Wal-Mart Experimental SuperCenter

The two experimental SuperCenters incorporate a variety of advanced efficiency technologies to reduce the energy needs of the building. The 206,250 square foot Aurora SuperCenter features a unique variety of sustainable building features, including xeriscaped grounds with bioswales, pervious pavement, experimental forest, wildflower meadow, building-integrated photovoltaics, wind turbine, evaporative cooling, radiant floor heating, low-VOC materials, reflective exterior coatings, LED lighting, and waste oil recycling. Combined with high efficiency electrical and mechanical systems, the Aurora Wal-Mart SuperCenter achieves significant annual energy cost savings in an environmentally responsive manner.

Project Highlights

Electrical energy from a 50-kilowatt wind turbine, 134 kilowatts of building-integrated photovoltaics, and six 60-kilowatt gas-fired microturbines.

Fly ash, an organic by-product of the electric utility industry, was used in the concrete to reduce the amount new material usage. Fly ash replaces other more traditional methods for concrete, including lime, cement and crushed stone.

Low- and zero-VOC materials, including alternatives to PVC in the flooring, irrigation system, bumpers, wire and cable insulation, ceiling tiles, metal and fiberglass trims, and cooler doors.

Sustainable materials throughout the interior design, including swanstone, bamboo, Dakota burl, cork, alkemi, biofiber wheat and linoleum.

Exemplary stormwater management techniques, including bioswales, a process which incorporates planted channels that slow and detain water runoff. Bioswales slow water down, allowing it to infiltrate into the ground.