Identifying ways to save energy at a manufacturing plant can save a business several hundred of dollars. By reducing the operating expenses of the facility, the company can ramp up production, invest in newer technology, hire more staff, and so on. According to Paul Favret, it is not too difficult to save energy at a manufacturing plant if people are smart and proactive about it. Simply turning off machinery and lights when not in use can cut down energy expenses. Replacing old high-power motors with lower-power and efficient ones may also lead to energy savings.
Paul Favret underlines a few ways to save energy at manufacturing plants
Reducing the amount of lost energy in electrical systems can often be helpful in cutting energy consumption. Moreover, some of the largest energy savings at a manufacturing plant can come from finding systems using more electricity than necessary and switching to more energy-efficient options. For instance, opting for LED lights can be a good idea at any facility today. Traditional incandescent lamps lead to a considerable amount of heat waste. This can be observed by just holding the hand near an incandescent light source. The lamp is likely to feel warm as it emits a large amount of its electricity as wasted heat. On the other hand, LEDs consume up to eighty percent less energy. They are a directional light source, and hence are able to use energy and light more efficiently. Visible light is directed wherever required and heat management is directed via rear-mounted heat sinks. Conversely, incandescent light and heat are emitted in all directions. If a manufacturing plant is outfitted with traditional light fixtures, retrofitting to LED lights can provide major cost and energy savings within two years.
Improperly maintained equipment is a major cause of electricity wastage in manufacturing plants. Very often, motors run hot owing to alignment problems, insufficient lubrication, and other issues. To prevent this waste, as well as save both energy and money, it is vital to have a proper maintenance strategy. Installing conditioning monitoring sensors that detect if a machine is using more energy than usual and provides alerts when a repair is needed can be a good idea. One may even use certain predictive maintenance tools to accurately anticipate when maintenance shall be required, providing adequate time to plan for repairs.
Paul Favret mentions that harmonic distortion in electrical systems often leads to energy loss in manufacturing plants. This issue can also raise concerns about overheating. To measure the total harmonic distortion present in a system, monitoring devices have to be used on a regular basis. After the affected machines have been identified, modifications can be made to compensate for harmonics. Typically, increasing the size of neutral conductors can be a good way to mitigate the effects of harmonics. People may even opt to separate neutral conductors for each phase conductor for the purpose of increasing the harmonic load capacity of three-phase branch circuits. More pointers on saving energy at manufacturing plants can be found online.
