Recommendations for energy saving in manufacturing
Rising energy costs and increasing environmental responsibilities, mean that businesses across the UK are seeking ways to reduce their energy usage.
This, coupled with the increasing burden of stringent regulations, is driving the quest for energy efficiency and in particular energy saving in manufacturing businesses is where a significant saving can be made.
Manufacturing in the UK is a competitive market and thus energy saving / reduction in energy costs would seem to be an obvious way in which to remain competitive. It appears that whilst discussions are being held in management meetings around the UK, many businesses are still hesitant to implement any changes, primarily because of uncertainty about the return on investment.
How to reduce energy consumption in business
There are however, some very simple but effective solutions that can be easily implemented and which have been proven to provide substantial energy saving in manufacturing and return on investment.
- Energy Monitoring Equipment – by eliminating the uncertainty about day-to-day energy usage it is easier to regain full control over energy consumption. In addition, by having a fully transparent energy monitoring system with minute by minute data, it becomes easier to engage staff in becoming more aware of their energy usage.
- LED Lighting – by simply upgrading to a good quality LED lighting system, improved power quality and reduced ampage can be achieved across a site. This brings with it savings of up to 90%.
- Voltage Optimisation – this solution easily achieves significant energy savings on applicable sites, whilst also increasing the longevity of electrical equipment through a reduction in heat and vibration caused by higher voltages.
- Motor Optimisation – savings of up to 60% can be made by ensuring that all electric motors are optimised through added intelligence. Coupled with this are the reduced maintenance and repair costs, a decrease in downtime of equipment and ultimately an increased lifespan.
- kVA decrease – when did you last review you kVA maximum demand? As equipment is upgraded and becomes more efficient it places a lower demand on your electrical system. This results in many sites still being fixed on higher kVA than required. By simply reviewing this savings, as high as 50% can be achieved at no additional cost.
Ultimately there are numerous ways in which you can manage your energy consumption, reduce costs and increase profits. All of these can be easily achieved through a well-planned energy management programme and an effective project manager to steer the process. Alongside this are the excellent project financing options available through carbon trust finance.
If you would like to find out more please contact us through the website or call us on 01225 635660.
