TM Energy Supplement 2014

ENERGY 2014 PART III Energy optimisation for manufacturing companies in the UK.

ENERGY 2014 PART III

What’s in this report?

P3 Sustainability is essential: Schneider Electric issues a call to arms on energy optimisation for a more competitive manufacturing industry in the UK

P6 Measurement for management: E.ON’s David Topping describes best practice data collection for effective energy management

P8 Manufacturing your energy reduction: A case study from t-mac technologies

P9 A window onto energy optimisation: Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate –Nasim Soleimanian gives insight into her research with glass manufacturer Glassworks Housnell

P10 Funding frenzy: Why £50m of funding for investment in three energy saving technologies was snapped up by business at the end of 2013

P11 Let’s talk energy: An interview with Angela Needle at British Gas

P12 Real results: Brammer’s Kevin Lacey describes the best ways to find energy savings with your MRO partner

P13 Tinytag offers big returns: What can this energy logger offer your business?

P14 Missing out: Energy optimisation is not just about investment in technology. Mike Morell at Ricardo-AEA describes what a comprehensive energy performance management programme should look like

Editorial

This report was compiled for The Manufacturer magazine by: Jane Gray, Editor j.gray@sayonemedia.com

Design

Optic Juice – www.opticjuice.co.uk design@opticjuice.co.uk

Sales

Henry Anson, Sales Director h.anson@sayonemedia.com

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INTRODUCTION R

ecent action by government prompted energy firms to promise they will pass on savings to consumers, supposedly dulling the pain of rising energy costs for domestic and commercial users. In addition, many energy providers have promised to freeze prices after a wave of increases to energy costs this winter.

But these measures distract from the fact that energy costs in the UK are still significantly higher than those in mainland Europe, that they continue on an overall upwards trend and that there was no announcement in Chancellor Osborne’s Autumn Statement which specifically addressed the burden of energy bills on UK enterprise, particularly energy intensive users such as manufacturers.

Analysis by the bank Credit Suisse said in June 2013 that UK energy prices were likely to be double those seen in Germany by the end of 2016 and some energy intensive companies – like Tata Steel – already reckon they pay 50% more in the UK than in France or Germany.

Lobbying government to introduce energy tax reliefs and incentivise energy companies to apply better contract terms can reduce the crippling impact of energy costs for businesses.

But a third critical element in reducing your energy bills is to make sure you are getting the most out of the energy you are paying for.

This supplement investigates a selection of energy optimisation technologies – some with government investment incentives and funding attached. Contributions from energy providers like E.ON – the only major energy provider not to have announced a winter price rise in 2013 at time of writing – also show the importance of energy monitoring and measurement in order to better understand usage and distribution in your business. END

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ENERGY 2014 PART III Schneider Electric

Act Today Survive Tomorrow!

SUSTAINABILITY IS ESSENTIAL C

ompanies failing to act now on sustainable business opportunity, efficiency cost savings and reducing resource usage will struggle to survive in the future. That’s the stark warning from Schneider Electric, the world’s largest provider of sustainability services and advice.

Until now the sustainability focus has been on energy efficiency, but it covers far more and those who have realised this will stand the greatest chance of survival in the future.

Andy Dewis, Sustainability Director at Schneider Electric, explains: “The requirement will still be for efficiency, but by 2050 we need to be using 80% less resource with a projection for a four times increase in demand.

“This is not just in energy but covers natural resources and raw materials too. If companies don’t act soon and get away from seeing sustainability as something that should only be acted

If companies don’t act soon and get away from seeing sustainability as something that should only be acted upon when it is seen as a business opportunity or has a bottom line effect, then they will begin to struggle in the future and may not survive

upon when it is seen as a business opportunity or has a bottom line effect, then they will begin to struggle in the future and may not survive.”

Much of the change is being driven by the end customer market where the consumers’ mindset is shifting with greater awareness, and companies are altering their supply chains in response.

Supermarkets, for example, are now reconsidering how and where they source their goods, how they are produced, all elements of packaging and waste, and how they are brought to the shopfloor. Ethical and social risks in value chains are also becoming more transparent and will drive more action in the future. Focus has shifted from a carbon footprint perspective, and the criteria has widened to include the complete process and how sustainable it is from all perspectives.

