After working with takeCHARGE, Icewater Seafoods made energy efficiency upgrades that earned them $12,000 in rebates.
Icewater Seafoods, a local, family-run business in Arnold’s Cove, is a premium cod processing plant. Alberto Wareham, President and CEO and his family have been in the fish business for generations and are always looking for ways to improve plant operations. Almost 90% of Icewater’s cod is sold to high end markets in Europe to customers who only purchase a sustainable product from world class operations. Icewater’s long-standing commitment to sustainable and wise use of resources is not only key to its customers, but also to its own operations. When the takeCHARGE team explained how upgrading lighting to LEDs and using motion sensors could save energy, save money, and create a brighter work environment for its 210 employees, it was a no-brainer.
The 70,000 square foot plant in Arnold’s Cove processes about 12 million pounds of cod a year and has the capacity for double that amount. It operates 10 months a year, often for 24 hours a day. The lights in the cold storage were always turned on, even though people don’t always work in the room. After installing motion sensors, energy use decreased significantly because the lights were only on when they were needed. By upgrading to LED lighting in the cold storage and holding room, Icewater Seafoods were able to reduce the number of lights by half while maintaining the same level of brightness or even brighter. Besides the energy savings from LEDs, having less lights that rarely need replacing has also reduced maintenance work. Employees have noticed the area is brighter and better for working in. Even European customers who visit the plant are impressed with the new lighting upgrades.
“With the takeCHARGE program, we not only got a rebate of almost $12,000, but we’re also saving almost $9,600 a year in electricity costs,” says Alberto Wareham, President & CEO of Icewater Seafoods. “Being more energy efficient is good for our sustainability image and for our bottom line. The takeCHARGE team worked closely with us and helped find the best ways to save energy and money,” says Wareham.
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