National Retail Pharmacy Chain Lowers Winter Energy Costs by 36% with Remote HVAC Automations

Summary

Challenge

Reactive HVAC management, limited visibility into equipment of varying ages, and soaring winter utility bills (especially in more extreme climates) were spreading this National Retail Pharmacy chain’s small facilities team thin, and raising questions from the executive team about ways to mitigate energy costs.

Solution

Mysa HQ was an obvious choice, not only because it offered the remote visibility and control they needed, but also because the plug-and-play, pre-configured devices sped up deployment and the dedicated cellular network helped avoid network issues in remote locations. 

Results

• Minimum 20%-36% reduction in annual energy spend across pilot locations, with one location paying for itself in under three months.
• 7 out of 9 pilot stores achieved 25% average gas savings (up to 50% when normalized for weather).
• $9,000 in cost avoidance over just 11 weeks.
• Projected $2.8M+ in 5-year net savings

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“Mysa has been an excellent partner. They recommended grouping nearby stores for implementation, which greatly reduced travel costs and improved rollout efficiency. Seeing and documenting the savings was critical for securing continued executive support.” — Facilities Manager, National Retail Pharmacy

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About this National Retail Pharmacy chain

This growing National Retail Pharmacy chain operates over 300 locations across North America, many of which are in remote and rural areas. Their goal is to provide these communities continuity of access to medication by preventing independently-owned pharmacies from closing when owners retire.

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Challenge: Reactive HVAC management leading to operational chaos and high overhead costs

With a small facilities team and locations spread across a vast geography with varying climates, this pharmacy chain was facing significant challenges managing their facilities operations and controlling energy costs.

The pharmacy chain’s facilities manager felt stuck in a reactive cycle of “operational chaos” and constantly putting out fires. Responsible for managing overhead costs while maintaining safe environments across all locations, they struggled to transition from emergency responder to strategic contributor.

Their key challenges included:

• Limited visibility into store conditions and operations across geographically dispersed locations. 
• High utility expenses that were drawing negative attention from senior leadership
• No centralized control of HVAC systems, leading to inefficient energy usage.
• Store managers having full control over thermostats, often resulting in systems running constantly regardless of occupancy.
• Difficulty implementing consistent preventative maintenance programs.
• Costly, unnecessary service calls for issues that could be solved remotely.
• Limited facilities staff trying to manage hundreds of locations.
• Too much time spent on reactive fixes rather than strategic planning.

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Solution: EMS simplicity and scalability was critical 

The facilities manager partnered with Mysa HQ to implement a connected energy management solution that would provide remote HVAC monitoring and control capabilities across multiple locations. They chose Mysa HQ because it provided more simplicity, scalability, and speed compared to legacy EMS systems. 

Benefits Mysa HQ offered that other EMS solutions didn’t, including:

• Cellular connectivity—Rather than trying to integrate with existing store networks, the team deployed dedicated cellular modems to run the connected devices on. This sped up installation, avoiding pairing challenges, IT complications and firewall issues, and helps to ensure continuous, reliable connectivity, which is not a guarantee when leveraging existing WiFi networks in remote locations.
• Pre-configured devices—Mysa HQ is designed to be plug-and-play, with thermostats and sensors pre-configured before shipping to minimize installation time and complexity. This approach meant technicians could focus on installation rather than network configuration.

They approached implementation strategically, making choices that maximized efficiency and minimized additional workload for the already overwhelmed facilities team. Together, Mysa HQ and the pharmacy chain devised a rollout plan that engaged a 3rd party installer, with the goal being to take as much off the already-swamped facility manager’s shoulders as possible. 

Use Case 1: Visibility into HVAC across remote locations

The facilities team gained real-time insight into conditions across multiple locations from a central dashboard, solving the “How can I be in as many places at once?” dilemma. They could now monitor ambient temperature and humidity, HVAC units and refrigeration equipment remotely to provide virtual “boots on the ground” and stop relying on store staff to report critical information. 

Use Case 2: Real-time alerts for fast response times

The team set up real-time notifications for equipment issues and abnormal conditions so errors and underperforming assets can be identified and addressed quickly before conditions further deteriorate. 

Use Case 3: Reduced emergency service calls

The ability to diagnose issues remotely eliminated unnecessary technician visits, a huge cost savings in remote areas. For example, seeing that a refrigerator door was left open rather than just receiving a temperature alert meant a simple phone call could resolve the issue without dispatching a technician.

Use Case 4: Automated heating and cooling schedules 

The facilities team could now implement scheduled temperature setbacks during unoccupied hours to reduce energy costs by up to 36%. 

Use Case 5: Limit manual thermostat access

They implemented partial lockouts to give employees some control over thermostat setpoints, ensuring employees and customers stayed comfortable without risking setpoints being hiked up or down, resulting in excess energy use and unnecessary wear and tear on HVAC equipment.  

Results: Measurable energy efficiency and operational order 

The Mysa HQ pilot delivered significant measurable benefits:

• Minimum 20% reduction in annual energy spend across pilot locations.
• 7 out of 9 pilot stores achieved 25% average gas savings (up to 50% when normalized for weather).
• $9,000 in cost avoidance over just 11 weeks.
• One specific location achieved a remarkable 36% reduction in winter energy costs, equaling savings of $791 per month. This meant Mysa HQ paid for itself in less than 3 months.
• Projected $2.8M+ in 5-year net savings

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