#10. Energy audit saved $125,000 CAPEX
Reduction of air exhaust from refrigerated room reduced cooling load and eliminated need for refrigeration plant upgrade
How much money is at your ‘energy waste’ account?
Situation Doing nothing is an investment decision too. Investment with a guaranteed return of nothing. Here is a common conversation at a manufacturing plant: Me: … Implementation will cost you $5K and save $15K within 12 months. Maintenance manager: So we save $10K? Not much for our plant. Besides, I do not make investment [...]
#8. Energy audit busts ‘Nothing to save, Everything is automated’ belief
A common objection to doing an energy audit is that 'Everything is fine'. This is rarely the case. Here are two examples when audit uncovered saving opportunities that clients did not know existed because they believed everything was in perfect state already. Efficient equipment does not equate to efficient operation. Sanitation staff turned [...]
#7. 4 sources of energy waste at plants with efficient machines
A common belief is that if plant is equipped with efficient machines it runs efficiently. Unfortunately, this is not always true. Efficiency of components does not equate to efficiency of the whole plant. Common reason for utility waste by efficient machines: Misuse: compressed air used instead of blowers or for cooling, oversized motors, excessive [...]
#6. 6 beliefs about energy efficiency busted by energy audits
We often hear: "Our plant runs at top energy efficiency because we use these procedures and settings and our efficient equipment is fully operational." Just how often is this true? With all due respect to maintenance and operational staff, recommendations of a proper energy audit are based on direct observation of operations and lots [...]
#5. How to reduce energy cost when CAPEX is limited
A lot of energy costs can be saved at manufacturing plant without CAPEX.
#4. Energy savings at manufacturing plant beyond LED, VFD and idling
Complex energy audit does not look at energy alone. It considers how energy use affects core business - production, quality, scrap, employee productivity.
What makes energy efficiency projects fail?
We all agree that Energy Management is important, even C-levels agree. Still too often it's not done. Why is that? This 2003 article - Overcoming Barriers to Effective Energy Management in Industrial Settings - names several barriers which I list below with my comments : Lack of Organizational Commitment If senior management is not committed to [...]
How has 3M Canada cut energy use by 32%? Part 5: How does 3M evaluate and monitor energy projects?
In this post we shall continue describing how 3M has achieved outstanding energy cost reduction results. These publication has resulted from interview with Andrew Hejnar, Energy Manager of 3M Canada. This post follows previous publications: Part 1: How does 3M take big energy decisions Part 2: Energy standards increase savings Part 3: 3 pillars of [...]
How has 3M Canada cut energy use by 32%? Part 4: How does 3M find energy projects?
In this post we shall continue describing how 3M has achieved outstanding energy cost reduction results. These publication has resulted from interview with Andrew Hejnar, Energy Manager of 3M Canada. This post continues the story started in previous publications: Part 1: How does 3M take big energy decisions Part 2: Energy standards increase savings Part [...]