If companies have not already begun the complex and diverse process of understanding sustainability issues across

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ENERGY 2014 PART III Schneider Electric

It’s not just about climate change, sustainability is a business imperative fuelled by shifting dynamics in four key areas:

Financial

their organisation, then it is safe to say that they are going to find it increasingly hard to comply with the growing number of legislative and social drivers to improve sustainability. In the end it could cost more on the balance sheet to rectify later, and lose an opportunity for business now and in the future.

Corporations are learning how to turn sustainability plans into action.

What was once merely an annual report documenting environmentally friendly business activities has grown into something with measurable bottom-line impact — the kind requiring accurate, audit-proof data.

Today, corporate sustainability involves an integrated strategy for managing resources, maximising efficiency, and meeting financial objectives. Even as more and more companies acknowledge the value of a well-structured sustainability strategy, many still lack a cohesive, integrated approach to implementation.

Becoming more sustainable requires more than a willingness to think outside the traditional business box.

Everything must be considered — from corporate governance, risk management, and labour practices to supply chain optimisation, energy efficiency, and resource management.

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Resource costs and demand are rising; resource availability is shrinking.

Regulatory pressures and reporting obligations are increasing. Shareholders are asking hard questions about corporate sustainability strategies, or lack of them. Consumers are starting to care, and value chains of organisations are becoming more transparent and collaborative. On the plus side, there is mounting evidence smart sustainability management generates significant financial returns.

Sustainable companies have outperformed their peers on net margin (+6%); return on assets (+3%); and return on equity (+11%) for the past eight years, reports the Harvard Business Review. Since 2006, companies listed on the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) have delivered returns of 67.4%, more than double the 31.1% return of the Global 500. And, approximately $6 billion in assets are invested in a range of financial products, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, that track the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

Organisational Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) are now standard members of the C-suite, having been added in record number over the past decade. Enterprises are integrating functions (Procurement, Operations, Finance, etc.), feeding the need for expanded data sharing and common reporting. Demands for enhanced global stakeholder visibility are escalating and corporate silos are breaking down.

CSOs are found in corporations on the 2012 Green Biz Intelligence Panel (more than twice the number four years ago), according to its most recent survey. The impact of these positions will increase within their organisations and across their value chains.

Informational Companies are wary of solutions promoting simply more data; instead,

they’re seeking operational intelligence: actionable, verifiable data delivered where and when they need it, in a user-friendly form. Closed, internal systems are giving way to more open platforms, and corporations are becoming technology-agnostic. Software interoperability is a key requirement.

47% of corporations cited ‘increased energy data analytics’ as an energy management priority, according to a recent Verdantix study.

Regulatory Many country and regional governing bodies are enacting tougher corporate rules regarding sustainability and reporting requirements for carbon, water, and waste, among others.

Companies need to raise their sustainability reporting and tracking processes to audit-grade status. As a result, executives are grappling with investments, paybacks, and implementation hurdles associated with various hardware and software systems.

The UK’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) is a scheme applying to large non energy-intensive organisations. The scheme’s purpose is to help reducing the UK’s carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 (against 1990 emissions). It forces them to report emissions and pay for their output. The European Union Directive requires nations to reduce GHG emissions by a minimum of 20% (against a 1990 baseline) by 2020.

Whilst not dismissing the dangers of climate change, the truth is, most corporations are more threatened by reductions in profitability than increases in global temperature. Fortunately for them and our environment, sustainability strategies produce positive and demonstrable financial results — as well as conserve resources and improve enterprise efficiency.

So sustainability is not something to be feared or ignored and can have major benefits for those that adopt more sustainable practices. But doing nothing is not an option and failure to engage could, ultimately, threaten the survival of many organisations in the future. END

ENERGY 2014 PART III

Sustainable Energy Efficiency Now and into the future project management

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Tinytag Data Loggers Help Improve Energy Efficiency Environmental monitoring and analysis of results will help identify areas for improving energy consumption and reducing costs. The robust battery operated units may be used locally or throughout a building to cost-effectively monitor single and three phase power usage, temperature, humidity and CO2.

