Audited in December, the Leroy Merlin store in Saint-Louis promises to be nothing less than the first store of the national DIY brand to be ISO 50001 certified, the most demanding standard in energy management. Satisfaction for Pierre-Henry Periot, management controller at Leroy Merlin Saint-Louis for three years, at the origin of this approach.
Why did the Saint-Louis store choose to commit to ISO 50001 certification? ?
ISO 50001 certification is not a coincidence for us. At Leroy Merlin Saint-Louis, we are used to proving what we do through figures and evaluations. We believe in transparency and accountability towards our employees, suppliers, associations and clients. This ISO 50001 standard, regarding energy management, pushes us to invest in efforts to reduce our energy consumption, that is to say electricity, gas and fuel oil, among others. Our main area of improvement naturally focused on reducing our electricity consumption., by seeking all opportunities to save electricity while preserving the comfort of customers and employees. We worked closely with TEEO, a company based at the Port specializing in energy and environmental management and support towards quality certifications, environment, etc.
What were the stages of this process? ?
We started it almost a year ago. The certification audit takes place in December. The first step was to implement an energy management system integrated into the store. This allows us to measure consumption in real time and trace it from D+1, with an accuracy of 10 minutes. The second stage was the census of historical consumption data over a year. Our objective was to reduce this consumption, and to achieve this we worked on our consumption according to seasonality ; For example, by turning off the air conditioning in winter or optimizing lighting in summer. We have also set up a daily display screen in the store to provide real-time information on the certification process., the steps and the impact on the store.
Have you set yourself a quantified energy saving objective? ?
We aim to reduce consumption by 15% compared to the previous year.
To do this, we have developed an energy policy which serves as our road map, and all stakeholders are involved. We carried out an energy review with clear objectives of 15% reduction over a full year. Ensuite, we have written an energy manual in accordance with the ISO standard, which details our approach, our motivations and our measurement processes. Each key aspect is now standardized thanks to a documentary archiving method, and we raise awareness among all staff.
Where are you currently ?
We have already reduced our consumption by almost 10% compared to the previous year. We have mastered air conditioning and lighting, and we are working on the segmentation of the floor and the after-sales service part to improve our energy management. We identified and corrected anomalies, like leaving the air conditioning on on Sunday afternoon or leaving the lights on at night in storage rooms. Today, our store has become a building with a positive impact. Thanks to the photovoltaic farm installed on the roof, we produce more energy than we consume.
ISO 50001 certification is quite rare in the trade. You are an example...
What is interesting, Leroy Merlin Saint-Louis is a pioneer of this approach within Leroy Merlin France. We are the first in the network to launch into energy management certification. We are proud to be ahead in the implementation of this ISO 50001 certification. We are continuing this approach to saving energy in our purchases, for example by considering the use of electric vehicles. On the other hand, the law imposes certain obligations on us, such as installing solar panels to power the store. We will continue our efforts to reduce our energy footprint while preserving the quality of our service and the comfort of our customers..
