Tesco's first zero-carbon store

It’s made from timber, uses sun-pipe lighting and collects rainwater to flush the toilets and run the car wash. Our brand new eco store is all part of our plan to be a zero-carbon company by 2050.

Our new store in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire (opening 7/12/09) is our first zero-carbon store. It generates its own renewable energy on-site using renewable fuel, producing more than it needs and selling the excess back to the grid. The store also incorporates a number of environmentally friendly design features and technologies, including:

• Sustainably sourced timber frame
• Roof lights and sun pipes that allow natural daylight into the sales floor and staff areas
• Energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems
• Rainwater collection to flush the toilets and run the carwash
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to generate electricity using renewable fuel
• No harmful refrigerants in the refrigerators, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
• The first LED-lit car park in the UK
• Solar-powered streetlights
• Energy-efficient equipment, such as low-energy bakery ovens

Greener Tesco stores for the future

For each new store we build, we will include as many of the environmental features from Ramsey store as possible, within the limitations of its location. Our aim is that by 2020, the average carbon footprint of our new stores will be 50 per cent smaller than in 2006.

Supporting the local community

As well as striving to be more environmentally friendly, we have also sought to support the local community and industries through our new Ramsey store.

Local manufacturers and suppliers of materials were used in its construction, from supplying the timber cladding to the flooring, aggregate and windows. Many of the construction and store staff are from the surrounding area. In fact, 80 per cent of store staff are from within three miles of the site! We have also built a community centre as part of the development.

Find out more about Ramsey store

Find out more about Cheetham Hill store.