Maplewell Energy, a virtual power plant provider that develops on-site energy solutions to create savings and add resilience,
has used refrigerators for energy storage at an enterprise convenience-store operator.
With its cutting-edge software and hardware, Maplewell is unlocking demand flexibility at the grid edge for commercial, industrial, and government enterprises. Maplewell’s JANiiT platform provides real-time demand charge management and demand response for commercial and industrial buildings up to 250,000 square feet.
During the pilot, Maplewell released the beta version of its demand management software, JANiiT, at two Parkland USA sites in Denver and Salt Lake City.
Using on-site refrigerators and HVAC as energy storage, the pilot was successful in dynamically balancing the buildings' energy use and reducing peak usage.
The technology used, known as thermal energy storage (TES) in refrigeration, precools canned and bottled beverages prior to an energy peak, optimising and balancing loads as needed.
Initial performance showed a 25 per cent reduction in peak energy usage for the convenience store, with savings going directly to the building operator. With the addition of energy storage, future reductions are expected to reach 42 per cent.
Parkland USA VP of retail, Jess Bush, said Maplewell’s software allows the company to manage energy efficiently and reduce demand charges.
“As EV fast charging becomes a part of our business and retailers, predictive energy management makes perfect sense for our stores,” he said.
JANiiT will be deployed at two additional sites for the convenience store operator, an office building and an industrial facility.
Maplewell’s demand management software goes beyond a traditional building management or automation system to integrate forecasting, predictive control, and real-time feedback-based optimisation that is proactive instead of reactive.
Until now, the advanced forecasting and predictive control technologies available in the Maplewell beta had eluded players in the energy space.
Advances in forecasting in Maplewell’s JANiiT system have led to superior optimisation, enabling customers to finally realise true value in using demand management systems to drive down cost, lower demand peaks, and more effectively manage usage of energy assets.
The beta pilot has proven the value and effectiveness of the Maplewell system with technology built into its product and deployed in the field.
CEO and cofounder of Maplewell, Matt Irvin, said the pilot has produced excellent results.
“Most building management systems lack any sort of dynamic demand management capability for controllable loads. The pilot showed that our solution can dynamically manage demand without impacting enterprise operations, resulting in significant savings for commercial and industrial building owners and operators,” he said.