Giant Eagle Columbus Store Achieves Gold LEED Status

Pittsburgh Giant Eagle said Thursday that its northeast Columbus store has received a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

The 75,000-sq.-ft. Giant Eagle opened in August. Following an eight-month review process, the facility was awarded Gold LEED certification in the new-construction category—it is the chain’s first Gold LEED award.

The chain opened its first LEED-certified supermarket in Brunswick, Ohio near Cleveland in December 2004. Giant Eagle was also awarded Silver certification for its Pittsburgh location in April 2007.

Among the chain’s energy-saving processes and specifications are high-efficiency lighting, the purchase of wind energy, and the use of white roofing, variable-speed fans and occupancy sensors.

Many of these processes are also being added into existing locations.