In January 2011, Sobeys announced the construction of a new 43,664 square metre automated grocery distribution centre in the Montréal suburb of Terrebonne, Québec. Scheduled to open in early 2013, the Terrebonne distribution centre is designed to LEED® standards similar to the LEED® gold certified Trois-Rivières distribution centre, and will incorporate a number of the state-of-the-art, environmentally sensitive features and technologies employed at the Vaughan distribution centre.
The Terrebonne distribution centre's use of leading edge technology and design elements will allow the facility to deliver superior product selection accuracy and customized store deliveries according to each store's unique layout, all while operating in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Marc Poulin, President, Operations for Sobeys Québec, said, "We are taking advantage of the leading-edge technology that is transforming the food business in Europe and in North America, and that will become a must in our industry."
From a sustainability perspective, the distribution centre design will incorporate methods to conserve energy and reduce associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduce waste, conserve water and reduce the facility's heat island effect – the tendency of man-made structures to attract and retain heat at a higher rate than is normal in nature, which increases ground-level ozone production.
Heat island effect minimization features:
- Exterior paving made of concrete instead of the commonly used oil-based, heat absorbing asphalt paving. The concrete contains slag, a byproduct of metal smelting that would have otherwise been disposed of as waste.
- A white, or "cool", roof made of recyclable material that reduces solar heat transfer to the building, which in turn reduces electricity demand and the building's heat island effect.
Energy conservation and GHG emissions minimization features:
- Self-cleaning windows that provide natural light and eliminate the need to use chemical window cleaning agents
- Energy efficient T8 fluorescent and light-emitting diodes (LED) lamps, many of which will be motion-activated
- A Building Automation System (BAS) which conserves energy and reduces operating costs by keeping the building's climate within a specified range, provides lighting based on occupancy schedule and monitors system performance and failures
- High R-value installation and vertical dock plates to reduce the loss of warm indoor air during cold seasons and air-conditioned air during the summer, which reduces power demand
- Reclaiming waste heat from the thousands of motors to heat the building
- Tractor block heaters equipped with timers and temperature sensors
- Electrical plug-ins for hybrid car owners
- Fast-charge battery charging units that use less energy than convention battery charging equipment and allow the significant reduction of the number of batteries needed to power material handling equipment
Water conservation/management features:
- Electronic water faucets and low flush toilets
- On-site storm water retention to reduce rain water run-off into municipal storm water drainage system
Waste reduction/material reuse construction practices:
- Landscaping with the topsoil that was removed and retained during construction which eliminates the emissions that would have resulted from transporting soil to and from the premises
- The use of building materials made of high recycled steel content
- Exterior prefabricated metal insulated panels, which can be reused if the distribution centre is expanded in the future
