FEATURE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Less is more: time to profit from energy efficiency
WHERE SHOULD YOU FOCUS? Every manufacturing site is different, but some of the most common areas of energy wastage are: • Lighting – lighting can account for up
to 40 per cent of a building's power demand. The return on investment from switching to high efficiency technologies, such as LED, can be very rapid. • Heating/hot water, ventilation and
air-conditioning (HVAC) – space heating is a common area of waste and basic energy saving measures can reduce costs by as much as 30 per cent. • Lack of energy control – new
generation Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) will typically result in cost savings of 10 to 20 per cent by ensuring energy optimisation across buildings and sites. • Insulation and pipe work – check the
It is increasingly important for businesses to use less energy, to control and reduce costs and comply with environmental regulation, says Rob Leak, head of energy solutions for Inprova Energy
T
he wholesale energy markets are extremely volatile – putting
manufacturers at risk of massive price swings. Businesses also face increasing third-party, non-commodity charges, which now account for more than half of a power bill and are rising year-on-year. There is little businesses can do, apart from reducing or shifting patterns of energy consumption, to reduce these third party charges. In addition, the urgent need to tackle
energy efficiency is driven by ever harsher environmental taxes and the reputational advantages of being a green business.
STEPS TO ENERGY SAVING When undertaking energy audits, our assessors typically identify energy savings opportunities of five to 20 per cent, which can make a big difference to profitability, especially for energy intensive sites. But how can manufacturers get the 'biggest bang for their buck' in making their buildings, sites and processes more energy efficient? The first step is to measure and
understand your energy consumption. There is a huge wealth of existing valuable data available in meter and sub meter readings and energy bills, which
32 SEPTEMBER 2018 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
should help you to make a start in understanding the site's energy profile, the factors that affect energy use, and where waste might be occurring. You can also get more detailed insights
from using circuit level metering that will show you how specific energy hungry machinery and processes are performing. The next step is to use the gathered
data to help inform an energy audit, which will usually cover: • Energy use and profiling • Energy policy and procedure • Management systems • Savings A useful starting point is to conduct a
basic walk-through of the site using the data insights to inform investigation. This may help identify obvious opportunities and determine w hether you need further specialist support. Most professional audits will be
presented in an energy management report, including a detailed action plan with cost estimates and potential payback on investment for recommended energy/carbon saving measures. These recommendations will generally be separated out into zero and low cost measures, and high cost measures, which would require capital expenditure approval.
Undertaking a site energy audit is a great starting point for cutting costs and carbon emissions
level and quality of your pipe work insulation, which is a major source of energy loss for heating and cooling systems. Improving insulation is also a quick and inexpensive win for windows and doors, particularly in heated or cooled areas. • Refrigeration and chillers – in
factories and warehouses, good quality, well maintained refrigeration and chiller systems can achieve up to 50 per cent energy cost savings. It's important to ensure that temperatures are optimised. • Compressed air systems – idling
compressors use huge amounts of energy, so switch off in-between uses and reduce the air pressure, if you can to achieve the optimum low level. You should also check for leaks. • Routine maintenance of major plant
and equipment - wear and tear of major plant and equipment may compromise efficiency, so it can be beneficial to monitor the performance of these assets and undertake proactive maintenance and servicing to keep them in peak condition. Manufacturers can no longer afford to
ignore energy efficiency and it is a business critical issue that must move from plant room to board room to ensure that organisations improve both carbon and cost performance. Undertaking a site energy audit is a great starting point for cutting costs and carbon emissions.
Inprova Energy
www.inprovaenergy.com T: 0330 166 4444
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