• Monitor power usage of individual equipment or complete premises • Help validate heating, air conditioning or climate control systems • Monitor the effects of building materials, e.g. loft or wall insulation • Help calculate building temperature losses

Tinytag Energy Portable, non-invasive power usage monitoring

Tinytag Ultra 2 Indoor temperature and humidity

Tinytag CO2 Discreet indoor monitoring

Tinytag Radio Uses wireless communications for larger sites

Gemini Data Loggers (UK) Ltd Scientific House, Terminus Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8UJ, England Telephone: +44 (0)1243 813000 email: info@tinytag.info www.geminidataloggers.com www.tinytag.info

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aa ss uu rr MM eeMeasurement for management

Energy efficiency is a top priority on the agenda of the UK Government as well as industrial, commercial and public sector organisations, fuelled by the need to limit the impact of rising energy costs, to meet sustainability targets and to reinforce security of supply. David Topping, Director of Corporates at E.ON UK explains the rising demand for effective energy management based on high quality data.

E

veryone faces the same energy challenge: to see, measure and positively influence how and where energy is used. Whether the primary driver is cost, carbon emissions or consistency of supply, to be in control of your energy you first need to know how you’re using it.

Now more than ever the old adage “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” holds true.

In reality, many businesses find it very difficult to track and monitor their energy consumption as data management in large organisations can be a daunting and expensive undertaking. But in any organisation it is vital to have a clear picture of just how much energy you’re using, with options to compare

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In any organisation it is vital to have a clear picture of just how much energy you’re using, with options to compare consumption from day-to-day or across and between multiple sites

consumption from day-to-day or across and between multiple sites; only by doing that can you ensure investment decisions or carbon reduction policies are based on quality data and accurate forecasts.

To be fully effective, energy management has to be an integral part of a wider commitment from across an organisation, one that takes in regulatory and legal obligations and corporate responsibility as well as budget and financial management.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, just like there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ business, but the principles – if not the scale - can be matched across anything from a small office company to a major manufacturing group.

A crucial element of any successful energy management strategy is the ability to identify and implement potential energy reduction opportunities – based on a full understanding of technical capabilities and operational limits.

Not only will this information help shape your energy strategy but by monitoring the results you are able to assess the effect of energy efficiency measures and the benefits of new equipment, as well as creating clear expectations and accountabilities or ensuring that focus can be maintained and there is no energy performance ‘drift’.

rement ENERGY 2014 PART III E.ON

r e m e n t Carbon crunch Carbon reporting laws only concern about 1,100 companies now, but plans to review the scope of regulations may see them extended to as many as 24,000 large businesses after 2016*.

Some companies will resent this burden. But, approached in the right way it could in fact open up opportunity to gain commercial benefits through effective measuring, managing and reduction of energy costs and emissions liabilities.

Whether companies are looking to control costs or comply with emissions regulations, it is through accurate measuring that they can begin to put realistic and realisable targets in place for the future.

Historically, energy costs may have featured as one line of a director’s report.

But more challenging market conditions and increasing compliance burdens now mean boardrooms and shareholders have to pay a great deal more attention to unit costs, consumption patterns and emissions rates.

Complete building energy management

E

.ON recently acquired Matrix, the UK’s market leader in management and energy efficiency services for commercial buildings. Since 2003, Matrix has helped blue-chip corporate and public sector customers in 22 countries reduce their energy consumption through data-led energy efficiency and energy management services. Tony Cocker, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, said: “A key plank of our strategy is to help customers understand their energy use, control their energy use and use only as much they need. Matrix brings us a great skill set to help some of our larger customers.”

Matrix focuses on reducing energy consumption in commercial buildings by controlling remotely the lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and any other device that consumes energy. It aims to optimise the control environment in line with the customer’s comfort policy settings and reduce any waste on energy consumption.

