| Bonté Foods, Dieppe, NB |
|---|
| Energy Efficiency Programs: Industrial Energy Efficiency Program & Business Rebate Program |
| Program Participant: Bonté Foods, Dieppe |
| Total Company Investment in Project: $160,769 |
| Total Rebates Received: $71,089 |
| Business Rebate Program Efficiency Upgrades Completed: Business Rebate Program Efficiency Upgrades Completed: Replaced existing air compressor with a new Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) screw air compressor. |
| Industrial Efficiency Upgrades Completed: Installed VFDs and controls to adjust smokehouse ventilation fan motor speed (based on temperature/status of the smokehouse) rather than having them always run at full speed. Roof top AC unit was also replaced as it was oversized. |
| Total Annual Energy Savings Estimate: $42,887 |
| ”NB Power’s program, including the application and approval process made our decision of choosing a more costly but efficient VFD-driven air compressor quicker and easier.” - Mike Gosselin, Senior Maintenance Manager. |
Bonté Foods, located in Dieppe, New Brunswick, participated in both NB Power’s Industrial Program and Business Rebate Program. Through the programs they optimized their existing HVAC infrastructure and installed variable frequency drives (VFDs) and controls. The initial objective of the project was to replace an older air compressor requiring occasional emergency service due to its components breaking down. When comparing the costs of new, energy-efficient equipment and the costs associated with operations over the service life of the compressor, Mike Gosselin, Senior Maintenance Manager at Bonté Foods, found that the upfront investment was worth much more than operating and maintenance costs over the years.
Mike says the feasibility study – which was incented by NB Power’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Program, enabled Bonté Foods to clearly understand the cost benefits of choosing more energy efficient equipment. And, thanks to NB Power’s project rebates, Bonté Foods was able to proceed with their energy efficiency upgrades.
As a result, the company has replaced one rooftop air conditioning unit in the old section of the plant and has optimized other units with variable frequency drives (VFD) to further reduce energy consumption in the smokehouse area.
‘’NB Power’s program, including the application and approval process made our decision of choosing a more costly but efficient VFD-driven air compressor quicker and easier. I didn’t realise how much energy was required to generate compressed air, and I’m proud of the savings we now benefit from, as well as of our reduced energy consumption.’’ – says Mike.
Mike also said that NB Power’s incentives to complete the feasibility study made the entire process accessible and supported their internal decision-making process. ‘’I will most definitely be applying for future upgrades when applicable. It’s our collective responsibility to ensure our energy consumption is well-managed and such programs exist to allow us to do just that, and to do it well.’’
