Five expert tips on how IT solutions help save energy

How you benefit from energy management systems

Increasing energy prices and growing environmentalism are only two reasons why manufacturing companies in particular want to reduce their energy costs. In the following, we show you how smart IT solutions can help you save energy.

Mid-market manufacturing companies are under pressure. They must reduce energy costs without compromising their productivity, while also facing the increasing number of challenges posed by growing legal regulations. Besides reporting obligations, companies also have to deal with image matters.

The carbon footprint and the energy balance are becoming increasingly important for customers, too. It is not uncommon for customers to request information about the carbon footprints of each product or site. The requirements of a functional overall architecture for effective and cost-efficient energy and carbon management are usually quite diverse.

However, energy efficiency pays off, as even simple measures already help companies reduce their energy costs by 10 to 20 percent. Together with our group company ENIT, we have compiled 5 expert tips on how IT solutions can help manufacturing companies save energy and manage their carbon footprint.

We'll also tell you more about why the integration of a carbon management system, ERP system and manufacturing execution system is an important factor for saving energy.

1. Press the red button and reduce standby times!

You're surely familiar with the red standby light that continues to glow even after you have turned off the TV. The TV continues to consume electricity, which accumulates quite an amount of money over the year. A similar scenario can be observed in the industry, except that the "industrial TV" is much more expensive than the one at home.

When operations are at rest, unnoticed standby loads can be easily identified and avoided by measuring them at the transfer meter. If the measurement detects unusually high standby loads, the cause should be identified in the next step. A suitable countermeasure then reduces the power consumption and thus the energy costs.

2. Peaks don't always mean peak performance – avoid load peaks!

In the case of industrial companies that consume more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year, the power (kW) is usually measured and billed by the grid operator in addition to the amount of energy consumed (kWh). With increased load on the supply grid, you will incur additional charges once a certain power consumption threshold is reached.

Time for a short digression: In an ordinary tariff, payment for power is based on the annual load peak, the highest 15-minute load recorded during the year. This annual load peak is thus determined by taking the actual power curve and averaging that curve in a 15-minute time window.

With the help of high-resolution data (15-second intervals), such power curves can be precisely analyzed, providing valuable insights for load management. This can lead, for example, to switch-on schedules for machines and plants in order to prevent an increase in the load peak and thus realize savings on the electricity bill.

3. Transformation is good – reduce transformer losses!

Transformers are often operated inefficiently and thus lead to energy losses during voltage conversion. Causes for these losses can be, for example, outdated technology, poor design, operation at inefficient operating points or other faults. The efficiency of transformers can be easily checked by measuring the transformer underside.

This involves comparing the measured data at the upstream transfer meter and the downstream measuring points. This comparison is particularly interesting during times outside of regular operation (e.g., on weekends). If there are significant inefficiencies, they can be identified immediately and potential savings can be realized promptly.

4. Stay clean –prevent harmonics!

Harmonics represent a "pollution" of the grid and are harmful for devices and machines, and crucial to operational safety. They can bring production lines and IT systems to a standstill and even lead to cable fires.

One way to avoid such operational uncertainties caused by harmonics is the high-frequency measurement of currents in the company grid. This enables the identification of causes and the targeted derivation of measures to prevent harmonics.

"Practice shows that energy saving potentials are hidden in most manufacturing plants and can be realized most reliably with the help of continuous measurement of electrotechnical parameters." Pascal Benoit, CEO at ENIT

5. Stay in motion – avoid stillstands!

By continuously measuring the energy consumption of individual machines and systems, it is possible, for example, to detect anomalies in consumption that indicate a defective machine. But how? The measured consumption is compared to historical data, which is relevant in several dimensions.

By linking energy data with production data, such as the quantities produced, you can define KPIs and identify anomalies. If more energy is consumed per unit in production than expected, it is worthwhile to examine the machine more closely and thus anticipate and avoid possible production losses and downtimes at an early stage.

How to benefit from energy management systems

It's important to know that carbon emissions are often calculated based on the standards of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG protocol). It registers all types of greenhouse gases by converting methane, nitrous oxide and other CO₂ equivalents. Besides the direct pollutant emissions within a company (Scope 1), upstream processes like power consumption (Scope 2) and indirect emissions from upstream and downstream processes of any kind (Scope 3) are measured as well.

The majority of the protocol data can be found in the ERP and MES system (about 70 percent). For the purpose of the GHG protocol, these data have to be combined with information from your energy and carbon management systems. Therefore, it is essential to integrate a carbon management system with ERP and MES applications.