Fan manufacturer ebm-papst has partnered with AB Group on the roll-out of 1,404 fans and 258 condensers in 152 Marks and Spencer stores across the UK and Ireland.
The new technology will substantially improve the energy performance of the refrigeration systems in the stores with total annual financial savings estimated to be just over half a million pounds.
The project across the M&S stores focused on upgrading the existing fans and condensers to ebm-papst’s EC condenser fans and AxiTop diffusers.
The upgrade project, rolled out across 152 large high street stores and Simply Food stores, was part of an energy-saving exercise for the retailer, which aimed to reduce the carbon footprint across its estate.
A trial of the upgrade was carried out in one of the stores in Rotherham to understand the energy saving benefits before the full project was rolled out.
Despite the logistical challenge of delivering and installing 1,400 new EC fans - and collecting old AC fans - across the UK and Ireland, the project took just three months to complete.
In total, the time spent on the project was 4,150 hours, highlighting the ease of installation.
In addition to the upgrade, AB Group changed the controls for the fridge plant to enable a variable 10v output to operate the new EC fans where necessary.
Following the upgrade, there is estimated to be an annual energy reduction of 3,265.3 kWh across the 152 stores which is an estimated cost saving per fan of £375.51. This represents an annual saving of £527,223 with payback in less than five years.
The project also allowed the refrigeration systems to maintain operation during high ambients. This is a big advantage as it retains sales and operation in the stores during exceptional weather.
Other benefits include a noise reduction per store of up to 7 dB (A).
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