Beefing up energy savings for Higa Foodservice
by Robert Yang | March 31, 2022
Higa Foodservice is tucked away among storefronts at the corner of North Nimitz Highway heading westbound on Oahu. It’s where the highway starts turning left past Chinatown. I’ve driven by it at least 100 times and have never been inside until now. The company has been a vital part of Hawaii since 1946, supplying generations of customers with delicious meats.
The plant has remained in its current location since the 1970s. It takes a lot of electricity to be keep Higa operating. They have to run machinery to process the meats and keep refrigeration turned on 24/7 to properly cool their products. It’s a challenging operation to manage, and our Customer Business Management Services (CBMS) team has been providing support to help Higa do it efficiently.
“Higa Foodservice plays a pivotal role in Hawaii. Not only do they feed our communities, but they also support local businesses by sourcing locally grown meat from them. Hawaiian Electric has been supporting them for eight years now,” said Kathleen Freitas, who worked as a CBMS consultant before taking a new position at Hawaiian Electric. Throughout the years, CBMS has helped them with:
- Commercial rate schedule adjustments
- Facility walkthroughs and equipment assessment
- Energy conservation tips
- Outage management and communications
- Battery storage pilot program
Constant power is needed at Higa Foodservice for their freezers since 24/7 refrigeration is required for their meats. The battery storage pilot program introduced to them by CBMS helped complement the existing rooftop solar system in managing Higa Foodservice’s peak loads and save costs. The battery pilot program allowed customers with consistently high loads to save on their bill by assisting with shaving off peak usage.
“The caliber of Hawaiian Electric’s customer service is by far the best. They’re always looking for ways to help us turn an expense into savings. We never hesitate to contact them for help,” said Shane Wright, president of Higa Foodservice.
CBMS offers myriad ways to help you conserve energy and lower your electric bill. If you’re a business operating on any of the five islands we serve, contact CBMS to find out how we can help you conserve energy and turn your expenses into savings. Hawaii Energy is also a great resource for rebate opportunities and energy-saving tips for businesses.
And if you’re looking for great cuts of meat to feed your family or a large party, Higa Foodservice will be happy to assist you. You don’t have to be a supermarket or business to purchase from them directly. Mahalo for supporting local businesses!
Robert Yang is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric.
