Energy and Environment Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

01/12/2009 Zero waste? In Europe, 10% of electricity consumed by industry is for compressed air, yet much of that energy is wasted. In a carbon-conscious era, something has to change, says Steed Webzell » Read More

01/10/2009 Saving the earth In the rush to save energy and reduce emissions, it's easy to forget the sheer range of potential solutions. Dr Tom Shelley reviews some of today's most powerful options » Read More

01/10/2009 Babies and bathwater Plant, equipment, instrumentation and the regulatory frameworks have all been evolving to meet the challenges of pollution and climate change. Brian Tinham examines the issues » Read More

01/08/2009 The Energy Event 09 What: The Energy Event Where: The National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham When: 9-10 September 2009 How: Go to www.theenergyevent.co.uk » Read More

01/08/2009 Sustainable engineering 'Sustainability': that word is rising up the engineering agenda even faster than 'environmental' did before it. The latest development was last month's release of the Engineering Council's new guidelines on sustainability. Others, however, ... » Read More

01/04/2009 Cut the energy hype Although oil prices have come down, the recession is forcing organisations of all kinds to keep on cutting energy costs. One consequence is increasing numbers of companies seeing energy saving as a business opportunity - and hence the ... » Read More

01/12/2008 Pump suction Selecting a pump is always about balancing several factors - for example, the volumes and contents to be pumped, the efficiency required and how frequently the pump will be run. But where space is at a premium, or the cost of changing ... » Read More

01/12/2008 Breath of fresh air It is not uncommon for organisations to report that up to a third of their total factory energy bill can be attributed to compressed air plant. No surprise then that, with energy prices at record highs, reviews of compressed air systems ... » Read More

01/10/2008 Go easy on energy The oil price might fall below $100 per barrel, taking other energy prices down with it, but it may also climb to $200, according to energy industry insider Mike Brooks of St Omer Consulting. The point: plant managers should be planning ... » Read More

01/10/2008 Fluid thinking According to the Carbon Trust, UK industry spends around £9.5 billion on energy, with at least 40% of that consumed by process heating. 'Using straightforward techniques, between 5% and 10% of this could be saved, reducing spending on ... » Read More

01/08/2008 The energy event The Energy Event What: The Energy Event Where: The National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham When: 10-11 September 2008 How: Go to: www.theenergyevent.co.uk » Read More

01/08/2008 Greener world Most plants have already implemented a wide range of energy-related programmes - from switch-off campaigns to intelligent production scheduling at lower time-tariffs; and from installing energy-efficient equipment to improving maintenance ... » Read More

01/04/2008 Spend a little, save a lot Now that we know conventional energy costs aren't likely to fall any time soon, spending what turns out to be relatively little to save a lot has suddenly become much more attractive. All the more so, as engineers and business leaders ... » Read More

01/04/2008 Cheap as CHPs Combined heat and power (CHP) isn't only about CCGT (combined cycle gas turbine) installations that generate hundreds of megawatts. Especially in these times of expensive energy and environmental awareness, all of us need to be considering ... » Read More

01/12/2007 Taking the air Energy sustainability is one of the hottest topics on the political agenda - closely linked to environmental concerns. Combine these with soaring energy costs and it's no surprise that reducing consumption on plant is right up there for ... » Read More

01/10/2007 Passionate about energy Every engineer knows that energy saving is good. It's almost invariably linked with worthwhile emissions savings and there are attractive financial returns. Also, installing new equipment, instrumentation and/or controls usually solves ... » Read More

01/10/2007 Light fantastic With government and regulators calling for industry to consider environmental issues, to drive down energy consumption and to rein-in waste, selecting commercial lighting has become more than just a simple 'cost versus illumination' ... » Read More

01/04/2007 The old ones are the best ones Most worthwhile energy-saving techniques have been around for years, but, as increased energy prices, newer legislation and growing public awareness around emissions all force users to reconsider fuel consumption, many are now re-surfacing ... » Read More

01/12/2006 Turning on the sun offers bright future Increasing demand for photovoltaic solar cells has taken production at Sharp's factory in Wrexham from producing just 200 working modules in the first month of production in March 2004 to 2,400 panels per 24 hours on three production lines ... » Read More

01/12/2006 Plugging the cost of compressed air leaks New products are now available that step up the efficiency of compressed air systems - especially compressors - finding and attacking leaks, and improving the management of pneumatic systems, while slashing energy losses and costs by up to ... » Read More

01/10/2006 Energy Efficiency - Powered for change The government is now aware we have to take drastic steps both to save energy and find new sources of supply. There are many ways to achieve these goals. Top of the list has to be to take advantage of government-backed schemes that provide ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Go with the flow Energy efficiency is near the top of every industry's list of business priorities, especially given its impact on the cost of operations and product margins. In addition to conventional means of gaining productivity improvements, in many ... » Read More

04/04/2005 Energy Efficiency - Technology advances make for energy saving There are many ways in which plant and factory operators can improve energy efficiency. Some are simple, but many rely on taking advantage of the latest advances in technology. » Read More

01/02/2005 The key to 'greener' energy - advanced plant It is increasingly obvious that only a combination of engineering technologies is likely to be able to meet the world's growing energy needs in the near term without totally destroying its climate and environment. » Read More

06/12/2004 Renewable Energy - Out of the shadows Green energy is high on the UK agenda. Announcements are spawned on a seemingly daily basis about the government's commitment to renewable energy - and the Prime Minister has said that he will try to use Britain's forthcoming pole ... » Read More