Retail chain Woolworths are currently experimenting with energy saving refrigeration and early indications are that as a result the amount of electricity used by store refrigeration could be reduced by at least 30%.

With refrigeration one of the key consumers of energy for food retailers, the system is being trialled in new stores in the Western Cape and Gauteng. The system continuously monitors and adjusts refrigeration systems, leading to greater efficiency and subsequent energy savings. The project is a collaborative effort between Woolworths and refrigeration specialists Mainstream Refrigeration.

“Woolworths has made it a priority to reduce its impact on the environment. This pilot is the latest in a long line of energy saving refrigeration efforts to debut in Woolworths stores,” said Alex Kuzma, engineering manager for Woolworths Real Estate Development. The initiative forms part of the retail chain's Good Business Journey, a strategy which includes plans to reduce the group's carbon footprint by 30% by 2012.