The first step is monitoring current energy usage and asset efficiency via advanced metering, followed by reporting and designing/implementing innovative and underwritten plans that maximise return on investment. Matrix’s state-of-the-art Energy Management Centre acts as the hub of the business, coordinating services to provide a unified approach to building energy management.

Ian Kelly, chief executive of Matrix, said: “Both public and private sector organisations across the UK are now understanding the importance of effective energy management. In addition to significantly reducing financial outgoings, it can also reduce the impact a company has on the environment. There is the potential for brand damage if companies aren’t seen to be doing their bit for the environment. Matrix can help them avoid this and make significant savings at the same time.”

E.ON and Matrix have a shared belief that continuous innovation and advanced data-analytics are critical to offering best in class energy efficiency solutions internationally allowing large organisations to monitor and control remotely sites in multiple geographies.

More challenging market conditions and increasing compliance burdens now mean boardrooms and shareholders have to pay a great deal more attention to unit costs, consumption patterns and emissions rates

*The Carbon Trust (2013) Mandatory carbon reporting. Available at carbontrust.com/ news/2013/09/mandatory-carbon-reporting

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ENERGY 2014 PART III T-mac Technologies Ltd

Manufacturing your ENERGY REDUCTION

Metering and monitoring of machinery can lead to improved energy efficiency and savings

M

anaging machinery processes is crucial to productivity – but it can also play a huge part in how a business’s energy use affects their bottom line.

For those in the manufacturing industry, managing energy performance of plant such as heating and ventilation is only a small part of the puzzle. The main areas for energy and costs savings lie in the operation of machinery/process lines.

To truly see energy and cost reduction, manufacturers need to employ submetering alongside machine monitoring to identify areas of energy inefficiency in operation, performance and use.

Under-performing or poorlymaintained equipment is not only a drain on resources but as it is often difficult to identify where wastage is occurring; there is an unnecessary associated cost of running that machinery at increased power levels to combat leakage or wastage.

Over the years t-mac Technologies Ltd. has helped businesses to identify major energy reduction opportunities by isolating ‘hidden’ energy wasters such as

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poorly performing equipment, machines sitting in idle, and inefficient operations; all of which drain resources.

The t-mac energy management system works by metering energy consumption patterns to highlight inefficiencies in use and monitors equipment conditions for remote diagnostics and then alerting on inefficiencies ensuring the business is made aware immediately when a machine is operating outside of the desired settings.

Lisa Gingell, from t-mac believes: “Choosing the right machinery is crucial for businesses – but making sure that machinery is working as economically as possible is also of prime importance.

“Systems like t-mac let businesses see which pieces of their network are using more than their fair share of the energy budget – then act to reduce usage and save money as well as the environment.” t-mac unit’s work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so any irregularities are spotted early – meaning maintenance issues can be dealt with before they escalate in time and cost.

This predictive maintenance not only makes pre-empting problems easier but also saves resources, minimises equipment down-time, reduces staff time pressures and reduces the need for expensive engineer call-outs.

The t-mac online software suite provides a single portal for businesses to analyse, identify, quantify and report on energy inefficiencies throughout a site or multiple sites. Taking real-time energy and environmental data and delivering this information to users, business owners, building occupiers and machine operatives – Lisa Gingell comments “it’s important that an energy management strategy speaks to all stakeholders; getting machine operatives and building occupiers involved through dashboards and presenting data to business owners, whilst also providing analytical functionality to energy and maintenance personnel” With t-mac in control, your business can take the first steps to managing the way equipment uses power – making sure greedy machines aren’t taking more than their fair share of energy overheads. END

ENERGY 2014 PART III Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate

A window onto energy optimisation Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate, Nasim Soleimanian talks about her work with Glassworks Hounsell which seeks to protect competitiveness through energy optimisation innovation.

T

he need for cheap energy and fuel efficiency, in both the domestic and business environment, is one of the most publicised problems in the British media.

Reading coverage of energy shortages, climate change and energy bill’s it might be easy to believe that concerted effort and pooling of resources will, any day, provide society with unlimited, affordable and obviously green power.

But the sad reality is that lack of sufficient resources or expert consensus on the technologies and infrastructures which should be prioritised, alongside political complexities, mean such a dream is a long way off.

