Sealtest Ice Cream: A Case Study in Cooperation

Abstract

This was the first large industrial program from a Northeast utility. By participating in the DSM program, Sealtest completed a $3.5 million energy efficiency project. The efficiency improvements cut energy costs by over $425,000 per year and cut its electricity bills by one-third. The project is saving enough electricity to light one thousand homes. The project began with an energy efficiency study that identified opportunities for improved energy efficiency primarily through major changes in the facility's refrigeration equipment. Estimates of potential savings were based on profiles generated of baseline and post-retrofit electric consumption. These profiles required knowledge of the operation of the facility and expertise in design and operation of state-of-the-art refrigeration systems for this kind of industrial facility. A monitoring system was installed to verify the baseline profiles and to measure post-retrofit consumption. Time constraints dictated by construction schedules necessitated substantial effort to obtain all of the seasonal load shapes required to run the screening models. With cooperative effort between the Owner, Utility, contractors and engineers, the project was completed on time, and monitored savings exceeded expectations.