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Manufacturing · Processing · Retail

Energy systems.
Built for continuous food production.

Food and beverage facilities operate around refrigeration loads, sanitation schedules, HACCP requirements, and continuous production demands. We plan and implement energy programs around those operational constraints.

◆ Sector at a glance
01Operating profile
24/7
Continuous
02Refrigeration share
40–60%
of facility load
03Largest single system
1,270 kW
Rabba · Mississauga
04Best solar offset
87.3%
Rabba · Brunel Rd
05F&B projects
5+
across Ontario
Aerial view of expansive rooftop solar installation on a Rabba Fine Foods distribution facility in Mississauga, Ontario
Rabba Fine Foods · 1,270 kW · Mississauga ON
Operational reality

Why energy matters in food & beverage.

#1Reality

High consumption. High energy cost.

Food manufacturing facilities operate with large electrical loads that run continuously — especially refrigeration, processing, and ventilation systems.

#2Reality

Electricity costs continue to rise.

High-consumption facilities are increasingly exposed to rising utility rates, demand charges, and long-term energy cost volatility.

#3Reality

Margins are tight.

Rising operating costs directly impact profitability in competitive food manufacturing and distribution environments.

#4Reality

Energy infrastructure is cost control.

Solar, storage, lighting, and electrical upgrades help reduce operating costs and improve long-term energy predictability.

Incentives & rebates

The ultimate food & beverage incentive stack.

Food & beverage facilities can qualify for stacked federal and provincial incentives that materially reduce project cost. Between the Clean Technology ITC, accelerated depreciation, and utility rebates, eligible commercial solar projects can achieve funding support of up to 75% of total project cost.

01
Federal
Up to 30%

Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit

Refundable tax credit on eligible solar, battery storage, and electrification capital. Applies regardless of the facility’s current tax position in the claim year.

02
Provincial
$860 per kW

Save On Energy Rebate

$860 per kW-AC of installed capacity — or 50% of total project costs, whichever is less — up to a maximum of $860,000 per project. On a ~1 MW-AC rooftop, that's hundreds of thousands in direct rebate.

03
Federal
100% CCA

Enhanced First Year Capital Cost Allowance

Accelerated depreciation on eligible clean energy investments — improving first-year cash flow in the year of installation.

See the full Canadian incentives guide →
Solutions for this sector

What food & beverage projects typically involve.

A complete F&B program moves from understanding consumption, to reducing baseline load, to generating on-site, to managing demand peaks — with electrical infrastructure built around future capacity.

INTEGRTED ENERGY SYSTEMS
COLD STORAGEBESSSERVICE0102030405
Whole facilityEnergy Audits
01

Energy Audits

— Identify what's driving consumption.

Facility energy audits establish where electricity is being consumed, what systems drive demand charges, and which upgrades create the strongest operational and financial impact.

02

LED Lighting

— Reduce baseline demand.

LED retrofits reduce lighting load immediately while improving illumination levels in production, warehousing, and refrigerated environments.

03

Solar PV

— Offset daytime production demand.

Large rooftops and continuous daytime operation make many food facilities strong candidates for rooftop solar generation.

04

Battery Storage

— Manage refrigeration-driven demand peaks.

Battery storage helps reduce demand charges by supplementing refrigeration and processing loads during peak utility intervals.

05

Electrical Infrastructure

— Build around future capacity.

Service upgrades, distribution planning, and electrical coordination ensure the facility can support future expansion, storage, and electrification.

Solutions for this sector

What food & beverage projects typically involve.

A complete F&B program moves from understanding consumption, to reducing baseline load, to generating on-site, to managing demand peaks — with electrical infrastructure built around future capacity.

INTEGRTED ENERGY SYSTEMS
COLD STORAGEBESSSERVICE0102030405
Whole facilityEnergy Audits
Tap or swipe to explore01 / 05
01

Energy Audits

— Identify what's driving consumption.

Facility energy audits establish where electricity is being consumed, what systems drive demand charges, and which upgrades create the strongest operational and financial impact.

Explore Energy Audits
02

LED Lighting

— Reduce baseline demand.

LED retrofits reduce lighting load immediately while improving illumination levels in production, warehousing, and refrigerated environments.

03

Solar PV

— Offset daytime production demand.

Large rooftops and continuous daytime operation make many food facilities strong candidates for rooftop solar generation.

04

Battery Storage

— Manage refrigeration-driven demand peaks.

Battery storage helps reduce demand charges by supplementing refrigeration and processing loads during peak utility intervals.

05

Electrical Infrastructure

— Build around future capacity.

Service upgrades, distribution planning, and electrical coordination ensure the facility can support future expansion, storage, and electrification.

Featured project

Sunny Crunch Foods — 593 kW rooftop solar.

