Makro has invested in energy efficiency technologies and systems with the aim of:
Limiting the environmental impact of its operations
Reducing store operating costs in the face of escalating energy prices
Improving the in store environment and customer shopping experience

1998
• Electricity awareness campaign to “switch the lights off” was introduced in all
Makro stores
2000
• Independent electricity check meters introduced in all new stores, this initiative was later expanded to include independent metering of refrigeration and air conditioners
2002
• Lighting controllers installed in all new Makro Stores
2008
• Eskom’s DSM project rolled out in stores resulting in approximately 1 MW energy savings
2010
• First new generation super efficient store, Makro Vaal, is constructed
2013
• First 100% LED lighting store

In new stores our energy efficiency interventions are focused around four key areas:

The following was introduced to reduce energy consumption:
• Daylight harvesting
• Role out of LED lighting:
• Automation of lights, which dim and switch the overhead lights off when there is sufficient light on the trading floor. All nonessential lights i.e. lighting, plugs etc. are switched off after trading hours
• The diming of all LED lighting to 60% in the building during the ESKOM (TOU) Peak tariff period
• Motion detectors were installed in all offices
• Offices that receive natural light are equipped with a sensor that switches off the lights when there is sufficient natural light in the office/ room

Our new refrigeration plants are 18% more efficient when compared to Makro Silver Lakes, and 35% more efficient than those traditionally found in the market
New refrigeration units have the following advantages :
• Utilise CO
2
refrigeration gas which is non-ozone depleting and has a GWP rating of 1
• The CO
2 refrigeration gas is harvested from waste reclaim sites, and used in the system. This completes the cycle and reduces the emission factor
• Reclaimed condensate water from the air conditioning and refrigeration units improve the
COP when ambient temperatures exceed 27°C.
This enables the refrigeration unit to achieve a
COP of 3.47 in conditions in which traditional plants would operate at a COP of 2.19

A ir conditioners are designed to allow for load shifting:
• The plant consists of chillers that are rated at just over half the building load, and thermal storage tanks
• The plant is ideally suited for the ESKOM TOU tariff, as the chillers do not operate during peak tariff periods
We have improved plant performance by 30% through the following interventions:
• 50% of the cooling capacity is obtained from the thermal storage tanks which store energy during low demand periods
• A fan wall system replaces the traditional air handling unit. The fan motors are all of the EC type and slow down to 60% during the peak demand periods
• An advanced BMS system has been installed to ensure that plant achieves optimal performance
• All pumps are of the variable speed type

• All hot water used in the building is heated by reclaimed energy from the air conditioning and refrigeration plant, which would normally be exhausted into the environment
• The building is warmed during winter via hot water that is heated from reclaimed heat from the refrigeration plant
• One of the chillers has a heat pump facility to assist should the heating demand exceed the energy received from the refrigeration plant
• The hot water system which is at the front of the building is heated via a heat pump system, where the condenser air is used to keep one of the computer hub rooms cool.
Traditionally a stand-alone air conditioning unit is used to keep the room cool
Canteen kitchen equipment
• Where possible gas has been used to replace electrically operated equipment
• This amounts to an average saving of 50 kW

kWh Consumption
700 000
600 000
500 000
400 000
300 000
200 000
100 000
Silver lakes
Vaal
Nelspruit
Montague
Polokwane
0
January February March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Figure 1: Makro store kWh consumption. When compared to Makro Silver Lakes (opened in
2008), the percentage savings achieved range from 30% (Makro Vaal) to 42% (Makro
Polokwane )

Maximum Demand (kVA)
1 400
1 200
1 000
800
600
400
200
0
Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Figure 2: Makro stores monthly maximum energy demand. The graph indicates that maximum demand decreased from 1.3 MVA to 900 kVA (Some instances under 650 kVA)
Silver lakes
Wonderboom
Vaal
Nelspruit
Polokwane
Montague

LIGHTING
Lighting
70000
60300
60000
47700 50000
38400
40000
33600
30000
20000
10000
24300
0
Silver Lakes Vaal Polokwane Cape gate Alberton
Figure 3: Makro lighting consumption (kWh) per store. When compared to Makro Silver Lakes, our new Alberton store (which opened in early 2013) saves approximately 36000 kWh’s per month though lighting initiatives alone

Lighting
The lighting kWh savings were achieved as follows:
1. Natural lighting
• Makro Vaal - The introduction of natural lighting. A saving of 12,600 kWh’s a month was achieved.
2. LED lighting
• Makro Polokwane – LED lights were installed in the offices and the trading floor under shelf light fittings. 9,300 kWh’s per month was achieved.
Total saving per Month for the store: 21,900 kWh’s
• Makro Cape Gate - LED lights were installed to the the open channel 5ft florescent fittings, and all the down lighters. This produced an additional saving of 4,800 kWh’s.
Total savings per Month for the store: 26,700 kWh’s
• Makro Alberton – Was the first fully LED store and an additional 9,300 kWh’s is achieved. This results in a total saving of 36,000 kWh’s.
Total savings per Month for the store: 36,000 kWh’s
• To date two stores have 100% LED lighting

• Excluding energy saving initiatives implemented before 2010, Makro has achieved exceptional energy savings in our new generation stores
• The technological design of the Makro refrigeration plant is considered a leader, when compared to the rest of the industry
• Our emphasis on energy conservation, and the use of low impact materials and processes significantly reduces the environmental impact of our stores

Implementing green technology is expensive
Each year Makro allows for the rolling back of new technology into our exiting stores
To date the following has been achieved to our pre 2010 stores:
1. Natural lighting
• 8 of 11 stores have been refitted with natural lighting
2. LED lighting to the trading floor
• 9 of the 11 stores have been refitted with LED high bay lights.
• 7 of the 11 stores have been refitted with the tube LED lightings in the Food department

3. Standard and florescent tube lighting
• All traditional light fittings are replaced with LED when they fail
• The Refurbishment of the buildings and departments would also include
LED lighting where possible
4. CO
2
refrigeration
• 63% of the stores are of the natural refrigerant type.
• 3 of our older stores have been upgraded to CO
2
and condensate reclaim
5. Air conditioning
• 2 stores has been totally refurbished with the thermal storage type

• Rain water harvesting for the garden irrigation, and toilet flushing systems
• Photovoltaic panels
• The development of a CO
2
air conditioning plant, to make our stores 100% natural refrigerant