Eco firm plays it cool to earn royal honour
ATECHNOLOGY company that keeps things nice and chilled has been given the Queens Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
Aerofoil Enterprise, found on Grimshaw Lane, Bollington, was founded in 2014 and helps tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions in the retail sector.
It has designed a patented wing-shaped ‘aerofoil’, which are used in a vertical plane on the front of each shelf of a supermarket fridge.
The gadget, made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium, draws the fridge’s cold air stream back into the cabinet, thereby preventing it spilling into the shopping aisle and wasting energy.
The product has been adopted industry-wide by UK supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, the Co-op and Marks and Spencer.
And it has saved the sector £100million in energy costs and stopped 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, savings that will continue to accrue year on year.
It is this contribution that has seen the company given its royal honour and there are now plans to expand.
Paul McAndrew, founder and technical director, said: “We’re delighted that a technology company from Bollington has been recognised with such a prestigious award.
“Following our success in the UK, we’re now growing our business overseas, so we will be increasing our exports of Aerofoils, all of which we source from our suppliers here in Cheshire.”
Paul visited the Sainsbury’s superstore in Macclesfield with MP David Rutley to see the product in action. He told of the plans to expand into Europe, the USA and Asia as well as to create new technology called Vortex to increase energy efficiency in refrigeration.
Mr Rutley said: “It was great to see how Aerofoil Energy’s innovative and simple products are helping to significantly reduce power consumption and tackle climate change.
“I was delighted that this local company has been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen by receiving a Queen’s Award.
“I wish the team continued success with their activities, which will be positive for the environment and will also help create more jobs locally.”
Maggie Taylor, Sainsbury’s store manager, added: “It’s great to be the first supermarket to implement this innovative technology across our stores, improving the energy efficiency of our refrigeration and helping us to reach our target of being Net Zero by 2040.”