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Spartanburg Customer Success Story
Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina
Challenge: Eaton is piloting a new Energy Management and Optimization System (EMOS) at one of its largest carbon-consuming sites to further reduce carbon emissions.
Solution: Brightlayer Energy EMOS software, paired with non-invasive sensors and low impact smart metering equipment, was deployed to monitor a minimal set of core equipment at the point of distribution.
Results: The site achieved a 17% reduction in energy spend, freeing up funds to support future decarbonization projects. Key outcomes include over $40,000 in annual savings from a 66% reduction in forklift charging energy use, and $4,000 in annual savings from compressed air leak abatement and consumption optimization.
Background
Spartanburg, a city in northern South Carolina, is home to one of Eaton’s warehouse facilities, primarily used for housing electrical distribution products. The 250,000-square-foot site provided an ideal opportunity to test the effectiveness of Eaton’s latest energy management system.
Challenge
The Spartanburg warehouse recently installed high efficiency air compressors, and a new DC forklift charging system. Eaton’s environmental health & safety team wanted to measure and verify the return on investment of these capital expenditures and calculate the site’s real-time carbon footprint. Brightlayer Energy was installed with low impact electrical, water, and natural gas metering. As expected, the EMOS successfully monitored the functionality of the new site assets and calculated real-time greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, it identified opportunities to optimize energy usage in the DC forklift system and detected inefficiencies in the compressed air system.
Before deploying Brightlayer Energy, warehouse management had limited visibility into site-wide energy usage. Energy costs were within acceptable industry standards, so there was little perceived need for change. However, the goal of installing the EMOS was not only to validate the new systems but also to reduce overall energy spend by 10%.
Solution
Brightlayer Energy uses sensors, smart metering equipment, and AI-enhanced software to collect data on a building’s energy consumption and develop more efficient usage strategies.
Once deployed, the EMOS begins analyzing the building’s energy data, generating easy-to-read graphs and reports, and offering actionable insights to optimize energy usage throughout the day. This visibility enables facility teams to adopt more sustainable energy management behaviors. The system also highlights waste and potential maintenance needs, allowing staff to respond quickly to issues.
The system's ability to forecast energy demand and supply enables autonomous adjustments to energy inflows and outflows based on stakeholder goals. Managers can configure the system to prioritize cost savings, emission reductions, energy reliability, or performance. It is also compatible with energy transition technologies such as local renewable energy generation, EV charging infrastructure, heat pumps, and other unique electrical assets—like the high-performance air compressors used at Spartanburg.
Installation was completed in a single evening, with sensors and meters placed around the warehouse and key assets—without disrupting operations.
Results
Brightlayer Energy quickly revealed inefficiencies in the electric forklift charging process. Charging was occurring sporadically throughout the day, causing random spikes in energy demand and significantly increasing costs. The EMOS recommended a peak shaving strategy to minimize peak demand charges and reduce consumption during high-cost periods.
DC charging, while fast and high-powered, was often unnecessary. Load-balancing—regulating power outflow to limit charging speeds—was implemented to eliminate demand spikes. This change led to a 66% reduction in forklift charging energy costs, saving approximately $40,000 annually.
Another major benefit was time saved on maintenance. The system flagged cyclical energy waste from the high-powered air compressors, which were bleeding off about 6 psi every few minutes—even during nights and weekends. This inefficiency amounted to $4,000 in wasted energy annually.
Without the EMOS, this issue might have gone unnoticed or taken months to detect during routine inspections. Instead, the system immediately identified the faulty compressor, enabling a quick fix. This also prompted a broader inspection of legacy equipment for further efficiency upgrades.
In addition to these key improvements, Brightlayer Energy exceeded the targeted 10% annual energy cost reduction, achieving a 17% decrease and $44,000 in savings. The system continues to monitor usage, identify new savings opportunities, and ensure reliable power for operations. Combined with time savings from automated monitoring, forecasting, and maintenance alerts, the Spartanburg team surpassed its sustainability and cost-efficiency goals.
