Retail sustainability – how an Energy Management System can help to reduce the amount of electricity wasted in shops and warehouses
Our energy waste experts were interested in this piece which recently appeared in the on-line news site Retail Dive about how retailers are grappling with sustainability. That’s because we are constantly evaluating and optimizing our Building and Energy Management System for retailers and other organizations that operate commercial buildings.
Sobering words for retailers around the world: “In an industry that inevitably generates waste, the path to a more environmentally friendly future is littered with difficult choices. Sustainability seems like a simple concept on the surface, but it hides an enormous array of complexity.”
One important way for an organization to make progress in meeting sustainability goals is to reduce the amount of electricity it uses.
Helping organizations – like retailers - to reduce the amount of energy wasted within their commercial buildings is NexRev’s core competency.
Reducing energy waste in retail buildings
We have previously discussed how HVAC optimization delivers sustainable operations. Retail Dive continues the conversation in its piece why decarbonization offers retailers a chance to lower costs and increase revenue suggesting that retailers:
1. Take part in electricity demand response programs that “Financially reward utility customers that reduce their energy use at times when demand for electricity is particularly high”
2. Invest in on-site solar generation and energy storage
We would also add another important bullet…
3. Make sure that your existing electrical equipment is optimized to minimize energy consumption.
Building energy management systems, data and measurement
According to our customers, HVAC systems account for around 40% of their energy use – therefore reducing this energy use seems like a sensible place for retailers to start in their quest to be more sustainable businesses.
DrivePak and Freedom are NexRev’s two flagship products to reduce and monitor energy consumption. They have both been deployed by blue chip retailers including Home Depot, Lowes, Floor & Décor, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ross, Burlington, At Home, Academy Sports, Pilot/Flying - as well as Bank of America and movie theaters across America such as Cinemark, Regal, AMC and CMX.
The keys to successfully reducing electricity usage are setting targets, measuring performance, managing KPIs, and examining data. In other words, to achieve mathematically based targets, you must use rigorous observation and mathematics.
At NexRev we do not agree with greenwashing which is defined by Forbes as “where companies make false or misleading statements about their environmental credentials, whether unintentionally or as a deliberate marketing strategy”. We are focused on measurable results, actionable insights, and helping organizations to identify new energy optimization opportunities – using science to help meet science-based targets.
Retailers – results, insights, KPIs
A quick look at the results one of our customers has experienced.
With hundreds of stores across the US, one of our customers is a large and much-loved retailer. Publicly listed, its mission is to grow, improve and deliver shareholder value. As with all successful firms, there’s a pro-active focus on both CAPEX and OPEX.
The company has been retrofitting DrivePak into its commercial packaged DX rooftop units for eight years with thousands of units now installed across its stores.
After almost eight years, the figures speak for themselves:
- 28,700,000 kwh saved
- >$3 million in reduced energy costs
- Simple payback of each DrivePak is just 1.2 years or less
Impressive numbers which many other retailers are also replicating
Time to reduce how much energy your commercial buildings are using
As time goes on market pressures continue to drive the Retail industry to become more sustainable and cost effective in a future full of difficult choices.
You can read more about how retailers are reducing the cost of running their air conditioning units here.
At NexRev, we’ve been unlocking the power in facility and energy management data with over a million connected devices across North America. Our DrivePak solution optimizes HVAC performance, and we tune operations to exactly match your unique requirements.
Better still, our team of experts is focused on helping you deliver more with your budgets, infrastructure, and assets to create sustainable savings in operations and energy, reducing your risk and increasing operational confidence.
We are focused on achieving real quantifiable results, and insights, and insights that enable organizations to identify new ways to reduce their energy usage – and, by controlling the devices we deploy, we translate those measurements into action.
To start the conversation about how you can reduce energy consumption, and slow down energy waste, please send a message to: