Modern retail store interior with energy-efficient LED lighting, refrigeration units, and smart power management systems

Slashing Retail Power Costs by 43%

Intelligent power optimization delivering dramatic energy savings in just two weeks

Retail & Energy

Intelligent power optimization for major retailer

South Africa

Two-week implementation

Major South African Retailer - 750+ Stores

43%

Reduction in Energy Costs

57%

Drop in Maintenance Costs

2 Weeks

Implementation Time

Introduction

For large retailers, energy costs are a significant operational expense. In this case study, CFT partnered with a major South African retailer with over 750 stores to implement a power optimization strategy that delivered dramatic results in just two weeks.

The Challenge

The retailer operated multiple locations equipped with fridges, air conditioners, and other high-power appliances.

Unoptimized power usage was driving up operational costs

Lack of visibility into performance hindered predictive maintenance efforts

Key metrics targeted:

Power consumption per fridge
Maintenance cost per fridge

Solution

CFT's electronics division developed a tailored hardware and software solution:

Intelligent Power Control

Custom-built systems optimized equipment runtimes based on schedules and threshold conditions.

Data-Driven Dashboards

Real-time visualizations enabled continuous monitoring of power cycles, equipment performance, and maintenance needs.

Real-time fridge monitoring dashboard showing power consumption, relay states, and performance metrics across multiple store locations

Real-time dashboard monitoring fridge performance across store locations

Results Achieved

43%

Reduction in energy costs

Within just two weeks

57%

Drop in maintenance costs

Thanks to targeted interventions

Key Discovery

Regional temperature differences were shown to have no significant impact on power consumption, dispelling a long-held assumption.

Daily Fridge Cost Per Division

Daily fridge costs showing dramatic reduction after optimization implementation

Key Takeaway

By combining custom hardware with smart analytics, CFT delivered a sustainable, scalable solution for reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs across hundreds of retail locations.

Technologies & Methodologies

Core Technologies

Custom Hardware DesignIntelligent Control SystemsReal-time MonitoringPower AnalyticsData VisualizationPredictive MaintenanceSmart Analytics

Implementation Approach

✓ Custom Hardware Development

✓ Schedule-Based Optimization

✓ Threshold Condition Monitoring

✓ Real-Time Dashboard Creation

✓ Performance Analytics Integration

✓ Scalable Solution Architecture