Energy Management Keeps Products Cool

Del Mar Foods’ food processes involve numerous energy-intensive operations, and many of these operations cannot be shut down due to the perishable nature of food products. Del Mar Foods needed to reduce energy costs without affecting production numbers or the quality of their products. Powerit Solutions’ engineers found the facility could do this by managing the demand of loads such as IQFs, plate freezers, cold room evaporators, ammonia compressors, and waste water handling equipment. In June 2003, Del Mar Foods commissioned two energy management systems and has since endured a number of peak seasons without experiencing any problems during their production processes. Powerit's engineers installed the energy management system and provided Del Mar with training seminars to optimize their employees' use of the technology.

The Powerit Solutions energy management system works with Del Mar Foods’ existing systems and loads, shedding the loads during peak demand for no longer than a few minutes at a time within predefined temperature ranges. Del Mar Foods can monitor and control energy-intensive plant equipment and total power use from a dedicated PC, and, in effect, they have been able to optimize their energy consumption to minimize demand peaks. With Powerit's technology Del Mar Foods is now able to shed an average of 300 to 400 kW per month in production and 160 kW per month in cold storage during peak demand. Lee Haskins, Director of Operations at Del Mar Food Products said of the his company's new system, “We are not only satisfied but overwhelmingly thrilled with the product.”