WALTHAM, Mass. -- Global Partners LP recently participated in a pilot program to evaluate Powerhouse Dynamics' SiteSage enterprise energy and asset management system at a select number of its Alltown and Mr. Mike's brand convenience stores.
"With approximately 120 company-operated convenience stores within our network, effectively monitoring electricity use and managing energy expenses is extremely important to the bottom line," said Jamie Cook, director of construction and maintenance within Global's gasoline distribution and station operations division. "SiteSage enables us to identify in detail the individual drivers of energy costs, including walk-in coolers, pumps, lights and HVAC systems.
"Another benefit is SiteSage's ability to red-flag a piece of equipment that is using more power than it has historically – an indication that a component may be on its way out," Cook added. "That warning enables us to take action before the system fails, which in turn prevents downtime, potentially saves additional expense and keeps our facilities operating smoothly."
Convenience stores, on average, use three times as much energy per square foot as other commercial businesses, according to Boston-based Powerhouse Dynamics. To control these costs, operators can remotely control and monitor equipment via energy management systems like SiteSage, reducing operating costs and driving profits directly to the bottom line.
"Convenience stores located at gas stations are among the most energy-intensive commercial businesses," said Mark Hardardt, vice president of sales and marketing for Powerhouse Dynamics, referring to their energy use per square foot. "In addition to the gas pumps, there is a considerable amount of refrigeration, and now increasing amounts of food prep and service equipment. Some of these locations also have car washes. And many of them are open 24 x 7. As a result, convenience stores use three times the energy of a typical commercial building on average, and in some cases as much as seven times."
SiteSage is an enterprise-level energy and asset management system that allows users to control HVAC and other electrical loads centrally with a highly intuitive web interface and mobile apps. The system remotely monitors equipment and uses patented analytics to diagnose performance issues and identify energy savings opportunities. It allows companies to benchmark the energy consumption and performance of individual pieces of equipment across facilities, allowing multi-location companies to identify and share best practices.
The system was designed specifically for smaller facilities.
The systems installed at the Alltown and Mr. Mike's locations provide centralized remote control of all HVAC systems. In some locations, every piece of equipment is being monitored, including gas pumps and car wash equipment, to provide Global Partners with an in depth understanding of where and how energy is being used and wasted.
Within the first month, the system identified a range of equipment problems that had not yet become evident, the company said, saving energy and potentially averting system failures. One of the goals is to use the experience of this first wave of installations to determine the most cost-effective way to deploy the system at all of their locations going forward.
A publicly traded master limited partnership (MLP), Waltham, Mass.-based Global Partners is a midstream logistics and marketing company. It owns, controls or has access to one of the largest terminal networks of refined petroleum products and renewable fuels in the Northeast, and is one of the largest distributors of gasoline, distillates, residual oil and renewable fuels to wholesalers, retailers and commercial customers in New England and New York. With a portfolio of approximately 900 locations primarily in the Northeast, it is also a major independent owner, supplier and operator of gas stations and convenience stores.
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