Case Study: Cutting Energy Costs 38% for a Food Processing Plant

Energy is one of the largest operating costs in food processing. Refrigeration, production lines, HVAC systems, and lighting run continuously — and the bills reflect it. When rising electricity costs begin to threaten margins, the case for on site generation becomes urgent.

This is the story of how Freedom Energy helped a South West food processing business reduce its total electricity costs by 38%.

The Challenge

The client operated a mid sized food processing facility running three shifts across five days a week. Their energy profile was characterised by high baseline consumption throughout the day, with significant demand peaks during production ramp up in the morning.

Their electricity bill was substantial, and the demand and capacity charges alone — based on their Maximum Import Capacity and peak half hourly draws — accounted for a significant portion of it.

They had explored solar previously but had received proposals that sized the system for annual kilowatt hour output without addressing the demand charge issue. The numbers had not stacked up.

The Solution

Freedom Energy carried out a detailed analysis of 12 months of half hourly metering data alongside the client's operational schedule. Rather than designing to a headline figure, we mapped the system to their actual energy profile — specifically to the periods of highest grid dependency and peak demand.

The result was a 185 kilowatt peak rooftop system combined with a 200 kilowatt hour commercial battery storage array. The battery was configured to begin charging overnight on an off peak tariff and to discharge during the morning production ramp up — precisely the window that had been generating the largest demand charges.

We also worked with the client's energy consultant to review their contracted Maximum Import Capacity and negotiate a reduction that reflected the new, lower peak demand the system would create.

The Outcome

In the 12 months following commissioning, the facility's total electricity costs fell by 38% compared to the previous year.

The breakdown was roughly as follows: on site solar generation covered approximately 55% of daytime consumption, the battery eliminated the morning demand peaks that had been driving capacity charges, and the renegotiated import capacity contract reduced standing charges.

The system is also contributing to the business's sustainability reporting, providing independently verifiable data on carbon reduction that supports their supply chain commitments.

The payback period, based on actual measured savings rather than projections, is on track for just over five years.

What This Demonstrates

The biggest mistake in commercial solar is treating it as a simple generation calculation. For energy intensive businesses, the value is in understanding the full bill — including the charges that are less visible but often the most significant.

Freedom Energy designs commercial renewable energy systems around operational realities. If you want to understand what your site is capable of, we would welcome the conversation.