Lidl has tested the concept of climate-friendly, next-generation stores thoroughly and has started rolling out these stores based on sustainable building technology and equipped with energy-efficient, integrated heating and cooling systems. Main requirements for the next-generation store model was to marry attractive design with energy-efficiency.

The new store in the Mündelheimer Straße in Duisburg Hüttenheim features therefore a pitch roof design and sustainable building materials. The store is heated entirely with waste heat from the refrigeration. An integrated heating and cooling system with natural refrigerants provides space heating as well as air-conditioning and refrigeration of goods above 0°C. Neither heating nor cooling processes in the next-generation stores require burning of fossil fuel.

The integral unit of the refrigeration system as well as the deep freezers use propane, the good thermodynamic properties of which allow to keep the pressure in the system and consequently the energy consumption low.

Further energy savings are achieved through better thermal insulation, floor heating and heat recovery in the air-conditioning and ventilation system as well as optimised lightening. Not only the heating is provided by the floor but also the cooling in summer time, creating a pleasant indoor environment.

Natural refrigerants in all new Lidl stores

Lidl is going to roll-out this next-generation store concept, for which the German retailer has received several awards, for all new stores. The German manufacturer Futron Energy Savings Systems furthermore received the German Refrigeration Award for the integral refrigeration units developed for Lidl.

By April 2012, Lidl had already opened 109 next-generation stores in Germany. The annual savings of these stores in terms of energy and emissions, as compared to conventional stores, equal energy for heating 872 family homes, the total energy consumption of 436 family homes and CO₂ emissions of 3,270 cars.