How to reduce your store’s energy consumption by up to 30%

Energy is one of the heaviest operational costs for any retail store — and one of the most optimisable. Energy consumption can account for up to 12% of a retail establishment’s monthly expenses, covering lighting, air conditioning, window displays and continuously running equipment. The good news is that there is significant room for improvement.

In this article, you will find which measures to apply, what regulations to be aware of, and how to assess whether your store is energy efficient.

What is energy efficiency in retail?

Energy efficiency in retail means achieving the same operational performance while consuming less energy. It is not about switching off lights or enduring the heat in summer — it is about intelligently managing lighting, air conditioning, refrigeration and any electrical equipment in your establishment.

An efficient store operates just as well — or better — than an inefficient one, but with a significantly lower energy bill. And across a retail network, that difference multiplies with every location.

How much energy does a store actually consume?

The main energy consumption areas in a commercial premises are:

• Lighting: typically accounts for between 30% and 40% of total consumption in fashion, footwear and accessories stores.
• Air conditioning (HVAC): heating and cooling represent the highest energy cost in large retail spaces and supermarkets.
• Window displays and illuminated signage: these often run far longer than necessary.
• Refrigeration equipment: critical in food retail and pharmacies, running continuously around the clock.
• Equipment on standby: tills, POS terminals, screens and devices in standby mode add up more than you might expect.

A chain of 28 stores discovered, after installing an energy monitoring system, that 19 of its locations were leaving window displays on throughout the night and running air conditioning two hours longer than needed. The result: over €25,000 in annual savings without replacing a single piece of equipment — simply by optimising what they already had.

How to calculate your store’s energy efficiency

The basic indicator for measuring a store’s energy efficiency is energy intensity: how much energy (kWh) is consumed per square metre of floor space or per unit of revenue. To calculate it:

1. Collect your monthly electricity consumption from your bills (kWh).
2. Divide it by the store’s floor area in square metres.
3. Compare that ratio against the average figures for your sector.

In fashion retail, average consumption sits between 100 and 150 kWh/m² per year. In supermarkets, it can exceed 300 kWh/m² due to refrigeration. If your store is above average for its category, there is immediate room for improvement.

A professional energy audit goes beyond this basic calculation: it identifies which equipment consumes the most, during which time slots, and where hidden losses occur. It is the essential first step before any investment.

Energy efficiency measures for stores: where to start

Not all improvements require the same investment or deliver the same return. These are the actions with the best cost-to-savings ratio in retail establishments:

1. LED lighting

This is the measure with the fastest return on investment. Replacing fluorescent tubes and halogen bulbs with LED technology can cut lighting consumption by up to 75%, with a lifespan 3 to 5 times longer. Beyond the savings, it improves light quality at the point of sale, with a direct impact on the customer experience.

2. Smart air conditioning control

Poorly programmed HVAC systems are the primary source of energy waste. Adjusting on/off schedules, installing programmable thermostats and deploying presence and temperature sensors allows you to maintain customer and staff comfort without unnecessary expenditure. Each degree reduction on the thermostat in winter saves 7% on heating consumption.

3. Window display and low-occupancy zone management

Setting up automatic switch-off schedules for window displays, illuminated signage and storage areas when the store is closed is one of the lowest-cost, highest-impact actions available.

4. Renewable energy

Installing solar panels for self-consumption is particularly cost-effective in establishments with large rooftops or those located on industrial or retail parks. Retail SMEs can achieve savings of over 50% on their electricity bill through solar self-consumption, while also accessing public grants and subsidies for installation.

5. Preventive and predictive maintenance

An air conditioning unit with dirty filters consumes between 10% and 15% more energy. Regular maintenance of all systems — HVAC, lighting, refrigeration equipment — ensures they operate at their designed performance levels and prevents breakdowns that cause abnormal consumption spikes.

What the regulations say about energy efficiency in retail

Regulation in this area is advancing at an increasing pace and directly affects retail establishments. Here are the key obligations to be aware of:

Energy Performance Certificate

Across the UK and EU, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is mandatory for all commercial premises that are sold or let. The certificate rates the property from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and must be included in any sale or rental listing. The EU reference framework is Directive (UE) 2024/1275, which sets the target of a zero-emission building stock by 2050.

Temperature limits for commercial buildings

European energy regulations set temperature guidelines for commercial buildings. As a reference, the standard range applied across member states is a maximum of 19°C for heating in winter and a minimum of 26–27°C for cooling in summer, with the aim of reducing unnecessary energy consumption in commercial premises.

Automatic door closing

Establishments with active air conditioning systems must have automatic closing mechanisms on street-facing doors, to prevent energy loss from doors left permanently open.

Mandatory energy audits for large companies

Companies with more than 250 employees or an annual turnover exceeding €50 million are required to carry out energy audits every four years. Large retail spaces and chain operators are directly within scope. The revised EU Energy Efficiency Directive (2024) sets 2050 as the target date for the entire European building stock to reach zero emissions.

Managing all these obligations correctly — particularly across multi-site networks — requires a specialist partner in retail energy efficiency who can centralise audits, implementation and ongoing monitoring. The difference between mere compliance and a genuine competitive advantage lies in how that management is structured.

Energy efficiency across multi-site retail networks: the challenge of scaling

Managing energy efficiency in a single store is achievable. Doing so across a network of 50, 100 or 500 stores spread across multiple countries is an entirely different level of complexity. The main challenges are:

• Real-time visibility of consumption per location.
• Early detection of equipment anomalies before they become breakdowns.
• Coordination of local maintenance providers in each market.
• Centralised reporting for decision-making and regulatory compliance.

At Optima Retail, this is precisely the scenario we manage. As a global leader in facility management for retail, we handle energy efficiency

The impact of energy efficiency beyond cost savings

Reducing energy consumption has effects that go well beyond the electricity bill:

• Carbon footprint: lower energy consumption means lower CO₂ emissions — an increasingly valued requirement among investors, customers and regulators under ESG criteria.
• In-store comfort: well-managed air conditioning and lighting create a more pleasant environment that improves customer dwell time.
• Equipment lifespan: preventive maintenance associated with an efficiency programme extends the life of installations and reduces corrective expenditure.
• Brand reputation: consumers place growing value on the sustainability credentials of the brands they shop with.

A European Commission study estimates that European businesses could save up to 30% on their energy bills by implementing efficiency measures. Across a retail network, that percentage represents a figure that deserves to be planned with the same strategic seriousness as any other major investment.