July 18, 2008 - Nordstrom says it will save $150,000 in energy costs at its Cedar Rapids, Mich., fulfillment and contact center this year - despite a recent site expansion that nearly doubled the size of the facility.

Nordstrom replaced lighting fixtures and installed occupancy sensors to maximize lighting efficiency. The new lighting systems are expected to save more than 3.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, according to Nordstrom.

"When a company nearly doubles the square footage of its building, that doesn't mean its energy usage should double as well," says Chad Wiltz-Strategic, account manager at electric utility Alliant Energy, which partnered with Nordstrom on the project. "While more energy will be needed to run expanded operations, we can identify energy-efficient measures that will not only bring cost down, but also reduce the carbon footprint of the building."

Alliant Energy offers cash incentives to businesses that implement energy-efficiency projects. Nordstrom received more than $190,000 as part of the utility's rebate program.