Saving energy through good communication

Saving energy within retail not only means reduced power consumption and costs, but also higher comfort levels for employees and customers. HMS Networks offers tips on how to make the biggest gains.

HMS Networks is an originally Swedish company that operates in seventeen countries. It ensures that hardware and software go together so that all systems communicate with each other. It does this with four main brands: Anybus, Ewon, Intesis and Ixxat. It's all about communication, says sales manager Andy Davies. "Our products don't save energy by themselves, but they are the heart of the system. The gateways allow installations to communicate with the building management system. They make connections between systems. That communication has to be good for the installation to work properly and for the system to save energy."

Of all the energy consumed worldwide, 40% goes to buildings. So when you consider that an average 20% of energy savings is financially equivalent to 5% of sales, retail businesses can gain a great deal by getting their systems set up correctly. If all systems are working properly, this has the added benefit of extra comfort within the business, making customers more likely to return.

HMS' products ensure that assets operate according to existing conditions, such as temperature, CO2 content in the air and humidity. This includes consideration of weather forecasts and busy times. Davies says: "First, the company's goals are identified, and then the system is designed. It is important to be clear in advance which systems need to be implemented. HMS has a lot of experience, so we know well which products to apply. Partly because we work worldwide, we understand many different systems. After the design, we take care of the implementation and that employees know how everything works. This is customization with energy savings as the main goal."

Where can the retail industry save the most? Research by the German retail institute EHI* shows that the most energy within the food sector is consumed by refrigeration (48%). Within non-food, this is lighting (55%), followed by HVAC (27%). Implementing an energy monitoring system provides insight for companies. The resulting data show that the most gains are achieved with heat recovery (46%), followed by intelligent controls (29%).

"In recent years, more and more energy consumption monitoring systems are being implemented. Monitoring allows for proactive work. For example, installers can see when a filter is nearly full and can respond accordingly. This reduces transport movements, which in turn saves time and reduces CO2 emissions. In addition, facility managers can use the data to make comparisons between different branches. This increases understanding of why one store does better than another. The system can then be adjusted accordingly. With our communication products, we ensure that systems function optimally," said Davies.

Intesis recently gave a webinar on this topic. It can be followed via the website. Here you will also find other courses, tools and information. 

* Source: EHI-Studienupdate Energiemanagement im Einzelhandel Kompakt, 2021