Star’s monitoring software saves ASDA 5GWh of energy
12th July 2021
UK: Retailer ASDA is said to have saved 5GWh on energy costs over the last four and a half years across six of its UK chilled distribution centres.
The savings, representing over 1,100 tonnes of CO2e over the last four and a half years, are thanks to Star’s Ethos energy performance monitoring software.
With the help of Star Refrigeration subsidiary, Star Data Analytics, and City Facilities Management, Asda has reduced its energy consumption by 35% since 2010. This has been achieved by reducing energy use in all of the company’s stores and chilled distribution centres, through initiatives such as LED lighting and efficient machinery operation. Asda has been in business for almost 100 years.
Over the last 37 years, Star Refrigeration has installed refrigeration plants at all nine of ASDA’s mainland UK CDCs. A programme of planned preventative maintenance is in place to deliver maximum asset life, safety, reliability and performance.
This is provided through StarCare, a Star Refrigeration service, for all their CDCs’ refrigeration plants. This proactive maintenance regime is delivered through Star Refrigeration’s local maintenance teams.
Star’s proprietary cloud-based Ethos software collects data from refrigeration plants in real time, then compares actual operating performance with a computer model of theoretical performance at the given ambient conditions and operating temperatures. This comparison of actual performance with the ‘digital twin’, highlights any energy gap and enables the SDA team to identify problems and suggest corrective actions to reduce energy usage and meet environmental goals.
Ethos was first piloted at Asda’s Bedford site in 2017. The success of that trial led to installations at Asda sites in Rochdale, Wakefield, Bristol, Skelmersdale and Falkirk. ASDA’s other three chilled distribution centres at Lutterworth, Belvedere and Washington were added at the end of 2020/beginning of 2021.
Brian Churchyard, building model, engineering, energy & innovation senior manager at Asda, said: “We have made tangible reductions in energy use throughout our chilled depots whilst continuing to run our business as usual with no disruption, and have not decreased our capacity requirements resulting in reduced operational costs improving like-for-like profit margins. These changes behind the scenes also reduce your overall carbon footprint.”
