Southern Co-op is making a significant investment of £200,000 to retrofit thermal chiller night blinds into 46 stores this year, as part of its ongoing commitment to combat climate change. By installing these blinds in refrigeration units without doors, the company aims to act like a thermal blanket, thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to keep the fridges at their optimum temperature.
Following a successful trial, the pilot sites have shown energy savings of up to 9%. If these blinds were installed across all locations, even with just a 5% reduction in energy usage each year, the initial phase of the project would save an impressive 377,402 KWH per annum. This projected carbon reduction would equate to nearly 73 tonnes of Co2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year. To put this into perspective, it is equivalent to the average electricity used by two retail stores annually, or the average emissions of 40 diesel cars for a year, based on DESNZ GHG conversion factors and DfT National Travel Survey 22.
Gemma Lacey, Southern Co-op’s director of sustainability and communications, expresses her enthusiasm for these energy-saving measures, stating, “This is a significant saving of energy and it marks another milestone in our ongoing commitment to combat climate change. It also has an estimated payback period of just 2.2 years.” Through initiatives like this, Southern Co-op hopes to continue making substantial energy savings, reducing its carbon footprint, and building a sustainable future for the community and the environment.
The implementation of thermal night blinds is just one of the multiple actions being taken by Southern Co-op to reduce its overall carbon footprint. Notably, the company achieved a commendable reduction of 36% in absolute greenhouse gas emissions last year, compared to 2019 levels. This impressive achievement builds on a previous reduction in the business’s carbon footprint of 27% between 2012 and 2019.
In addition to installing thermal night blinds, Southern Co-op has also replaced outdated refrigeration units with newer, more efficient models. Furthermore, the company has embraced ecoblade technology and energy-efficient refrigeration fans, contributing to improved energy efficiency and reduced emissions from refrigeration systems. These combined efforts reaffirm Southern Co-op’s dedication to sustainability and its ongoing commitment to combatting climate change.