March 19, 2008 - Wal-Mart has opened a new energy-efficient store in Las Vegas that is tailored to the unique environmental conditions of the American West. The prototype, dubbed HE.5, is designed to use 45% less energy than a typical Wal-Mart store.

HE.5 builds on successful energy-saving strategies piloted in the company's first two green-store prototype designs. For example, the  Las Vegas store adapts its natural air conditioning process to the desert climate, pumping water through an evaporative cooling system on the roof before running the cold water underneath the retail floor to cool the shopping area above.

“Wal-Mart is piloting new technologies, driving innovation, and leveraging advances in building design to better align our stores with the communities we serve,” says Charles Zimmerman, Wal-Mart's vice president of prototype and new format development. He adds that Wal-Mart is "committed to openly sharing our learnings with the retail industry.”

The company says it aims to create additional climate-specific store prototypes in the future, although no specific plans have been announced.