Modell’s on Track to Save

Modell’s Sporting Goods has reduced its total energy use since rolling out a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) monitoring and control system to its 133 store locations. The system has resulted in significant savings throughout the sporting-goods chain while helping to preserve natural resources.

The technology, eMAC from Lime Energy’s Maximum Performance Group (MPG), is a monitoring, communication and control system designed for natural-gas and electric-heat HVAC systems. The eMAC units were installed on Modell’s existing equipment.

“On average, there are anywhere from two to eight [eMACs] per store, depending on the individual location,” said Dave Fletcher, executive VP, Modell’s, New York City. “We use the technology primarily to monitor the performance of our mechanical units and to set temperatures at a certain level.”

The total dollars saved from the project are expected to exceed $840,000 annually based on “energy cost avoidance” at the average price of electricity in the region (12¢ per kilowatt hour), according to calculations by MPG. The installation, which included a total of 578 eMAC units, has resulted in an energy reduction of approximately 7.4 million kilowatt hours per year, or an estimated 17% energy savings.

There are other benefits, as well. MPG estimates the energy savings translate into the removal of 4,700 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions, believed to be a key contributor to global warming.

“The eMAC technology has been very helpful to us in our operations by cutting our kilowatt-hours usage and maintaining very comfortable shopping environments,” Fletcher said. “And by helping us diagnose problems or potential problems, it has helped us reduce our cost of repairs.”

Fletcher attributed the reduced repair cost to the monitoring done by the MPG group and the sophistication of the system.

“MPG does all our monitoring,” he added.

The eMac technology attaches to the existing HVAC units and uses wireless-control capabilities to access control software developed and operated by MPG. It is connected between the existing thermostat and the HVAC unit and monitors some 140 points of system operation. The points are captured in real time and broadcast over a wireless-paging network to the MPG server, where the data is transformed for Web access.

The project began as a test in a Modell’s store in the Philadelphia area. On the heels of significant electrical savings, the retailer expanded the trial to another 10 locations, whose results were also equally successful. The company then expanded the installation program to include 27 stores as part of a project involving utility incentive funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. In 2006, Modell’s announced the chainwide rollout of the technology.

“The savings were so good we were able to internally justify the rate of return we need to make a mass purchase,” Fletcher explained. “So we approved installation of the system in all of our existing stores as well as in all new construction. We’re also looking at it for our distribution center.”