UAE-based retail conglomerate, Majid Al Futtaim has revealed its plans to turn its Carrefour stores more digitized and energy efficient with the support of technology from France-based energy service provider, Schneider Electric.
As part of the plans, over one hundred Carrefour’s stores in the UAE will use Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Retail Advisor software and internet-connected hardware by the end of 2021. In line with Majid Al Futtaim’s ambition of becoming Net Positive by 2040, the retail conglomerate will optimize usage throughout the UAE as a pilot, with plans to expand the technology to cover more of Carrefour’s stores across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
As the largest retailer in the UAE, Carrefour has prioritized several sustainability initiatives, including installing building management systems at every facility to automate lighting, air conditioning and exhaust fans as well as regular energy audit checks.
Mr. Bernardo Perlorio, Chief Operations Officer of Carrefour at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said, “Partnering with Schneider Electric brings us one step closer towards Majid Al Futtaim’s ambition of becoming Net Positive by 2040, allowing us to put more back into society, the environment and the economy than we take out.”
Schneider Electric’s Retail Advisor will offer Carrefour’s management a single view on energy consumption per Business Unit for each facility during its first phase of deployment. A second phase roll-out will provide Carrefour’s facilities management team with insights on how to optimize and reduce energy consumption.
Performance benchmarks will provide Carrefour’s operations team with analysis on how each site is performing, helping to reduce carbon emissions across the retailer’s operations. The technology will also ensure that there are no unplanned power losses for any electrical equipment and help facilities comply with international energy management and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
The full solution includes EcoStruxure Retail Advisor software, power meters, automation servers, and room controllers according to architectures designed in partnership with Carrefour to meet its specific store needs. Each site will have a dedicated health assessment during installation, and Carrefour’s operations team will be able to access the tool through a web portal and mobile applications.
Apart from electrical equipment, the system will also collect data from cold room systems, cooking equipment and other devices once future phases are completed. The technology was implemented by Schneider Electric partner Three Phase Technical Services.