In the meantime however, there is significant low hanging fruit to be harvested via energy optimisation.

While energy policy and infrastructure in the future remains uncertain there is still a great deal more that we can do to take control of our energy usage.

This is my philosophy as an engineer and what drives me to want to work in this field.

Cracking potential Right now my focus is on the glass industry. The main problems faced by glass manufacturers are the high financial cost of manufacture due to its energy intensiveness. Rising fuels costs as well as the need for compliance with environmental regulation and taxation regimes mean that anything the industry can do to control its costs and use energy more efficiently is extremely valuable.

Actually making changes for energy efficiency in the glass manufacturing industry is challenging however.

To start with, the industry is inherently conservative. In addition legacy capital investment and lack of standardisation means that progress must be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

However, numerical simulations and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling can, cheaply and effectively, highlight priority areas for energy efficiency projects and influence product development.

Glassworks Hounsell (GWH), an SME based in the West Midlands recently started a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project in this area.

The project was established thanks to collaboration with the Technology Strategy Board and two universities – Birmingham and Cranfield.

The KTP project aims to develop and validate a CFD modelling tool capable of modelling the feeding process to a glass furnace. It will monitor the interaction between the furnace and feeding equipment to identify ways in which product development might improve the energy efficiency of the process.

A second ambition for the project is to establish and map the energy consumed in the manufacture of glass depending on different feeding equipment. For example when using a batch charger (BC) for large, high capacity end-fired furnaces, with high specific melting rates. These melting rates can be particularly dependent on the BC technology in place.

As a result of this project GWH will gain a CFD tool that will make its R&D

Numerical simulations and computational fluid dynamics modelling can, cheaply and effectively, highlight priority areas for energy efficiency projects and influence product development department more agile and lean. It will reduce product development costs and the lead time for production of successful prototypes by finding suitable optimised operating windows in a 3D environment.

The research will also help GWH make optimised equipment specification which achieve both energy optimisation and result in a better value-add service to customers. END

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ENERGY 2014 PART III EMSc (UK)

with plentiful reference projects and transparent savings results across a wide range of industries including the manufacturing sector.

Voltage optimisation provides one of the best payback periods and some of the best energy savings of any energy efficiency technology with savings averaging at between 12% and 15%.

Allocating the funding

FRENZY Picking

Alex Mardapittas, CEO of EMSc (UK) recounts how £50m of funding for investment in his firm’s technologies was snapped up at the end of last year.

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n late 2013 a £50 million tranche of funding was made available to private and public sector companies seeking to install energy saving solutions. The fund was a resounding success and

by Christmas, the entire fund had been snapped up.

The interest free funding covered three key technologies identified as capable of offering return on investment within a five year period and offering high potential for long term energy efficiency. EMSc (UK)’s voltage optimisation solution Powerstar was one of the technologies identified alongside LED lighting and variable speed drives (VSDs).

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technology winners

These three technologies were proven to provide extremely high energy savings and payback in reports prepared by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit and St Georges University.

Key analysis from both of these reports is outlined in a document prepared by McKinsey titled ‘Impact of the financial crisis on carbon economics: Version 2.1 of the global greenhouse gas abatement cost curve’ and the report concludes that the top three technologies best capable of reducing carbon emissions, across a range of different sized sites, are being Voltage Optimisation, LED lighting and VSDs. Over 1,300 applications were made for last year’s funding and requests for voltage optimisation proved a popular choice particularly in the SME sector.

The technology is well documented as being a secure energy saving solution,

The attractive investment package, provided by a European funding source, enabled companies to initiate carbon reduction programmes with minimum effort. The application process was straight forward and funds were provided interest free for up to five years.

All projects that received the funding were commissioned through EMSc (UK)’s engineering led project management team which worked with companies from the outset to identify the best solutions and maximise savings for their respective sites. They also ensured all the projects were implemented within specified parameters.

Additionally as every Powerstar system offers 100% guaranteed savings, companies are saving money from the very first day of operation.

Funds that would have otherwise been spent on the installation of a voltage optimisation system can now be spent on purchasing manufacturing equipment or staff development, for example.

