(Newswire.net — November 15, 2018) — Manufacturing companies consume more energy than virtually every other industry. Their huge facilities are filled with huge energy consuming equipment, which can make managing power a bit of a challenge. With this challenge in mind, here are some helpful power saving tips for factories so that you can control both energy and costs.
Energy Saving Ideas for Factories
Better Process Control
Having poor control of the manufacturing process is almost always the reason manufacturing companies over consume energy. What’s more, the manufacturing process can be changed to a more energy-efficient process, all without compromising the quality of your product.
A more efficient manufacturing process can cut your energy bill between t to 15 percent – depending on how successful you are in curtailing excess.
Steam & Boiler Distribution
Before you dismiss this, efficiently managing your steam and boiler energy usage could save up to 30% of your energy bill.
To make them more efficient, consider improving their insulation (so they can reach their peak faster, ensuring less energy is lost during the heating up stage), and conducting regular maintenance. During maintenance, check for leaks from steam traps, or disconnected joints. Don’t underestimate the amount of steam that can be lost from a small hole. That’s why it’s important you fix them as soon as you notice them.
Try and seal off as many redundant pipeworks as you can. You’ll be consuming more energy if steam has to pass through an unnecessarily long path to get to its final destination.
Monitoring Drives & Motors
All the big equipment used in manufacturing comes with fans, drive pumps and motors – and if you monitor them diligently, you could cut down your energy expenses drastically.
Turn off motors when they aren’t being used. When they are left running, they can be a huge drain on your energy. Due to how impractical it is to suggest manually turning off and on every single motor in the building – pending usage, you should think about getting a timer or an automatic sensor that turns the motors on during use.
You can install VSD (variable speed drives) on electronic devices to control the supply of energy to that device. A 20% reduction in the motor’s speed could half the power requirement of that device. Even though VSDs can be expensive, the higher the motor rating, the more expensive the VSD that will suit it. The long term savings are worth considering.
Monitor Buildings
Manufacturing usually takes place in industrial buildings with high ceilings and large square footage. This means the cost of running it – heating or cooling – will be higher, though mostly insignificant when compared with other manufacturing energy expenses, than what other businesses expect.
One way to reduce the building’s energy expenses is to monitor the ventilation and heating systems effectively.
Regulate the thermostat, have controller installed if possible to prevent employees from constantly adjusting it. Monitor switches at all times, so that they’re turned off when not in use – use an automatic timer or sensor if possible. Check that there are no leaks preventing proper insulation in the building.
Next Steps
While some of the energy saving ideas for factories discussed may not seem all that significant, they will reap various long term effects for your business as mentioned by electricians. Some of the ideas include: having better process control, manage steam and boiler distribution, monitor drives and motors, and monitor buildings.