In 2005, Wal-Mart opened experimental stores in McKinney, Texas, and Aurora, Colo. that incorporate several experiments using recycled materials and energy-saving technologies, and include a number of experimental projects. Over the three-year period of 2006 – 2008, the progress of the experiments and lessons learned will be evaluated. NREL is monitoring the Aurora location, while ORNL evaluates results in McKinney. This article describes the results for HVAC and refrigeration experiments at McKinney and Aurora. In next month’s issue, Part 2 discusses lighting and renewable energy experiments.