All products in the Powerstar range comes with up to 15 years warranty, including parts and labour, and have a life expectancy of at least 50 years, giving peace of mind, as well as tangible savings. END

MORE TO COME Due to the high demand and success of the initial tranche of the funding, EMSc (UK) has requested for the second tranche of the funding to be released ahead of schedule and details will be released in due course our EMSc website: www.ems-uk.org,

ENERGY 2014 PART III BRITISH GAS

Insulation of all kinds can also prevent significant and costly heat-losses. I would advise insulating valve flanges as a first port of call. Installing jackets can pay for itself within 12 months.

Then ensure process tanks have lids to prevent losses through surface evaporation, especially out of hours and check the insulation on hot and cold pipework, and process ovens, for damage.

LET’S LET’S TALK TALK ENERGY ENERGY

Q&A with Angela Needle, head of products at British Gas Business on the whys and wherefores of energy optimisation.

Why should manufacturers care about how much energy they are using?

Last month saw the OECD upgrade its UK growth forecasts yet again, driven in no small measure by a manufacturing sector which is once again alive and kicking. Many of the firms we supply across Britain are feeling justifiably confident that the worst is over.

Yet the firms in the best position to take advantage of the recovery will be those able to keep costs low, even as they begin to grow again.

We know that, particularly during the winter months, energy supply can account for up to 20 per cent of business costs for some manufactures. Whilst sustainably sourcing and transporting this energy is getting more expensive, this doesn’t mean that bills have to rise.

Where can manufacturers make the biggest energy efficiency savings?

Along with traditional areas like heating and lighting, manufacturers typically expend a significant amount of energy on motors used in industrial processes.

Simple steps like installing variablespeed drives on fans and pumps can really bring down costs. Reducing a motor’s speed by 20 per cent can reduce energy consumption by up to 50 per cent.

High efficiency motors not only reduce costs in the long-term but may even qualify for tax relief through the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme.

Over time, simple wear and tear also reduces the efficiency of motors.

To mitgate this, lubricate them where appropriate, and check belt tightness and alignment regularly.

How much value is there in looking for energy savings outside production?

Despite the many energy-hungry processes which take place in manufacturing businesses, during winter 12 per cent of all the energy consumed by the manufacturing industry is used for heating the buildings themselves.

As well trying to bring down temperatures within buildings, and ensuring that heating is never in use when buildings are empty, maintenance measures such as tuning your boiler could also save over £800 per year.

Small behavioural changes can also bring down the amount of money spent on lighting so ensure staff are turning off lights in unoccupied areas and out of hours and use natural light where possible, with window blinds always open during daylight hours.

If you use security lighting time clocks, make sure these are changing with the seasons, or install daylight sensor controls.

How much could this realistically save me?

JEB is a precision engineering business in Northwich, Cheshire, who we have helped to take a more energy efficient approach. This included the installation of a voltage optimiser to prevent unnecessarily high voltage input from the national grid, saving £900 (9%) a year, as well as sensor switches which ensured that lights were only on when necessary, saving more than £500 a year.

Overall, JEB saved more than £1,500 on its average annual energy bills and there are many other examples of companies making saving of this magnitude. END

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ENERGY 2014 PART III BRAMMER

Real

Results Kevin Lacey of Brammer, the repair and overhaul products and services provider shares his best examples of energy optimisation which aligns with production efficiency.

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Use the most energyefficient motor possible

At Hanson Building Products’ brick manufacturing facility at Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire, the company believed that fitting a new IE2 motor to a fan drive would reduce component stress and cut electricity bills too.

However, having been called in to review the application, Brammer proposed the installation of a new energy-efficient Siemens IE3 motor, Poly Chain transmission and Siemens inverter.

Installation of the new technology exceeded expectations, realising an energy saving of £23,650 per year by reducing motor speeds by 29% with no compromise to production.

Total payback time for the investment was just three months.

2

Learn bestpractice belt operation

Brammer worked with PepsiCo at its plant in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, as part of its initiative to cut energy usage through the introduction of an optimum drive solution for PepsiCo’s polychain belts on the factory’s multi-pack line 5.

