Danbury ShopRite Boasts Energy Efficiencies
By Chris Bosa
April 21, 2017
The Cingari family did more than polish the floors and hang new signs when it took over the former A&P on Padanaram Road and converted it into a ShopRite.
The family, which owns 11 ShopRite supermarkets in Connecticut, partnered with Eversource to upgrade its lighting and refrigeration systems with efficiency and sustainability in mind. The upgrades were also eligible for the Energize Connecticut business solution incentives, which offer business owners rebates and other financial advantages.
Eversource officials estimate the efficiency upgrades will save ShopRite more than $200,000 each year in energy expenses, as well as be better for the environment as the nation celebrates Earth Day on Saturday.
Rocky Cingari, president of the family business, said the store was dark and uninviting when he first visited.
“I have a philosophy: ‘If you can’t see the product, then you won’t buy it.’ I need my products to sparkle, so having the best lighting possible is important,” Cingari said. “This project made that happen.”
ShopRite replaced the existing lighting with brighter and more efficient lighting, such as LEDs. It also added sensors to the coolers and back rooms, which automatically turn off the lights when not in use. LED lighting was also installed in the front and back parking lots.
“We saw a big difference in those areas,” Cingari said. “The lighting created safer and brighter surroundings for our customers and employees. Plus, it provided clearer visibility for our security cameras.”
Refrigeration is a major energy expense for supermarkets and ShopRite replaced the old system with more efficient models.
“We partnered with ShopRite on a whole building approach to renovate the store and conduct a retrofit of existing equipment,” Enoch Lenge, Eversource Energy Efficiency spokesman, said. “Delaying to upgrade old, inefficient equipment can cost more money over time. This holistic approach will help ShopRite to not only save money, but also make their energy-efficient investment back in two and a half years.”
Energize Connecticut is an initiative of the state of Connecticut, Eversource, United Illuminating, Connecticut Green Bank, Connecticut Natural Gas and Southern Connecticut Gas. It is funded by a charge on customers’ energy bills. For more information about Energize Connecticut’s business solutions, visit www.EnergizeCT.com.
ShopRite is a cooperative under the parent company Wakefern/ShopRite. There are more than 250 ShopRites throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Cingari family, one of 50 cooperative members, also owns ShopRites in Brookfield, Southbury, Derby, Shelton, Fairfield, Stamford and Norwalk.
The Danbury store is the only former A&P location that the Cingari family took over. Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2015 and closed the Danbury store in 2015.