Case Study: Associated Wholesale Grocers Cuts Energy Costs with Enel X Demand Response

Grocery Co-Op Earns Cold Cash with Enel X’s Demand Response

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), a Nashville-based grocery co-op serving more than 300 members across the South and Midwest, needed a way to lower its high energy costs without putting temperature-sensitive food at risk. As a major power user with large dry and refrigerated storage space, AWG was initially skeptical that demand response could work safely in its operation, especially for items requiring tight temperature control.

With Enel X’s TVA-Enel X Demand Response program, AWG implemented a curtailment strategy that included refrigeration set-point adjustments, shutting off evaporators and compressors during dispatches, and shifting other energy use like forklift charging to off-peak times. The result was a consistent reduction of about 850 kW during dispatches, more than $25,000 in annual demand response payments, and at least $70,000 a year in additional energy savings, all without affecting product quality or warehouse operations.

Associated Wholesale Grocers

Benny Phillips

Facilities Manager