MILWAUKEE -- A facility that the company is calling "the nation's first ecologically friendly convenience store, car wash and alternate fuel station" will open on May 1 in Grand Chute, Wis. The company plans to bring Good to Go ECOnvenience Centers to at least 150 more neighborhoods in Wisconsin, Iowa and northern Illinois by 2010.
Good to Go features a green roof with plants and sod that minimize absorption of sunlight that could heat the building and force overuse of its HVAC system; energy savings during the summer cooling season can be as much as 25%, said the company, adding that [image-nocss] the soil also acts like a sponge to absorb rain and reduce stormwater runoff by as much as 95% after a one-inch downpour.
The facility also features an automated merchandising system. Using a keypad and robotics, it gives customers secure, 24-hour access to a variety of products such as milk, diapers, food and other sundries.
Good to Go automobile fuel pumps have diversified ethanol-based fuel blending options including E85 and the more-traditional E10.
The car wash will use a water cleaning and reclamation system that will save more than two million gallons of fresh water each year, said the company. In addition to saving fresh water, the car wash uses biofriendly detergents, LED lighting and natural sunlight to cut down on electricity use.
Built to specifications of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program, which is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders, Good To Go said it hopes to become LEED-certified as the first fueling station, car wash and convenience retail shop in the United States.
"When it comes to our customers, we haven't set out to change the direction the wind blows. Rather, we have adjusted our sails," said Angie Nikolas, vice president of neighborhood relations for Good to Go. "We are very proud to bring 24-hour convenience that minimizes the impact we make on our environment."
In October 2006, The Pantry opened an LEED-friendly station in Gainesville, Fla.Click here for CSP Daily News coverage.
And BP opened the eco-friendly Helios House gas station in Los Angeles last February. "The only convenience store/gas station project that has been certified to my knowledge is the Helios House in Los Angeles," Ashely Katz, a spokesperson for the U.S. Green Building Council, told CSP Daily News. Click here for coverage.Click herefor more on LEED.
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