A nine-stage pilot project carried out in partnership with PepsiCo associates delivered a step change in

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the energy and production efficiency and PepsiCo asked Brammer to implement the new solution across all the company’s air handling units.

This lowered energy usage by nearly 150kW each year and reduced carbon dioxide production by more than 700 tonnes annually.

3

Optimise compressed air usage and management

Despite the high cost of production, many compressed air systems waste around 30% of the air they produce, through leaks, poor maintenance, misapplication and poor control.

The UK’s leading hard landscaping product supplier, Marshalls, approached Brammer to conduct a full air leak audit across nine manufacturing facilities.

The audit involved using specialist equipment to detect all air leaks, identifying each leak with a number, photographing the leaking units, and specifying the appropriate parts for repair. Brammer’s engineering team then worked on site to address any issues likely to hamper the remedial work and initiated alternative plans to eradicate such problems before the ‘fix’.

Brammer is now helping Marshalls to lower the pressure at the compressors and to install line-side monitoring equipment so that future leakages can be identified as soon as they occur.

As a result of this programme, Marshalls has reduced its carbon footprint by 426 tonnes. END

About Brammer

B

rammer UK is part of a wider European MRO products and services organisation.

Its product range coverr bearings, mechanical power transmission products, pneumatics, hydraulics, seals and industrial automation.

The company is an authorised distributor for many of the world’s leading brands including SKF, NSK, Renold, Parker, Siemens, Flender, SMC, Norgren, Festo, Rocol, 3M, Loctite and Schaeffler UK. Brammer also owns industrial tools, maintenance and health & safety product distributor Buck & Hickman Brammer has a proven track record of saving its customers money by: reducing total acquisition costs, improving overall production efficiency, and reducing working capital.

Since 2007, operational cost savings exceeding £100 million have been achieved for Brammer customers in the UK. www.brammeruk.com

ENERGY 2014 PART III TINYTAG

Tinytag offers

BIG RETURNS Insight into practical and effective energy monitoring from Gemini Data Loggers, manufacturer of the Tinytag range of data logging devices.

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or high consumers of electricity in the UK, power usage monitoring and energy efficiency measures are of particular importance in controlling costs and keeping a business competitive.

Effective monitoring not only assists with reducing energy consumption and costs, but is of particular relevance for organisations aiming to achieve or maintain the ISO 14001 environmental standard.

Compliance ISO 14001 states that objectives and targets shall be measurable, where practicable, and that an organisation should regularly monitor and measure the key characteristics of its operations that can have a significant environmental impact – of which electricity consumption can be one.

Regular monitoring with tools such as our Tinytag Energy Logger can be highly effective in complying with this requirement. It is often easier to look at logger readings than attempt to decipher electricity bills (which are often estimated) or meter readings.

Typically used in plants with highconsumption equipment, the energy logger uses non-invasive flexible coils to monitor the current in each phase of a three phase supply, while voltage information may be obtained via a standard 13A wall socket.

Safe and easy to use, the logger records data which is downloaded to a PC to help identify times of peak load and to identify power hungry or inefficient equipment. The unit also records ‘Power Factor’ (PF) data, a measure of power transmission efficiency: this can be significant because power companies typically charge a higher rate for industrial or commercial customers with a low PF.

Savings and efficiencies Energy monitoring can sometimes lead to very direct savings.

For example, in Gemini’s own production facility, recorded data revealed that the reflow oven accounted for about 15% of the full electricity bill.

Gemini was able to reduce this by carefully controlling use of the oven and ultimately replacing it with a more efficient device. Similarly, analysis of results revealed one of the space heaters was coming on unnecessarily during the night.

But monitoring can also lead to more unexpected discoveries.

In one case, temperature monitoring by school caretakers revealed that central heating had sometimes been set to come on over the weekend. In another example, an employer, using an energy logger, discovered his employees were switching off their equipment and leaving early on a Friday, thus uncovering an HR issue rather than an energy usage one – but still a critical discovery for the company’s efficiency and competitiveness.

