Convenience stores
Refuel Pantry uses Monaire to monitor refrigeration and HVAC across 55 convenience stores, travel plazas, and truck stops — reducing energy waste, preventing costly equipment failures, and giving teams greater operational peace of mind.
Customer
Refuel Pantry
Portfolio
Projected annual savings
Projected annual savings
$206K
Industry
Convenience stores
Primary goals
Reduce energy costs, prevent equipment failures, improve uptime
Deployment model
Rapid rollout across 55 locations
Equipment replacement
Not required
About the program
One connected view across 55 locations
Refuel Pantry operates 55 convenience stores, travel plazas, and truck stops where refrigeration and HVAC are critical to daily operations.
Monaire connected the existing refrigeration and HVAC equipment across all 55 sites to one intelligent monitoring platform, giving Refuel Pantry real-time visibility into equipment performance, energy usage, and emerging issues.
The challenge
Equipment failures, rising energy costs, and limited visibility were disrupting operations
Refrigeration units frequently broke down and could remain offline for 2–3 days, forcing stores to throw out spoiled products and lose sales. Repairs were often slow and unpredictable, with contractors sometimes unavailable for days.
Frequent equipment failures
Refrigeration breakdowns led to multi-day outages, spoiled products, and lost sales.
Slow and unpredictable repairs
Contractors were sometimes unavailable for days, leaving stores without essential cooling during peak weekends.
Inconsistent preventive maintenance
Routine maintenance such as filter changes and coil cleaning was often overlooked, allowing small issues to become expensive emergencies.
Rising energy costs
HVAC and refrigeration accounted for more than 50% of utility bills, while inefficient equipment continued to drive energy expenses higher.
“After Monaire, we’re saving 15–20% on our energy bills and using that to grow our business. It’s very meaningful.”
Principal
Refuel Pantry
The solution
Monitor every unit. Catch issues early. Prevent costly failures.
Monaire deployed its smart IoT platform across all 55 Refuel Pantry sites, providing continuous oversight of refrigeration and HVAC equipment.
1
Deploy without disruption
Monaire was deployed with no disruption to operations. Existing equipment remained in place, with sensors and thermostats retrofitted onto the refrigeration and HVAC units.
2
Monitor equipment in real time
Monaire immediately began monitoring every cooler, freezer, and HVAC unit. AI-powered analytics detected early signs of equipment stress, including overworked compressors, low refrigerant, and failing valves.
3
Resolve issues before failure
When problems arose, Monaire automatically dispatched and coordinated technicians so small, low-cost repairs could be completed before they became major failures. For example, Monaire identified a failing freezer valve. A $20 repair resolved the issue before it could escalate into a full unit failure that could have cost thousands.
4
Optimize energy usage
Monaire helped ensure equipment operated at the right setpoints and cycles. By eliminating unnecessary runtimes and identifying inefficiencies, the platform reduced energy waste and optimized energy consumption.
portfolio impact
$206K in annual energy savings across 55 locations
Monaire helped Refuel Pantry move from reactive equipment management to proactive monitoring. With real-time visibility, AI-powered diagnostics, automated technician coordination, and optimized equipment performance, Refuel Pantry reduced energy use, lowered repair costs, and improved equipment uptime.
15%
KWh savings
$206k
Annual energy savings
Actual results vary by chapter, utility rates, equipment condition, site mix, and deployment scope.
What Refuel Pantry acheived
Less energy waste. Fewer failures. Better equipment uptime.
Since implementing Monaire, Refuel Pantry has seen measurable improvements across its operations.
Reduced energy use: A 15% reduction in energy use, cutting utility costs and freeing as much as $206,000 in annual energy savings for reinvestment into the business.
Fewer surprise failures: Proactive monitoring ended the cycle of multi-day outages and product loss, reducing operational stress for managers and staff.
Lower repair costs: Inexpensive preventive fixes replaced costly emergency breakdown repairs, reducing repair costs.
Improved equipment uptime: Refrigeration and HVAC equipment operates more reliably, allowing staff to focus on customers instead of emergency equipment issues.
With Monaire, we don’t have to worry about calling somebody or things breaking down. My team can now focus on the customer side.
Principal
Refuel Pantry
