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Alldales completes in-store drive installations for Tesco

HVAC specialists Alldales Drive Systems have begun the third and final phase of a programme to fit energy-saving inverter drives to air-handling units in selected UK Tesco stores. Initially this will involve 10 stores in Northern Ireland but is expected to be extended to a further twenty stores across the country.

Phase Three brings to a close a three-year programme embracing some 400 of Tesco’s larger stores (typically with a floor-space of 30,000 square feet or more). The programme is part of a series of Group-wide energy saving measures aimed at conserving energy as a large-scale user. Whilst air conditioning does not in itself account for the lion’s share of energy consumption in retail stores, it is an area that offers huge scope for short term savings through the implementation of inverter drive technology, without any loss of store ambience.

Comments Ken Carter, Energy Manager at Tesco:

"Selective implementation through larger stores has already yielded a significant Return on Investment. Our in-house project tracking software, which provides hourly readings, has enabled us to prove the benefits in line with initial projections. Data gathered to date indicates that a reduction in fan speed of 15-20% is delivering energy savings of around 50% based on 24 hour running, 360 days a year".

With the drives already in place and delivering results, Tesco is looking with Alldales at making use of the more advanced capabilities of the HVAC-specific inverter drives. A feasibility study is currently underway to examine the potential for linking the inverter drives with store Building Management Systems.

Fully compatible with open protocols, Alldales inverter drives are able to interrogate BMS systems, receiving instructions to vary the speed of the fans to match and relaying back vital information about the condition of belts and filters.

For Tesco, full variable speed running could potentially offer additional energy savings by enabling precise profiles to be built for each location. Taking into account differences in consumption at shoulder hours i.e. 6am-9am in the morning and 5pm – 8pm at night and on a weekday night or at weekends night and day, plant and flow levels are reduced where appropriate through the use of the resultant profiles to programme the inverter drives, avoiding plant being left on unnecessarily to further reduce the energy load.

Released March 2006

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"Selective implementation through larger stores has already yielded a significant Return on Investment. Our in-house project tracking software, which provides hourly readings, has enabled us to prove the benefits in line with initial projections."

 

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