SmartWatt Energy completes Americold LED retrofit

SmartWatt Energy Inc recently completed a LED lighting retrofit at Americold’s temperature-controlled storage facility in Fort Worth TX, resulting in an 86% reduction in total lighting cost. The project, which replaced 319 fixtures, produces higher-quality light and gave rise to a utility incentive greater than $46,000 from the local energy provider.

This LED lighting retrofit project will reduce Americold’s energy consumption at just its Fort Worth facility by 516,024 kilowatt-hours and will help it shed 85.92 kW, while resulting in additional cooling savings of more than $17,000.

“LEDs are perfectly suited for the cold storage environment,” said Ben Stewart, vice-president of West Coast operations for SmartWatt Energy. “The light is better than with fluorescents, the energy savings are higher, and the projects have a greater environmental impact.”

“SmartWatt Energy designs projects highly beneficial to cold storage environments,” said Fred Walker, Americold’s vice-president of engineering. “We’ve been able to install fewer fixtures and achieve greater energy savings. We’re looking forward to working with SmartWatt Energy on additional projects worldwide.”

Americold partnered with SmartWatt Energy’s Sacramento CA office for the Fort Worth project. Earlier in 2011, SmartWatt Energy completed LED lighting retrofit projects at Americold’s Rochelle IL, Victorville CA, Allentown PA, City of Industries CA, and Russellville AR facilities. SmartWatt Energy teams will be upgrading two additional Americold facilities by the end of July.

Based in Atlanta GA, Americold offers temperature-controlled warehousing, transportation, and logistics systems. Americold owns and operates more than 182 temperature-controlled warehouses in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina, and Canada with a total capacity of more than 1.1 billion cubic feet of storage.