Cutting costs: Retailers turn to energy efficiency in tough economic times

摘要

To keep perishable products like seafood cold, refrigeration units remove heat from the surrounding air, then typically release it. And as part of a growing trend among supermarkets to go green, some grocery stores are putting that heat to good use. At a PCC Natural Markets store in Redmond, Wash., a custom-built refrigeration system that chills seafood captures heat to warm water for hand washing and cleaning and to help heat the store in winter.