Wal-Mart to Open Second Generation High-Efficiency Store

Wal-Mart to Open Second Generation High-Efficiency Store

Retailer Unveils First of Four Stores That Use 25 Percent Less Energy and Significantly Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Jan. 15, 2008 -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. today announced the opening of its second generation of High-Efficiency stores (HE.2) that will use 25 percent less energy than the baseline Wal-Mart Supercenter. The first store will open in Romeoville, Ill., on January 23. The store combines what the company has learned from its successful first generation High-Efficiency stores (HE.1) with new state-of-the-art technologies. In addition to saving energy, the new stores will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering refrigerant by 90 percent.

Leslie Dach, Wal-Mart's executive vice president of corporate affairs and government relations, made the announcement at the National Retail Federation's 97th Annual Convention & Expo in New York City.

"These stores are another solid step toward achieving our environmental commitments," said Dach. "We will continue to find new ways to build stores that have a reduced impact on the environment and ultimately reach a day when every new store is 25-30 percent more energy efficient than it was in 2005."

The improvement in energy efficiency comes from a new secondary refrigeration loop combined with an advanced water-source heating, cooling and refrigeration system. The technology was tested in Wal-Mart's Experimental Stores and uses a non-refrigerant-based solution to cool refrigerator and freezer cases, resulting in a 90 percent reduction in refrigerant. The HE.2 stores represent the first time secondary loop technology has been paired with a water-source heating, cooling and refrigeration system in the United States.

"We've learned a lot since we opened our first HE.1 store one year ago and we are excited to put what have learned into practice with the HE.2," said Charles Zimmerman, vice president of prototype and new format development at Wal-Mart. "The secondary loop system is ideal because it not only makes the store more efficient, but also allows us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is a perfect example of how Wal-Mart's culture of encouraging learning and driving innovation often yields additional environmental paybacks that can benefit the entire retail industry."

The HE.2 series will incorporate several learnings from the HE.1 stores and new technological advances, including white roofs, low-flow bathroom faucets, LED lights and an advanced daylight harvesting system. For more detailed, technical information, please visit http://www.walmartfacts.com.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club locations in the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartstores.com and http://www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
Source Wal-Mart