment. For more information please visit the Water Conservation Rebate Program website.

To learn how your business can obtain free water conservation items, send an email to waterconservation@ladwp.com or call 1-800-544-4498 and press "5."

Lighting

• Purchase indoor lighting with an 80+ CRI color quality rating.
• Replace fluorescent lamps with LEDs and save 30% or more. Brighter LEDs encourage shoppers to handle and examine more products.
• Use high illumination levels and high CCT color temperatures (more than 4000K) for outdoor lighting.
• Use lower illumination levels and lower CCT (less than 3000K) for product displays.
• Add skylights to introduce natural light into your store and reduce the need for overhead lighting.
• Clean lighting fixtures regularly.
• Install occupancy sensors in low foot-traffic areas such as restrooms and storage areas.
• Use motion sensors on refrigerated product display cases to turn off lights when customers are not in the vicinity.

To see if your business qualifies for free energy efficiency upgrades visit the Commercial Direct Install Program (CDI) website or call 1-877-714-1254.

HVAC

• Use a smart thermostat to reset space temperatures during times of low foot traffic.
• Inspect and replace air filters regularly to achieve energy savings and avoid breakdowns.
• Schedule seasonal tune-ups to check air conditioning refrigerant levels, gas furnace/boiler burner operation, clean internal components and tighten loose connections.
• Verify economizer operation (if applicable).
• Replace older air conditioning units and furnaces/boilers with energy efficient models and save 30% or more.
• Implement rooftop economizers to pull in cool outside air, saving up to 10% on cooling costs.
• Install shade screens or window film to reduce solar heat gain.

To see if your business qualifies for free AC maintenance services, please visit the LADWP AC Optimization Program website. If you have questions, please email acopt@ladwp.com or call 1-855-665-9469.