Sept. 26, 2007 JCPenney is planning to open a greener store in Denver, Colorado, which will pilot a series of energy-saving initiatives for new store construction.

"We conducted a top-to-bottom review of our store construction process and equipment to determine where we could operate more efficiently...while maintaining reasonable costs," said Michael Dastugue, JCPenney senior vice president and director of property development. "Our new Denver store is the product of those findings. We will closely review the performance of our new sustainable building features in that location as we look to incorporate them into new stores and store renovation plans in the future."

Green features of the new Denver store, which will open its doors Oct. 5, include:

• Exterior brick manufactured through a waste petroleum byproducts firing process; recycled-content ceiling tiles; and carpet made from 100% recycled material.
• Local sourcing of exterior construction and landscaping materials to minimize the carbon impact of transportation.
• Exterior signs that use low-wattage LED lights, and occupancy sensors to control lights in offices, restrooms, dressing rooms, and stock rooms to save energy when those areas are not in use.
• Use of low volatile organic compound (low-VOC) paints, adhesives, and sealants.
• Low- and no-consumption plumbing fixtures throughout the store, including high-efficiency Energy Star-listed washers and dryers and on-demand water heaters.

JCPenney also plans to accelerate its Energy Star award-winning energy management program in new and existing stores. The company estimates that by the end of 2008, about 800 JCPenney stores will be equipped with an energy management system that will provide remote monitoring of the store's electrical and mechanical systems and schedule the operation of lighting, electrical, and HVAC equipment.

Increasingly, major U.S. retailers have been turning to green building as a means of maximizing efficiency, with both Staples and Office Depot pledging to open LEED-certified stores. JCPenney says it intends to pursue LEED certification for two new stores opening in 2008 and 2009.