EMS Identifies $16K in Energy Savings for The North Face in 6 Months

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The North Face logo Energy ManagePanoramic Power’s energy management system (EMS) helped ePlanet Facility Group identify $16,050 in energy savings at four North Face retail locations in less than six months.

To meet new sustainability requirements, VF Corp, the parent company of The North Face, was looking for a scalable energy management system that would help drive savings and efficiencies.

It turned to long-time consultant ePlanet to recommend a solution that would best meet the company’s needs. ePlanet, suggested Panoramic Power’s EMS, which not only would measure the amount of energy the stores were consuming, it also would pinpoint energy consumption by device, and detect equipment problems and potential equipment failures before they occurred.

Panoramic Power’s circuit-level energy management solution was installed in four of The North Face’s highest trafficked California locations: Corte Madera, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and San Jose. Approximately 150 circuit-level energy sensors were placed on HVAC and lighting equipment across the four locations.

The sensors, which feed real-time data into Panoramic’s SaaS-based analytics platform, detected the following issues within the first six months:

  • The AC fan system was not working properly in the Palo Alto location. Through early detection, store management identified 69,420 kWh/year ($10,500) worth of savings and avoided an equipment failure.
  • The HVAC system in Corte Madera was not operating correctly and air handlers were over cycling. Through the early detection, the store was able to save 16,016 kW. The combined energy and maintenance savings was about $2,250.
  • By changing the off-hours lighting schedule at the Valley Fair location, the store will realize an estimated 10 percent annual energy savings.

As a result of these combined savings, The North Face estimates it will receive a full return on its investment in 18 months. The retailer plans to install the EMS in additional locations and expand its use in the current locations.

Environment + Energy Leader