Circle K‘s success in the convenience retailing industry spans over 60 years and has developed into a global chain.

Facility Solutions Group (FSG) has been a construction and support partner for Circle K for well over a decade, involved in electrical, lighting, sustainability projects, and fix and repair efforts.

One of the most recent projects is establishing a continuous lab store at Circle K’s convenience location in Round Rock, TX.

What is a Continuous Lab?

A continuous lab is a controlled live environment, inside of an active Circle K store, that provides FSG with a location to deploy new technologies to support Circle K in its sustainability journey further.

Equipment and strategies that have successfully completed control lab testing or “Alpha” testing can be installed using Circle K’s Continuous Lab location, allowing that equipment or techniques to complete “Beta” testing and become productized for deployment to the entire portfolio.

However, the first step to creating a functioning continuous lab is to establish a baseline, which must be done through electrical metering at the granular level.

In partnership with FSG Smart Buildings, FSG’s Electrical and Lighting Branch in Austin, TX recently installed the most complex metering solution ever deployed in a Circle K store.

“FSG Austin was an integral part of the Circle K Lab Store installation. The technicians’ dedicated efforts to implement new Smart Buildings products have set the bar for future installations. Megan and Chip found us the perfect team to take on this complex project. Pete, Rey, Bernie and Jorge were all very knowledgeable and quick to offer creative solutions to unforeseen obstacles. They took extra care to keep our team informed of the project progress and worked late nights to get it done. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with FSG Austin on this project.”

Shelby Peters
Project Manager, FSG Smart Buildings

With almost 300 circuits metered, the solution installed will provide thousands of data points that will create a complete picture of how the store is operating from an energy usage standpoint, as well as help validate future products to increase efficiencies towards energy sustainability goals.

For over a week, FSG Austin’s team of electricians meticulously metered, traced, documented, and mapped each circuit at the continuous lab location, tying everything into the Clarity Elite Connect™ building automation panel to create a fully detailed blueprint of how the store operates and begin the work of establishing an apparent baseline.

“It was so refreshing to be able to work with the FSG Austin team. The guys were extremely knowledgeable about best practices, they had quality and safety at the forefront of their minds and were all extremely detail oriented. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of electricians to work on this project with. As we encountered new product challenges throughout the installation, the guys were quick on their feet to provide solutions as well as stay as late as it took to get the job done. I can’t say thank you enough to Pete, Rey, Bernie, Jorge as well as Megan and Chip for really pulling through for us over at FSG Smart Buildings.”

Jacob Lucas
Director of Projects, FSG Smart Buildings

The hard work they provided will help successfully pave the way for the testing of new products, from thermal insulation to solar to various innovative control additions. Thank you, FSG Austin, for your efforts and for paving the way to an even brighter future for the relationship between Circle K and FSG.

“The flexibility and effort shown by Chip Seck, Megan Harwell, and the entire service team to get this project across the finish line was nothing short of amazing. I appreciate so much the ownership and care shown by the Austin Branch and look forward to working with them on future projects.”

Stacy Justice
Division Vice President, FSG Smart Buildings

LFSG Smart Buildings helps business reach with their energy efficiency and sustainability goals. Contact us and find out how we can deliver success for your organization today.

Interested in building automation and helping customers build smarter buildings? Come work for us! FSG Smart Buildings is hiring talented people looking for a great career in building automation.