http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5362/?cid=3

UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's is joining  forces with smart grid and demand management company KiWi Power to pilot a revenue-generating energy management programme.

The trial at two distribution centres will reduce power consumption temporarily at times of high demand or 'grid stress'. In return, network operator National Grid will pay Sainsbury's for cutting its energy consumption at these times.

The power stations that are used to supply peaks in demand and avoid blackouts are highly polluting and expensive to run. Demand response, which reduces non-essential energy use when demand is high - such as very hot days when air conditioning is running at full capacity or during major sporting events.

If the demand response trial is successful at the Hams Hall depot, near Birmingham and the Waltham Point depot on the outskirts of London, the supermarket chain says it will rollout the technology across more depots.

"We are pleased to be at the forefront of this pilot programme with KiWi Power. Not only are we able to help reduce our carbon footprint, but we have also been able to reduce our energy costs," says Allen Macadam, a logistics change project manager for Sainsbury's. 

"There has been no change to the day-to-day operation within the two pilot depots and we have managed to implement the solution without requiring any investment," he adds.

Sainsbury's has a number of large, state-of-the-art distribution centres, which are backed up by standby generators in the event of power failures to maintain optimal conditions.