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Bimbo Canada tackles GA charges with battery storage
Discover how Bimbo Canada has reduced their global adjustment (GA) demand charges in Ontario with on-site battery storage.
Highlights
Industry
Food & Beverage
Location
Hamilton, Ontario
Solution
3,000 kW, 2-hour battery system
Savings
Nearly 30% reduction in electricity bill expenses
Overview
Bimbo Canada is Canada’s leading producer and distributor of fresh packaged bread and bakery products, including brands like Dempster’s®, Stonemill®, Villaggio®, Natural Bakery, Vachon®, Little BitesTM, and Takis®. As part of the global Grupo Bimbo – the world’s largest baking company with operations in 34 countries – Bimbo Canada is committed to advancing its mission to ‘Nourish A Better World’ while delighting customers with delicious and nutritious baked goods and snacks.
Their Story
Searching for a solution to reduce energy spend
Operating its flagship bakery in Ontario, Bimbo Canada searched for a way to manage its utility expenses better, while advancing on its goal of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050. In 2020, after thorough consideration of various technologies, Bimbo Canada selected Enel’s battery energy storage system (BESS) to optimize its energy use and save on energy costs.
How battery systems reduce energy costs
BESS reduces energy costs by intelligently drawing electricity from the grid during low-priced hours to charge, then utilizing this stored energy to offset grid consumption during high-priced hours. By leveraging automated optimization software, a BESS seamlessly executes this process in the background, ensuring no disruptions to the facility’s operations. This ability to shift energy consumption is particularly advantageous in Ontario, due to the Global Adjustment (GA) coincident peak charge.
What is Global Adjustment (GA)?
Global Adjustment (GA) is a charge specific to the province of Ontario, levied based on the customer’s energy usage during the top five grid-wide peak demand hours of the year. By accurately predicting when these hours will be and shifting energy away from that window, a BESS can save energy-intensive businesses upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Optimized battery storage for energy savings
Bimbo Canada evaluated Enel’s turnkey solution and found it well-suited to curbing the company’s utility expenses. Enel’s battery optimization software, DER.OS, stood out for its ability to forecast and optimize across various factors, including load requirements, weather conditions, utility tariffs, revenue programs, and more. With GA charges making up a significant portion of Bimbo Canada’s bills, the BESS’s ability to accurately forecast and curtail during system peak hours offers a compelling solution for mitigating utility expenses.
Enhancing grid reliability through battery storage
Beyond cost reductions, Bimbo Canada can also harness their BESS to generate revenue by participating in Ontario’s demand response programs. Both the Independent Electric System Operator’s (IESO’s) demand response and ‘Operating Reserves’ fast-response programs play a pivotal role in maintaining grid stability in Ontario, by incentivizing large energy users like Bimbo Canada to curtail their energy usage during hours of system peak. In this way, Bimbo Canada’s BESS makes a tangible contribution to keeping the lights on in their local community.