CAMP HILL, Pa. — Three Rite Aid Corp. drug stores in New England have earned Energy Star certification for superior energy performance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Three Rite Aid Corp. drug stores in New England have earned Energy Star certification for superior energy performance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Rite Aid said Monday that each of the Energy Star-certified stores — in Enfield, Conn.; Merrimack, N.H.; and Cranston, R.I. — is 25% more energy-efficient since undergoing an energy-reducing overhaul, which included upgrades to store lighting, HVAC and energy management systems.

To improve energy efficiency at the stores, Rite Aid explained that it replaced 120-watt fluorescent ceiling fixtures with lower-wattage lamps and high-efficiency, low-output ballasts, lowering each fixture’s wattage to about 90 watts. The retailer also upgraded fluorescent bulbs in the freezers and coolers to LED light bars that use less energy and generate less heat, in turn resulting in less compressor run time needed to keep the refrigerators cool.

Other measures included installing sensors that activate the store fans to run only when needed instead of continuously, replacing three air conditioning units with high-efficiency units that now use a refrigerant that is less harmful to the environment once it is disposed, and programming store light timing so fixtures are kept at half-power when the store is occupied but not serving customers and outdoor lights shut off 30 minutes after the store closes, according to Rite Aid.

The drug chain said the EPA awards the Energy Star certification to buildings that rank in the top 25% of similar buildings nationwide in terms of energy efficiency and meet strict energy efficiency performance levels. Each of the three Rite Aid stores earned a score of 75 on the Energy Star energy performance scale. A score of 50 represents average performance, and a score of 75 or higher indicates top energy performance and qualifies a building for the EPA certification.