Site Controls Helps Retailers Prepare For – and Profit From – the Demand Response Season

Chain retailers can get paid to help save the utility grid, and the environment, during the hot summer months

AUSTIN, TX – August 12, 2008 – The summer months are the heart of “Demand Response” season in the United States, when the electric utility grid reaches a crisis point and raises the threat of rolling blackouts and power outages. But can chain retailers play a key role in reducing demand on the overloaded utility grid?

The answer is “yes” – and they can get paid for it, too. With advanced systems from Site Controls, the leading provider of enterprise energy management, facilities intelligence and grid efficiency solutions, retailers can participate in utility-sponsored Demand Response programs, which offer generous financial incentives for companies that agree to reduce their electrical consumption during times of peak demand. Site Controls also allows retailers to:

• Save money – by implementing Site Controls’ Site-Command™ building automation solution systems that reduce electrical consumption 365 days a year
• Improve the environment – by lowering energy consumption, which dramatically reduces chain retailers’ carbon footprint.
• Protect the shopping experience – by maintaining corporate standards for lighting and air conditioning, so that saving money does not mean making customers uncomfortable.

Demand Response: Saving the Grid and Profiting from It
The premise behind Demand Response is simple: utilities desperately need their customers to cut back on energy consumption during critical periods, and they’re willing to pay them to do it. By utilizing Site Controls’ Intelligent Load Management™ (ILM) technology, which automatically controls on-site energy consuming devices, chain retailers can determine how much power they are willing to shed during a Demand Response event. The entire process – from initiating a Demand Response event to adjusting set points and in-store lighting across an entire chain – can be completely automated, and the load reduction at each location takes specific in-store conditions into account for maximum effectiveness.

Energy Management – Saving Money 24x7
In addition to periodic peak load management, Site Controls EMS (Energy Management System) also delivers compelling energy savings 365 days a year. Site Controls’ customers have seen energy savings that range from 15 to 25 percent. For a larger “mid-box” chain retailer with 300 locations (each averaging 25,000 sq. feet), the numbers are impressive: an average annual energy savings per location of $16,453 – or $4,935,938 for the entire chain.

Improving the Environment: Reducing the Carbon Footprint
By implementing EMS technology, retailers not only help “save the grid” and improve their bottom line, but also dramatically reduce their carbon footprint. By implementing the Site Controls system, a mid-box retailer with 300 stores can have an annual environmental impact of:

• 58,471,875 pounds of carbon emissions reduced
• 5,085 cars off the road
• 3,562 households powered
• 87,708 trees planted

“Our recent research shows that as the customer becomes even more powerful, winning retailers view public perception of their commitment to environmental friendliness just as important as the actual cost savings and carbon-emission reduction component,” said Steve Rowen, Partner at Retail Systems Research and co-author of the research report “What Can Green Do for You?” “So while the store makes for a logical place to reduce energy consumption, it also presents a viable opportunity to flaunt some ‘greater good’ behavior in order to win more wallet share.”

Protecting the Shopping Experience
Participating in Demand Response does not compromise the in-store experience. Site Controls works closely with each customer to ensure that corporate standards for air quality and lighting are maintained throughout the Demand Response event. Strategies such as pre-cooling the space prior to an event, cycling individual roof-top units, and temporarily disabling non-essential equipment help retailers deliver the maximum load reduction with the minimum consequence.

“Retailers hold tremendous possibilities for reducing demand when the grid reaches the breaking point,” said Dan Sharplin, CEO of Site Controls. “But until recently, these buildings have not participated in Demand Response programs in a meaningful way. By using our technology, we help chain stores participate in demand response while protecting the shopping environment. As a consequence, Site Controls is able to alleviate stress on the power system while helping our retail customers generate top-line revenue.”

About Site Controls
Site Controls provides enterprise-wide energy management, facilities intelligence, and grid efficiency solutions to commercial customers and power suppliers. The company’s solutions incorporate energy efficiency, corporate social responsibility, comfort and controls, operational intelligence, and demand response services. Site Controls' proven record of delivering value is demonstrated in thousands of sites deployed in all 50 states and Canada, representing hundreds of megawatts of electrical load under management. For more information, visit www.sitecontrols.com
 

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