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Fresh Savings for Powerstar South Africa
The latest international Powerstar case study highlights the results of a Powerstar MAX variable voltage optimisation (VO) installation at a food retailer in King William’s Town, South Africa.
Supermarkets & Mini-Markets
Supermarkets make up nearly half of all grocery sales in the UK, making them a key component of the ongoing cost of living crisis. Keeping down costs for consumers while maintaining the complex logistics required to offer the same breadth of choice at similar price points is extremely challenging.
Energy costs make up a significant amount of the overheads of supermarkets, and a typical large supermarket can incur annual bills of £400,000 or more. Fridges, freezers, ovens, heating, air conditioning and lighting all contribute to supermarkets using far more energy than a typical commercial building the same size. In total, around 3% of the UK’s total energy demand comes from supermarkets.
Energy Challenges faced by Supermarkets
A rise in energy costs can quickly impact on the narrow margins that large retailers operate on, while volatile prices for energy, raw ingredients and finished products can all quickly eat away at profits. Mitigating energy costs is also vital to prevent rising costs being passed on to consumers and keeping retailers competitive.
Increasingly, consumers factor in sustainability when making purchasing decisions, resulting in large UK supermarket chains competing to display green credentials to their customers. Measures that can be taken that improve sustainability while also reducing costs for retailers, and in turn customers, are ideal.
Technologies that can help supermarkets with Energy Bills
Supermarket chains have been one of the largest customer bases when it comes to Powerstar’s patented voltage optimisation technology. Large, single-site facilities with a range of varying, energy-intensive technologies are an ideal fit for voltage optimisation, which lowers and conditions incoming voltage to reduce consumption across a site. This conditioned voltage means that equipment is supplied with the optimal level of power, reducing wear and tear and subsequent maintenance costs as well as energy costs.
Many large supermarkets have already invested in rooftop solar to generate their own electricity. The growing demand for EV charging facilities for customers while they shop is a further consideration that makes managing energy on a supermarket site increasingly difficult. Here, a battery energy storage system can provide an ideal solution, storing energy generated on-site for use when demand increases, as well as buffering the demands of rapid EV charging. Powerstar’s BESS systems also provide full UPS protection, keeping vital systems such as lighting, cooling and data storage running in the event of a power disruption.
Supermarket Chain Case Study
We helped this Supermarket chain save 31% on their energy costs
CHALLENGE
The client, a major supermarket chain with multiple stores and distribution centres across the UK. The company actively and continuously explores ways that it can improve its sustainability from farm to shelf, and actively looks at new technologies available which can help contribute towards its goals.
SOLUTION
After a full and thorough site survey and analysis of the site requirements, Powerstar recommended the installation of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) combined with voltage optimisation and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) capabilities.
Find out how we can help you with your businesses energy objectives
You might also be interested in
Technology
Voltage Optimisation
Optimising the incoming voltage to your site to improve quality, saving energy and costs.
Technology
Battery Energy Storage
Using a battery on-site to store renewable or grid supplied energy. Make use of Grid services and increase your power resilience
Application
Energy Efficiency
Increase the efficiency of your site’s energy to reduce costs and CO2.