Distribution Centre – 2016

News-agency Cooperative ANCOL slashed Energy Use by 75%

Distribution Centre

ANCOL SA engaged Sustainable Focus to design and install a fully-automated energy management system to control all the major power loads at the site. Old lighting has been replaced with high-efficiency LED lighting and a 50kW solar system has been installed.

 

 

Key Outcomes

The solution is provided by customised, web-based software and “smart-devices” which are embedded at the site and remotely programmed and managed. The system enables energy use to be continually measured and remotely controlled to switch between solar generation and the grid, depending on when the sun is shining.

By using solar power when the sun is shining and automatically load shedding power at times of high network prices, ANCOL has been able to reduce its distribution centre operating costs by $50,000 a year. The system automatically allows the business to ‘smooth out’ its overall power bill by turning off non-critical power during times of high network costs or switching across to their in-house solar.

The reporting function enables the asset management team to forecast budgets for electricity and report on internal conditions such as temperature and light levels.