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Proof Positive: Alldales' Inverter Drives Deliver Returns for Tesco

HVAC specialists Alldales Drive Systems has recently completed the first phase of a programme to supply and fit the company's energy-saving inverter drives to air-handling units in Tesco stores. The rollout, involving 50 plus stores nationwide, follows on from a successful two-year pilot which proved the concept in-store in daily use. The drives are expected to deliver payback over as little as 6 - 8 months, reducing energy consumption by a third, with investment costs fully recoverable under the Government's Energy Capital Allowances (ECA) scheme.

Leaders in food retail, Tesco Stores also sets the pace in addressing environmental issues. The company has its own Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, central to whose mandate is the development of long-term strategies to conserve energy and research alternatives. It is also widely represented on industry committees and forums, which provide a platform for knowledge sharing. Jeremy Waters, European Energy Manager for Tesco, explains how Alldales' variable speed technology is assisting with this process:

“As energy users on a large scale, we are conscious of the need to actively seek out and employ new approaches, working against tight timescales in order to meet the stringent targets we have set ourselves as a Group and to minimise any impact on community and environment. The decision to fit Alldales' inverter drives to in-store air handling units is part of a series of initiatives in a wide-ranging programme.

The initial trial demonstrated convincingly the energy savings to be gained from variable speed technology in an area (HVAC) which traditionally accounts for the lion's share of consumption. Early indications during Phase 1 of the nationwide rollout have been positive, with savings of £28, 000 reported in the first six weeks of operation alone.”

From a management point of view, variable speed technology offers strategic business benefits. Detailed data generated by the drives, available from day one plus, is being used by the Tesco team to predict and control the Group's energy bill, allowing the company to take action where required to offset increases in supply prices.

With Phase One complete and already resulting in visible savings – each drive is expected to save up to £4,000 per annum - Tesco has now agreed the installation of Alldales' inverter drives into a further 170 other stores, both on a retrofit basis and to build-in energy efficiency to new developments scheduled.

Released July 2004

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