SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – July 11, 2008 — Sierra Meat Company was one of five businesses recognized at the first annual Silicon Valley Power (SVP) Energy Innovator Awards, held on Friday, July 11, 2008 at Stanford University. The awards recognize large and small companies who implement extraordinary measures to reduce energy consumption and utilize “green” power and renewable energy resources.

Sierra Meat Company, an importer/exporter of premium meat and poultry products, was awarded the Energy Efficiency Partner Award in the large business category (those with more than 100 employees). The award is given to organizations for attention to energy efficiency and application of SVP rebate programs.

Following is a summary of their winning entry:

“In Spring 2007, we implemented a system to reduce energy consumption at our Santa Clara facilities. Sierra Meat Co. is a major distributor of premium meats and seafood with over 300,000 cubic feet of refrigerated space. Strict operation and temperature control standards were an absolute requirement, as were transparency of use and ease of implementation.

The Remote Site Manager (RSM) system from National Resource Management fit the bill. National Resource Management provided a turnkey controls and monitoring solution that retrofit on top of the existing refrigeration equipment without expensive downtime or mechanical systems replacement. These innovative control strategies produced immediate energy savings while improving the accuracy and consistency of Sierra Meat’s temperature controls and quality assurance.

Silicon Valley Power made the project a reality with a package of financial incentives and project oversight that empowered us to take the leap. The backing of the Silicon Valley Power program made the decision an easy one.

A preliminary study of energy usage revealed average monthly savings of over 14,000 kWh per month or approximately 26% from September through November of 2007 on one of Sierra Meat’s two electric meters. Evaporator fan run times have been reduced by 79% in our cooler and 45 % in our freezer. At current rates, this translates into cost savings of over $15,000 annually. We have seen even greater savings during the winter months, and the system has already paid for itself.

Simultaneously, RSM has given us state-of-the-art controls and monitoring to improve product integrity, reduce maintenance costs, and provide sophisticated early warning of equipment malfunctions. Our managers and maintenance personnel can log in at any time, from anywhere in the world, and see exactly how our equipment is running. The ability to fine-tune and troubleshoot our refrigeration over the internet and RSM’s intelligent alarms have reduced headaches and allowed us to focus on what we do best.”

Joe Isaacs of National Resource Management accepted SVP’s Energy Efficiency Partner Award on behalf of Sierra Meat Company on July 11, 2008.

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