GAR Labs Preps for Electricity Rise

GAR Labs' president Tom Raffy was recently interviewed by a southern California-based newspaper on how his firm has prepped for blackout or brownouts. 
 
According to Raffy, GAR is prepared to shut down its chiller for a day, if necessary. And while the move would slow production a bit, it ensures that manufacturing continues uninterrrupted. GAR's chiller is a 40-ton unit that cools 10,000 gallons of water – the amount it takes to make a 3,000-gallon batch of product, such as shampoo or conditioner, so that it is ready for packaging. Shutting it down will conserve 200 kilowatts of energy.
 
GAR is a member of Riverside Public Utilities' Power Partner Program. Participating businesses have agreed to shut off high-energy usage equipment if the need arises, to help the city avoid a blackout or brownout. These companies will receive a warning the day before, if power needs to be cut — depending upon weather forecasts and predicted energy use. 

The Press-Enterprise article is: “Power Rangers: How Businesses Help Lower Load During Heat Waves.”