‘Before and after’ monitoring, can help in the evaluation of, for example, replacement LED lighting or Building Environmental Management Systems, assisting firms in pinpointing ROI on energy saving investments.

Energy monitoring and careful analysis of results can lead to specific, straightforward and practical ways of cutting energy consumption and meeting environmental management targets.

With costs rising all the time, it is likely to become an ever more important area for leadership in the manufacturing sector. END

About Gemini Data Loggers

W

e have been designing and manufacturing the Tinytag range of data loggers in the UK since 1992and now trade globally with a network of over 40 distributors.

Th e Energy Logger costs £795 +VAT. Other Tinytags in the range monitor parameters such as temperature, humidity and CO2 and are used for a variety of energy efficiency applications. www.tinytag.info

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ENERGY 2014 PART III RICARDO

Missingout?

While many manufacturers have already invested in energy efficient equipment and technology, they could still be missing out on significant cost savings.

Mike Morrell, an energy performance management consultant at Ricardo-AEA, explains why.

R

apidly rising energy prices are putting businesses under enormous pressure to reduce their energy costs. Energy prices have doubled in the last 10 years and some forecasters are predicting another doubling in prices over the next 10 years.

Many companies will think they have done all they can to save energy and reduce costs. A large number will have invested in cost effective technical improvements and a range of energy efficient equipment.

However, our experience shows that there is much more that businesses can do to save money if they implement a robust ‘energy performance management’ programme.

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Energy performance management – what does it look like?

Essentially energy performance management entails the operation of a rigorous internal action plan to ensure that a company closes the gap between its current energy consumption levels, and the theoretical minimum required to run the business.

This approach requires detailed consumption data, a systematic plan and consequent changes in behaviour by the whole workforce to deliver results.

Data from previous energy performance management programmes show that these behaviour based activities can generate energy savings of at least 3% to 5% per year – and more is possible.

What’s more, an excellent business case can be made to senior management for these programmes because they are based on staff action and not capital expenditure.

Typical paybacks can be measured in weeks. For example, savings can be made by tackling the sub-optimal use of equipment, poor process scheduling and failure to switch off equipment when it isn’t being used.

Make your programme effective The key to effective energy performance management is to establish a clear

baseline and targets for a company’s energy consumption.

Businesses will need to ask searching questions such as: How is energy consumption measured and managed?

What are the major demand areas?

What is current energy management practice – is anyone actively saving energy?

What has been done so far and what has been the impact?

What are the targets and incentives for energy use?

The current situation should then be compared against what’s theoretically possible to achieve by adopting effective energy saving measures through the involvement of colleagues across the business.

The complete programme will normally include: A governance structure to devolve responsibility of energy use and targets to individual local business units Facilitation of energy team and area champion meetings Key business unit energy reduction KPIs Improved communications It is also crucial that programmes are monitored effectively so the energy saving benefits can be reported to the entire workforce. This both motivates staff and helps to identify where further savings can be made. So although investing in energy efficient equipment can help manufacturers make savings, implementing an energy performance programme can result in additional financial and environmental benefits, as well as a more empowered workforce. END

FIND OUT MORE Visit our website at: www.ricardo-aea.com

Getting the right contract, meeting carbon targets, monitoring consumption…

We understand that you need more from us than just energy.

With us, you’ll benefit from a strong, long-term relationship with someone who really understands your business. And with our expert knowledge and experience, we can help you monitor, analyse and control your energy use.

Our products and services are tailored around our customers, so whatever your business needs, your dedicated account manager will help you find the right solution.

Find out more at eonenergy.com/corporateenergy Or call 0330 4001 089 We’re here Mon–Thurs 8:30am–5pm, Fri 8:30am–4pm

Helping our customers.

We’re on it.

E.ON UK plc. Registered Office: Westwood Way Westwood Business Park Coventry CV4 8LG Registered in England and Wales No. 2366970

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ENERGY 2014 PART III

Elizabeth House, Block 2, Part 5th Floor, 39 York Road, London, SE1 7NQ T +44 (0)207 401 6033 +44 (0)844 854 1010 www.sayonemedia.com.

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