Shelf strip firm wins Queen’s Award
UK: Aerofoil Energy, developer of the energy-saving aerofoil shelf strips deployed on open-fronted multi-deck supermarket fridges, has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Innovation.
The Aerofoil product has achieved industry-wide adoption by UK supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and M&S. Since 2016, Aerofoils are estimated to have saved the sector around £100m in energy costs and already avoided some 150 thousand tonnes of CO2 emissions.
“We are honoured to have been recognised by Her Majesty with this award for our energy-saving technology and commercial success,” said Aerofoil Energy’s CEO, Paul McAndrew. “Open-fronted supermarket fridges are a great way to display food and make it easy for customers to choose, but they are very power-hungry. Our unique innovation, the Aerofoil, has provided our clients with a straightforward solution that significantly reduces the fridge’s power consumption whilst improving the convenience and comfort of the shopping experience.”
Aerofoil Energy’s wing-shaped ‘Aerofoils’ are deployed on the front of each shelf of a supermarket fridge. Instead of creating lift or downforce, as they would on an aeroplane or racing car, they have the effect of drawing the fridge’s cold air stream back into the cabinet, thereby preventing it spilling into the shopping aisle and wasting energy. The Aerofoil blades are manufactured by local businesses in the UK from 100% recycled aluminium and are completely recyclable.
The company is now expanding internationally to deploy its Aerofoil shelf-edge technology in the world’s largest bricks-and-mortar grocery retailers in Europe, the USA and Asia.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK business, designed to recognise and encourage outstanding achievements in the fields of Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility). The Queen’s Awards scheme was instituted by Royal Warrant in 1965 and the first Awards were made in 1966. This year, 205 UK businesses were recognised for their efforts.
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