BGF Retail Introduces Automated Power Reduction System

Approximately 30% Power Savings Per Case

BGF Retail announced on the 16th that it has signed a business agreement with the Korea Power Exchange to demonstrate an automated power reduction system and will begin efforts to enhance power saving.

The demonstration of the automated power reduction system is the first remote metering infrastructure-smart device-based power reduction project in the convenience store industry and will be test-operated at five directly managed stores, including CU Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Branch and Seocho Green Branch.

When the Korea Power Exchange issues a power reduction request during fine dust alerts or emergency power supply situations, the smart devices installed at each store remotely adjust lighting and temperature, enabling automatic reduction of power consumption without any additional work at the stores.

Smart lighting (LED) will be installed at the test operation stores, and when a reduction request is issued, the lighting brightness will be lowered by about 30% from the usual level at a level imperceptible to humans. Additionally, automatic temperature control sensors will be installed inside can beverage refrigerators, which are less sensitive to storage temperature, to automatically adjust the temperature within the operational limits of the equipment, thereby reducing power consumption.

Ryu Cheol-han, Head of Management Support Division at BGF Retail (second from the left), and Kim Sang-il, Head of Power Market Headquarters at Korea Power Exchange (second from the right), are taking a commemorative photo at the business agreement ceremony.
[Photo by BGF Retail]

According to simulations by the Power Exchange, the installation of this automated power reduction system reduces power consumption by about 30% per occurrence, saving approximately 187 kWh per store if it occurs 100 times annually. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.087 tons (tonCO2-eq) annually and save about 210,000 KRW in electricity costs per store.

BGF Retail will also promote energy efficiency efforts in convenience stores. For the five stores equipped with the automated power reduction system, temperature and lighting will be automatically controlled during peak power price periods such as lunchtime or summer. In the future, the company plans to expand the range of participating stores in energy saving by accepting applications from franchise stores wishing to adopt the automated system.

A BGF Retail representative said, “In addition to optimizing power consumption, we expect this to help reduce store operating costs through participation incentives,” adding, “We will continue to carry out various ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) activities and strive to be a company leading sustainable growth and environmental preservation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.