Choosing Building Components for Retail Buildings

FEMP: Lighting Calculator FEMP: Purchasing Energy-Efficient Products Building Toolbox: Choose Building Components

Whether you are building a new store or renovating an existing retail space, the building components you choose will have a direct impact on your bottom line. Choosing energy-saving building components is an opportunity to realize substantial returns, not only in new construction or renovation projects, but also in maintenance of existing buildings.

For example, smart choices for the building envelope—including windows and doors, insulation, foundations, structural elements, and roofing—can significantly reduce demands on HVAC and other energy-using systems. For many buildings, especially retail spaces, installation of energy-efficient lighting is one of the simplest ways to yield fast paybacks and ongoing savings. Efficient lighting technologies such as T-8 and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), electronic ballasts, and solid-state LED exit signs can significantly reduce your lighting consumption and costs.

A Lighting Calculator available on DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Web site can help you estimate potential energy savings by simply inputting your current lighting data. Energy-efficient lighting technologies lower maintenance costs, too—these technologies last significantly longer than standard fixtures. You can also multiply your energy savings by looking beyond energy-efficient fixtures to consider centralized lighting controls, occupancy sensors, and other related energy-saving options.

For more in-depth information on energy-efficient lighting and other building technologies, see the Building Toolbox section of this site. Choose Building Components provides a comprehensive guide to the latest information on:

• Appliances and Equipment
• Electricity
• Building Envelope: Windows, Doors, Insulation, Foundations, Framing, Roofs
• Heating and Cooling Systems
• Lighting and Daylighting
• Water Heating

A helpful guide to purchasing energy-efficient products can be found on DOE's FEMP Web site. FEMP's product efficiency recommendations include cost-effectiveness examples, buyer tips, and selection guidance. Energy cost calculators can help you estimate the lifetime energy cost savings potential of various products.

	Success Story Retail Renovations in Shelby, North Carolina In the city of Shelby, North Carolina, the energy-smart lighting retrofit at Kiddo's Kloset proved so successful it has become the citywide standard for energy-efficient lighting. The city's year-round Farmers' Market, located in a renovated warehouse, reduces energy bills with a new heat-reflective "cool" roof—helping keep produce crisp and shoppers comfortable.

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