Challenge:  Keep Stores Comfortable Despite 900-degree Pizza Ovens

Castillo, maintenance manager for PizzaRev, was tasked with finding an affordable, energy-efficient smart thermostat to keep the PizzaRev customers and team comfortable in stores that are using 900-degree pizza ovens.  The heat generated by the ovens was making it a challenge to keep the stores at comfortable temperatures without incurring a huge energy bill.  He also faced the challenge of store employees turning the temperatures down to 62 degrees and leaving it running all night.

Castillo wanted to install an energy management solution that would enable better management of energy usage and cut costs while keeping the stores at a comfortable temperature. He wanted to be able to remotely manage and control temperatures via Wi-Fi® using mobile devices. It was also important for the solution to be able to expand with the fast-growing pizza chain.

Solution:  Venstar’s Wireless Temperature Sensors and ColorTouch Thermostats

The PizzaRev team chose Venstar’s Wireless Temperature Sensors and ColorTouch thermostats to gain the following benefits:

• Comfortable Environment — Despite the 900-degree ovens, PizzaRev stores are kept at a comfortable 71 degrees;
• Accurate Readings — Having the wireless temperature sensors in several locations allows for a more accurate average temperature reading;
• Automatic Alerts — In conjunction with Venstar’s free Skyport® cloud services, alerts are emailed to Castillo if the wireless temperature sensors sense that temperatures are warmer than the programmed setpoints so that he can investigate to see if there is an issue with the HVAC equipment and help eliminate unnecessary repair calls;
• Reduced Service Calls — When a store manager calls and says the store is too hot, Castillo can remotely check the temperature as reported by the Wireless Temperature Sensor and decide if a service call is warranted;
• Ability to Install Anywhere — Because the wireless temperature sensors are battery-operated, they can be installed anywhere, and no wiring is needed, so installation takes minutes rather than hours;
• Remote Management — Castillo can now remotely monitor and control the ColorTouch thermostats with mobile devices over Wi-Fi using Venstar’s free Skyport Wi-Fi services and free Skyport mobile app for Apple® iOS and Android™ smart phones or tablets; and
• Access to Energy Usage History — Gaining valuable data about current and past energy usage enables Castillo to properly program thermostats for the most efficient HVAC equipment usage.

Results: Energy Costs Cut by 20 Percent; Stores Are Comfortable

According to Castillo, the chain has lowered energy costs by 20 percent using Venstar’s energy management solutions while PizzaRev stores remain comfortable for customers and team members. 

Since installing and programming Venstar’s wireless temperature sensors and ColorTouch thermostats, Castillo said they have had very few complaints about the stores being too hot. “The comfort of our stores is very important to us, so we appreciate being able to remotely program and control the temperature using Venstar’s Skyport mobile app,” he said.

Castillo also appreciates being able to monitor the run time of each piece of HVAC equipment from the ColorTouch thermostats or remotely using the free Skyport mobile app. By evaluating the thermostat’s energy usage history, he can predict run trends and future energy usage, which has enabled him to modify the schedule for each HVAC unit to minimize the time it is running and further reduce energy usage. He can even monitor how frequently the HVAC equipment needs servicing, which helps reduce sub-contractor costs.

“The well-being of our customers and team members is very important to us, so we appreciate being able to maintain a comfortable environment with the use of Venstar’s energy management solutions,” Castillo said.

Publication date:12/18/2017

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