RICHMOND, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 15, 2016) - Seeking to reduce operating costs related to refrigeration and improve resilience across its portfolio of stores, Walmart has selected Axiom Exergy to complete a field demonstration of its Refrigeration Battery energy storage solution at a San Diego store. This field demonstration project is being completed with the support of two of California's largest electrical utilities. The Refrigeration Battery leverages the store's existing refrigeration system to "store cooling" at night by freezing tanks of salt water when energy costs are low. When electricity demand and thus on-peak electricity prices increase during the afternoon, the Refrigeration Battery "discharges" like a battery, providing cooling services for seven hours, reducing the store's expensive on-peak electricity demand by up to 40 percent. Refrigeration represents up to 55 percent of an average supermarket's electricity consumption, and by shifting electricity demand to off-peak hours, building owners can take advantage of lower night-time rates to reduce their energy bills. Walmart and the supporting utilities have contracted with KW Engineering to provide third-party measurement & verification for the field demonstration project.
"Walmart is actively evaluating different energy storage technologies that have the potential to reduce our operating costs and improve stores' resilience during power outages and extreme weather events across our portfolio," said Mark Vanderhelm, VP Energy of Walmart. "This demonstration is consistent with these efforts as well as Walmart's commitment to fostering innovation -- we are excited to review the potential of Axiom's solution to these issues."
The field demonstration with Walmart is funded by utility members of California's Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council ( ETCC ), whose mission is to provide a forum for members to exchange information, opportunities and results from their Emerging Technologies activities. ETCC efforts are focused on identification, assessment, and supporting commercialization of energy-reducing technologies.
"At a time when the California legislature is pushing for more renewables and energy storage in the state, and in the wake of the Aliso Canyon Gas Disaster and PG&E's recent announcement to retire Diablo Canyon nuclear facility , public sentiment is rapidly moving away from continued reliance on nuclear and fossil fuels. To remedy power shortages during peak hours, regulators and utilities are dramatically increasing funding for energy storage which is considered both a critical enabler of renewable capacity and a cost-effective method to balance supply and demand on the grid. We're excited to have market leaders like Walmart leading the way to implement innovative energy storage solutions, like our Refrigeration Battery, as an affordable and practical solution to reduce operating costs," says Ryan Adelman, Chief Commercial Officer at Axiom Exergy. "This demonstration will illustrate how refrigerated facilities like supermarkets can significantly reduce their electricity demand during on-peak hours and how utilities in California can use our solution to help reduce strain on the grid by deploying a low-cost, long-duration, behind-the-meter energy storage solution."
The Refrigeration Battery is a non-invasive, modular retrofit that operates in parallel with existing refrigeration systems to shift daytime energy loads to less expensive off-peak hours. It can also provide backup cooling to reduce uninsured food spoilage during power outages, an expensive and growing problem for supermarket owners. The turnkey installation of the Refrigeration Battery does not require physical or programming modifications of existing equipment. Axiom Exergy's fully-financed "Storage-as-a-Service" model eliminates up-front cost and technology risk, enabling supermarkets and commercial buildings with high refrigeration-based energy loads to reduce both energy costs and operational risk from day one.
"We're thrilled to see that Walmart is taking an innovative approach to reducing their energy and operating costs, all while serving as an example for other grocery businesses who are looking for scalable and low-risk energy storage options," says Amrit Robbins, President and Co-Founder of Axiom Exergy. "By deploying Refrigeration Battery systems, businesses can convert power-hungry refrigeration systems into intelligent 'batteries' that can respond dynamically to the needs of the facility and the grid operator, taking into account energy prices, weather patterns, and grid programs like demand response."
ABOUT AXIOM EXERGY Axiom Exergy is an energy storage company focused on making the world's energy systems smarter and more efficient. Its Refrigeration Battery® technology transforms commercial and industrial refrigeration systems into large-scale, intelligent, cloud-connected energy storage assets. With deep expertise in supermarket energy management, thermal energy systems engineering, cloud software development, and product commercialization, Axiom Exergy provides its customers with turnkey power management solutions that reduce operational costs and business risk. Axiom Exergy also offers fully-financed "Storage-as-a-Service" so that supermarkets and commercial buildings with high refrigeration-based energy loads can save more than they pay from day one. www.axiomexergy.com
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