Posted: Apr 14, 2009

Prenova Reveals Top Three Ways U.S. Retailers Overspend on Energy

ATLANTA, GA - April 14, 2009 ‐ Today, Prenova, a privately held energy services company that manages $2 billion in energy spend for dozens of national brands, reveals the top three ways U.S. retailers are wasting money on energy. Based on operational data from over 9,000 retail locations, Prenova cites that poor monitoring of HVAC, lighting and refrigeration systems are the leading causes of excessive energy use among retailers.

For HVAC systems, Prenova discovered that mishandling of set points, poorly functioning temperature sensors and inefficient fan cycle periods are the most common energy wasters within most buildings. Leaving lights on when a building is unoccupied, overriding lighting schedules or using artificial lighting unnecessarily when there is sufficient daylight for customers to shop comfortably also costs companies thousands of dollars per month, according to Prenova. When it comes to refrigeration, correctly monitoring temperature settings and humidity levels and optimizing compressor efficiency are keys to keeping costs down. However, Prenova reveals that few companies understand the best ways to utilize these systems.

“The U.S. currently has a utility bill of over $1 trillion dollars per year, yet most companies still don’t operate existing equipment efficiently,” says Michael Nark, CEO of Prenova. “Organizations with an annual energy spend of $15,000 per site can easily lose up to $3,750 purely because of oversights. That’s a 25% loss.”

According to the Department of Energy, the U.S. can expect a total increase of 26% to 4.969 terawatts¬hours (TWh) in energy consumption by 2030.

“Retailers should take steps now to right size their energy consumption,” says Matt Kim, Director of Product Management, Solutions & Technology for Prenova. “Our systems allow retailers to have full visibility and control of energy usage without sacrificing the shopping experience.”

Prenova is an expert in energy reduction with an average savings range of 15‐20% across retail and restaurant sectors. Its recent findings are based on field audits and whole building assessments figures from January 2008 to January 2009.