Canadian businesses can save thousands of dollars by adopting proven strategies to reduce their energy consumption and optimize energy usage, and for manufacturing plants in particular, these can be a real gamechanger.
With help from a certified and experienced industrial electrician, businesses can explore the following strategies to save energy, and ultimately, save themselves money:
Use energy efficient products
Equipment that uses more electricity than is needed often wastes energy through excess heat. But by converting or retrofitting to energy efficient products like LED lighting, manufacturing plants can consume as much as 80% less energy, and be up to 90% more efficient.
Maintain regular upkeep of equipment
When equipment has alignment issues or runs hot due to a lack of lubrication, it can waste a lot of heat. This makes the maintenance and timely repair of all equipment, very important from an energy saving perspective.
With sensors installed to monitor the condition of equipment and issue alerts when repairs are needed or more energy is being used than usual, you can stay one step ahead of potentially costly energy issues.
Install variable frequency drives
Torque pulsations, extra vibrational stress and overheating motors can all be caused by phase current imbalance in three-phase systems. To supply the correct voltage and lower current consumption, install variable frequency drives, or VFDs, to help control the amount of current being supplied to electrical motors. Over time, this can bring hefty energy savings.
Check for leaks in air compressors
Research shows that improperly maintained air compressors are costing Canadian companies billions of dollars in wasted energy costs every year. To combat this, you need to find an effective method for identifying and pinpointing leaks, and fortunately, there are sonic-imaging tools available that can do exactly that.
Install systems for waste heat recovery
Even if waste heat can’t be reduced, it can almost certainly be reused with a waste heat recovery system. Enabling you to capture excess heat and reuse it for cogeneration, these systems also help companies reduce pollution levels, bringing them in line with ever-increasing targets for environmental sustainability.
Optimize energy usage
There are a few different ways for manufacturing companies to make energy savings, and here are some of them:
- Use lighting controls
LED retrofitting alone can save energy for manufacturing plants, but add lighting controls to the equation (in which sensor controls are used to detect when people are present) and you can save even more energy by dimming or turning lights off when not needed.
- Plan energy usage at off-peak times
If time-of-use pricing is used by your manufacturing plants electric utility, what you pay for electricity varies according to the time of day. By planning how your facility operates around peak times, you can save money on your energy bills.
Avoid using energy-guzzling equipment during peak hours, and if possible, shut equipment down fully during those times.
- Carry out a lighting and energy audit
With help from a licensed electrician, you can carry out an energy audit to determine the most efficient way to use both your energy, and your time. An audit conducted while walking through the facility may reveal a number of ways for you to potentially save energy, and you can also work with a local lighting specialist to identify any utility rebate programs that you may be eligible for.
Most manufacturing plants across Canada are able to save money on their energy bills if they’re willing to invest in energy-efficient tools, equipment and technology, maintain proper upkeep of machinery, and be energy-usage savvy. And while the savings might not be instant, the rewards could well be dramatic over time. Just be sure when carrying out any electrical upgrades, to always work with a fully licensed and qualified commercial electrician.