Testimonial from duBreton

Demand Response Option

A credit of $96,959.15 at the end of winter 2022‑2023

Video document: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvnUkXyS-3E

Duration: 1 minute 44 seconds

Sustainability has always been a cornerstone of duBreton’s raison‑d’être, so it was only natural for the organic pork producer and processor to support the many decarbonization initiatives undertaken across Québec. The company has found a wealth of opportunities to optimize and reduce its energy use during winter peaks in its own processes—small no-cost changes that really pay off!

A sensible decision

In its processing facilities, duBreton carefully uses a full range of temperatures, from well below freezing to heat high enough to ensure the equipment is thoroughly sanitized.

It was through their conversations with Hélène Ouellette, a Hydro‑Québec Account Representative, that duBreton’s leaders realized how much the company could benefit from the Demand Response (DR) Option, a flexible solution that would enable them to choose the most effective measures to optimize their credit without hindering productivity.

That was all it took for duBreton to pore over all its processes and explore different scenarios. A host of ways to limit its power demand during winter peaks emerged.

“We ran some tests, and the numbers and the results convinced us. So we decided to move forward.”
— Éric Belzile, duBreton’s Maintenance Supervisor

The right energy at the right time

When they receive a peak event notification, the employees tasked with applying the demand response measures set in motion a series of simple actions that significantly lower duBreton’s energy use when it matters.

For example, when a peak occurs, duBreton takes advantage of dual energy by using its propane boiler system rather than its electric one. When the production cycle allows, some of the compressors that cool specific areas are paused without ever compromising food safety, and the heating is turned down in strategic sections of the plant. And so on.

Thanks to all the measures implemented during the six peak demand events that occurred in winter 2022‑2023, the duBreton facilities in Rivière‑du‑Loup curtailed an average of 1,426.7 kW. The electricity savings lowered duBreton’s monthly energy bill and led to credits totaling nearly $97,000.