CANADA (June 16, 2011 - GFS)—When BC Hydro started to work with Gordon Food Service in 2008, Mark Bethell expected to learn a few strategies for saving energy in the company's operations.
He didn't realize, however, that the experience would reveal so much.
"I've never learned so much in a short time," says Bethell, Health and Safety Manager for the company's operations in Delta. "BC Hydro helped identify what we could save and what our impact would be. It was a huge eye-opener."
GFS British Columbia Inc. is a large distribution facility serving the food service industry in British Columbia. The Delta facility includes 305,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space including freezers and coolers, and 45,000 sq. ft. of offices. It's a 24/7 operation serving communities all over B.C.
Through the Power Smart Industrial Program, BC Hydro first supported GFS with an end use assessment study in early 2008. From there, a two-day energy efficiency feasibility study was done in May of the same year.
The studies helped identify the facility's best options for savings. The first project was lighting.
Lighting: 9% cut in costs, payback nine months
"We changed out old metal halide and sodium lighting fixtures to T5 fluorescent high bay lighting," says Bethell. "The lighting with the old technology was dark and dingy, and as soon as you put new bulbs in, they'd start to dim right away.
Read more on the GFS Canada website: http://www.gfscanada.com/en/about-us/news-events/gordon-food-service-eye-opening-energy-savings
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