A food processing facility in Markham, Ontario. Rooftop solar designed around continuous production and a 24/7 operating load profile.

Sunny Crunch Foods, Markham — 593 kW rooftop solar installation, aerial view
Sunny Crunch Foods — rooftop array, aerial view 02
Sunny Crunch Foods — rooftop array, aerial view 03
Sunny Crunch Foods — rooftop array, aerial view 04
593 kW · COMMERCIAL OPERATION
Project results
593 kW
DC system size
1,236 × Hanwha Q Cells 480W
613,400
kWh generated annually
Across the 30-year model
35.2%
Solar offset achieved
Limited by refrigeration scale
Dec 2023
Commercial operation
17 × Fronius Symo 24kW
System details · Sunny Crunch Foods
Location
200 Shields Court, Markham, ON
System size
593.3 kW DC / 408 kW AC
Modules
1,236 × Hanwha Q Cells 480W
Inverters
17 × Fronius USA Symo 24kW
Racking
TerraGen
Commissioned
December 2023
Also in this sector
  • Rabba Fine Foods · 260 Brunel
    Mississauga, ON
    137 kW DC·87.3% solar offset·Commissioned December 2023
  • Rabba Fine Foods · 5876 Coopers
    Mississauga, ON
    1,270 kW DC·67.2% solar offset·Commissioned August 2024
  • Gerber Meats Ltd.
    Millbank, ON
    86 kW DC·89.2% solar offset·Commissioned June 2024
  • Ce De Candy
    Newmarket, ON
    966 kW DC·100% solar offset·Commissioned August 2025
Inside food & beverage

Different food and beverage facilities. Different energy profiles.

Every food & beverage facility operates differently. Refrigerated warehouses, processing plants, beverage lines, distributors, and retail operations all carry different load profiles, operating schedules, and infrastructure requirements — which changes how energy projects are planned.

Cold storage warehouse facility with refrigeration systems and temperature-controlled logistics operationsContinuous load · 24/7

Cold Storage

Continuous refrigeration creates stable, high electrical demand profiles with significant exposure to demand charges. Solar and storage can offset daytime load and reduce peak demand events.

Food processing facility with industrial production equipment and automated manufacturing systemsSequenced uptime

Food Processing Facilities

Production schedules, sanitation windows, and process equipment require carefully sequenced upgrades. Lighting, electrical, and solar projects are planned around uptime requirements.

Beverage manufacturing facility with automated bottling and production equipmentRooftop ready

Beverage Manufacturing

Large roof areas and daytime production loads make beverage facilities strong candidates for rooftop solar and electrical infrastructure improvements.

Meat processing facility with food packaging and cold-chain production operationsCold-chain critical

Meat & Protein Processing

Cold-chain reliability, ventilation systems, and continuous processing loads make operational continuity critical. Energy projects must align with food-safety and production requirements.

Food distribution warehouse supporting refrigerated storage and logistics operationsHigh runtime hours

Food Distribution & Logistics

Warehousing and refrigerated logistics operations typically operate with long runtime hours and large lighting loads, creating strong ROI opportunities for LED retrofits and solar generation.

Retail food operation with refrigeration equipment and commercial grocery infrastructurePortfolio scale

Retail Food Operations

Multi-site operators benefit from standardized lighting upgrades, portfolio-wide energy assessments, and scalable rooftop solar planning.

Not sure which sub-sector best describes your operation? That's usually the right place to start a conversation. A 20-minute call is enough to map your load profile against the right scope of work.

Book a sector consult →See all Food & Beverage projects
Our discovery process

Start with a conversation. We’ll help identify what’s worth exploring.

Most food manufacturing facilities already have enough operational and utility data to identify meaningful energy-saving opportunities. The first step is understanding how the facility consumes power and where the strongest financial opportunities exist.

STEP 01

Quick 20-minute discovery call.

We review your facility type, operating schedule, refrigeration profile, production constraints, and current energy concerns.

STEP 02

12 months of utility bills.

Interval and utility billing data help identify:

  • demand-charge exposure
  • operating load profile
  • refrigeration-driven consumption
  • seasonal usage trends
  • potential solar and storage economics
STEP 03

Receive a facility opportunity overview.

We provide high-level insight into where solar, storage, lighting, electrical upgrades, or energy audits may create operational and financial value.

Book a 20-minute discovery callNo commitment required.
Knowledge Centre

Food & Beverage Energy Questions

Straight answers from our engineering team — explore the most-asked questions on this topic.

View all related questions
Start your assessment

Energy planning built around food operations.

A facility assessment identifies where solar, storage, lighting, and electrical upgrades can reduce operating costs while aligning with your production schedule, refrigeration profile, and long-term facility plans.

No commitment required.