Yankee Candle is the largest scented candle company in the United States, offering products in more than 150 fragrances, as well as candle accessories and personal care products. Its manufacturing facility and flagship store is located in South Deerfield, MA. They distribute products through 500 company owned retail stores, 19,000 independent retailers and online.
Since 2006 Yankee Candle has utilized the technical expertise of Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO) to select energy-efficient retail display lighting. Using product lists from ENERGY STAR™, the DesignLights™ Consortium and Mass Save, the company chose fixtures with a proven illumination level and useful life. Their South Deerfield store is an excellent example of how innovative technology and planning can result in both efficiency and cost savings. Projects have included a facility-wide implementation of LED lighting technology, extensive compressed air system efficiency improvements (such as an ongoing leak detection and repair program, distribution piping design and VFD controlled compressors), a heat wheel energy recovery system and high efficiency central cooling. Total energy savings are approximately 3.5 million kWh annually, plus a peak demand reduction of 424 kilowatts.
Yankee Candle monitors each efficiency project long after the initial implementation is completed. It employs an Energy & Retail Facilities Manager, whose responsibilities include analyzing efficiency opportunities as part of ongoing business profitability.
From the beginning, Yankee Candle understood that success at its flagship store would set an example for other retailers - and it has proven to do just that. In fact, the initial retail display LED project has already been replicated at many of its satellite retail facilities.