Manufacturers looking in wrong places for energy savings 12 June 2013

Manufacturers are still looking in the wrong places for energy savings, according to an energy report by our sister publication Works Management, sponsored by ABB.

The Works Management Energy Report 2013 reveals that, when it comes to saving electricity costs, some 70% of manufacturers intend to make energy savings by switching off unnecessary lights, with 67% investing in more energy-efficient lighting.

Although easy to achieve, this focus on lighting is blinding manufacturers to the much more substantial savings that can be achieved with energy-efficient motors and variable-speed drives, says John Guthrie, energy manager for ABB's drives and controls business in the UK.

"Reducing lighting costs is always worthwhile, but the real savings are achieved by reducing energy use within manufacturing processes," states Guthrie.

The survey reveals that many manufacturers are still not aware that motor-driven applications account for some 65% of all electricity use in industry. Yet, only 10% of these applications have an efficient method of speed control to match motor speed with process demand.

Targeting these energy-intensive applications – such as pumps, fans and compressors – is the way to make substantial long-term cuts in energy bills, insists Guthrie.

"Most companies can save thousands of pounds worth of electricity and some can even save hundreds of thousands of pounds by upgrading existing industrial processes, often at comparatively low cost," he asserts.

Some 72% of respondents to the survey have seen their energy costs rise this year, a figure that is 12% up on last year. A further 15% have seen a rise of 10% or more, while a third report a rise of 5—9%.

"The potential energy savings in industry are staggering," insists Guthrie. "Realising these savings could help to substantially reduce CO2 emissions.

"However, once again, our survey suggests people are looking for savings in the wrong places and need to look beyond the obvious if they are to make a lasting difference to their costs."

Brian Tinham

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