Billa Bulgaria installing water use monitoring system

The retailer will be able to monitor water transmission networks through innovative IoT technology and plans to connect all of its stores to the automated system by 2027, the company said in a press release.

The project is part of Billa's broader initiative to optimise resource efficiency, with the company's investment in specialised resource control systems totalling over 1.5 million levs ($833,816/766,935 euro).

The retailer reduced its electricity use by a yearly 10% after implementing fully automated systems that manage electricity, heating and air conditioning consumption at all of its locations, it said. Billa's sustainability programme also includes installing photovoltaic systems, energy-efficient refrigeration systems and LED lighting, as well as replacing paper labels with digital ones across all 158 stores in Bulgaria.

The company wants to lower greenhouse emissions by 30% compared to 2019 levels by 2030 and becoming climate-neutral by 2040.

The Austria-based retailer entered the Bulgarian market in 2000 and operates 158 stores in 50 towns and cities in the country.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)