FEATURE ENERGY MANAGEMENT


GETTING A GRIP ON business energy wastage


A new eGuide has been produced by Inprova Energy to show how industry can reduce energy costs as a result of better monitoring and targeting of consumption


T


he guide details four steps that should be taken to gain a better


understanding and profile of an organisation's energy use. These steps include: • Review historic energy consumption trends: Make use of any historic data that you can access to allow a visual representation of energy consumption trends to be seen – if there are weekly, seasonal or other trends for an organisation, these should begin to be apparent. This data can be used to create a graph of energy consumption against production, occupancy and other variables. It is then possible to identify the line of best fit to give a baseline. • Understand the factors that drive energy use: For most organisations, variations in energy use are likely to fall into a number of categories. These include: Production / Activity – This is the level of energy-using activity within the organisation. Changes in production output, shift patterns, or occupancy levels will affect energy usage patterns directly or in-directly. Weather – Although the influence of


weather in the UK tends to be of the form colder/darker = greater energy use, in practice the correlation is rather more complex, with time-lags involved and influence from wind speed and precipitation also relevant. Despite these complications, there is


likely to be some value in looking at simple, statistical/correlation measures


to come up with a rough-and-ready view of how weather factors influence energy use. Depending on how much value is seen in this area of analysis the statistical work can become as complex as there is an appetite for! Behaviour – Employee behaviour can


also affect energy consumption levels within organisations. Whether this is leaving on equipment overnight or preferring to work in warmer office environments. Measuring energy usage can highlight behaviours in certain buildings and locations. Comparing usage across similar sites


and looking at usage changes after efficiency awareness campaigns can reveal the human factors at play within an organisation. In addition, it can be used to measure the effects of restricting employee behaviour. • Identify and respond to consumption outside normal tolerances: Having reached a good understanding of ‘normal’ energy consumption patterns and having a rough view of how factors such as production, occupancy, behaviour and seasonality influence these, then the detective work can begin. Having a thorough understanding


A thorough


understanding of energy consumption patterns


will increase confidence when forecasting future energy needs


of energy use will also highlight instances of higher than expected use, enabling prompt reactions in cases where this results from wasteful or inefficient


Maximising pump energy savings


Pump systems used in commercial environments can waste huge amounts of energy, through issues such as incorrect specification or running constantly at full power when such capacity is rarely needed. Dura Pump has stated that is has seen energy savings of up to 40%, following site surveys to identify waste. After improvement works are specified and carried out, payback in reduced energy costs can be achieved in as little as six months, says the company. A Dura Pipe spokesperson says that most facility or site managers are unaware of the huge opportunities to save resources. On the few occasions where they are aware, they are often unsure of how to go about making improvements. Dura Pump


www.durapump.co.uk 18 AUTUMN 2016 | INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE


processes. • Use accurate monitoring of energy consumption to inform your future energy strategy: The hard-earned understanding of energy consumption patterns can now be put to a value-adding use


when an organisation reviews its strategic plans and, in particular,


when it considers energy strategy. Any energy management strategy will need objectives, an implementation plan, timescales and performance measures, and will need to support an organisation’s overall strategic goals. All of this, but particularly the objectives and the performance measures, rely heavily on accurate monitoring and targeting. Additionally, if future strategic goals are likely to result in changes in energy use, the fact that there is a thorough understanding of energy consumption patterns will increase confidence when forecasting future energy needs.


T: 01604 648800


Inprova Energy www.inprovaenergy.com T: 03301664444


/ INDUST RAL COMPA RI CE


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