Page 8 - AUTOMATED - Issue 2 The sustainability challenge
P. 8
ISSUE TWO WINTER 2014/15
TO BE OR NOT TO BE... consumption before you even buy one. By
ENERGY EFFICIENT? purchasing efficient motors, such as IE3 and
IE4 class units, and fitting older motors in
Which country do you think is the energy-intensive processes or equipment and variable speed applications with variable
most energy-efficient in the where improvements can realistically be speed drives (VSDs), energy savings can go
world? Take your time and made. up to 60 per cent for each motor.
continue reading once you’ve
decided on an answer. In fact, depending on the location and size of Intelligent industrial automation
your business, the survey might be a legal After tackling some of the easy energy wins in
The same question was addressed last year requirement. For example, large enterprises in your business, you might want to look at
by the American Council for an Energy the United Kingdom need to comply with the increasing factory and process automation in
Efficient Economy (ACEEE), who compiled Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme the long run. According to industry experts, up
an energy efficiency league table, featuring (ESOS), which came into effect in 2014. to 80 per cent of the savings a manufacturer
the world's 16 biggest economies. Perhaps can make come from improved automation –
unsurprisingly, Germany ranked first, with Italy To perform this initial evaluation, you can use and many of these savings are a result of
and the EU as a whole in second and third existing equipment like smart sensors, data reducing energy consumption.
place. China and France followed close loggers and energy monitoring hardware
behind in fourth place and the UK and Japan tools. After collecting as much relevant data By implementing intelligent automation
were tied on fifth. as possible, you need to find somewhere to solutions such as lighting or building controls,
store it and a method of analysing it. remote monitoring and self-diagnosis
Even more interesting than the rankings systems, energy consumption can be
themselves, is the fact that the 16 economies Realistic targets drastically reduced.
from the study add up to 71 per cent of the After the initial evaluation, manufacturers
world’s energy consumption. must identify what energy savings can be Plant floor equipment is gradually becoming
made and where. Whether it’s on the more digitized and connected, able to
The lesson is simple. A high GDP also means premises - by revamping or purchasing new perform high value asset and process
equipment - in the supply chain or in building monitoring and diagnostics. And the best
high energy consumption levels. So what maintenance, any energy-saving technique thing about it is that this could all be available
will count towards reducing production costs in real time across operations, facilities and
makes the top ranking countries and improving a company’s carbon footprint even the supply chain. The Internet-of-Things
and sustainability. scenario is still a few years away, but
energy-efficient? Two common manufacturers should keep an eye open for
When setting an energy reduction target, it’s existing or upcoming technologies that can
characteristics stand out: setting important to get feedback from all the parties help them reduce energy consumption.
involved, or you might end up with a set of
energy-efficiency goals and implementing completely unachievable objectives. If you’re Team effort
not certain what you could achieve and what The final, yet most important point before
policies and financial incentives encouraging support is available, you can always research engaging in the energy-efficiency debate is to
existing energy-saving schemes and get the entire team onboard. By promoting
the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. incentives. energy awareness within the company, you
multiply your chances for success. If the
Like many research projects before it, the Easy wins people in your offices, in the supply chain or
ACEEE study confirms the existence of a There are a few changes you can make on the factory floor aren’t onboard with
directly proportional relationship between straight away. Take lighting, for example. In the energy-saving initiatives, all your hard work
levels of industrial automation and energy US, it accounts for over a fifth of general will be wasted.
efficiency in industry. electricity consumption. By replacing older
incandescent light bulbs with new, What is truly needed at the moment is a
Regardless of whether we’re discussing energy-efficient ones, any business can cultural shift. We need to start looking at
energy-intensive industries like mining, significantly reduce its energy consumption. everything we do through an
metals, oil and gas, chemicals or general energy-efficiency and sustainability lens.
manufacturing, companies across sectors Another popular offender is the humble Here at European Automation we are certain
should be reducing their energy usage. electric motor. Statistics show that about a this is one of the biggest challenges industry
European Automation has compiled a short third of electricity produced globally is used by will face in the years to come.
list of top five tips for companies keen to these energy-hungry devices. Making sure
become more energy-efficient. you don’t over-specify motor requirements Imagine situation in which the ACEEE
means a 10 per cent saving on electricity compiles a league table of energy efficient
Continuous analysis businesses. Now imagine that your business
The first step in becoming 'the Germany' of comes top. Would you be surprised? Not, I
your sector is to put energy monitoring in imagine, if you had already implemented
place. You need to perform an initial these five measures. To be or not to be energy
evaluation of your company’s energy efficient? There is only one sensible answer.
consumption to identify what are the most
08 AUTOMATED | THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY european |automation
TO BE OR NOT TO BE... consumption before you even buy one. By
ENERGY EFFICIENT? purchasing efficient motors, such as IE3 and
IE4 class units, and fitting older motors in
Which country do you think is the energy-intensive processes or equipment and variable speed applications with variable
most energy-efficient in the where improvements can realistically be speed drives (VSDs), energy savings can go
world? Take your time and made. up to 60 per cent for each motor.
continue reading once you’ve
decided on an answer. In fact, depending on the location and size of Intelligent industrial automation
your business, the survey might be a legal After tackling some of the easy energy wins in
The same question was addressed last year requirement. For example, large enterprises in your business, you might want to look at
by the American Council for an Energy the United Kingdom need to comply with the increasing factory and process automation in
Efficient Economy (ACEEE), who compiled Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme the long run. According to industry experts, up
an energy efficiency league table, featuring (ESOS), which came into effect in 2014. to 80 per cent of the savings a manufacturer
the world's 16 biggest economies. Perhaps can make come from improved automation –
unsurprisingly, Germany ranked first, with Italy To perform this initial evaluation, you can use and many of these savings are a result of
and the EU as a whole in second and third existing equipment like smart sensors, data reducing energy consumption.
place. China and France followed close loggers and energy monitoring hardware
behind in fourth place and the UK and Japan tools. After collecting as much relevant data By implementing intelligent automation
were tied on fifth. as possible, you need to find somewhere to solutions such as lighting or building controls,
store it and a method of analysing it. remote monitoring and self-diagnosis
Even more interesting than the rankings systems, energy consumption can be
themselves, is the fact that the 16 economies Realistic targets drastically reduced.
from the study add up to 71 per cent of the After the initial evaluation, manufacturers
world’s energy consumption. must identify what energy savings can be Plant floor equipment is gradually becoming
made and where. Whether it’s on the more digitized and connected, able to
The lesson is simple. A high GDP also means premises - by revamping or purchasing new perform high value asset and process
equipment - in the supply chain or in building monitoring and diagnostics. And the best
high energy consumption levels. So what maintenance, any energy-saving technique thing about it is that this could all be available
will count towards reducing production costs in real time across operations, facilities and
makes the top ranking countries and improving a company’s carbon footprint even the supply chain. The Internet-of-Things
and sustainability. scenario is still a few years away, but
energy-efficient? Two common manufacturers should keep an eye open for
When setting an energy reduction target, it’s existing or upcoming technologies that can
characteristics stand out: setting important to get feedback from all the parties help them reduce energy consumption.
involved, or you might end up with a set of
energy-efficiency goals and implementing completely unachievable objectives. If you’re Team effort
not certain what you could achieve and what The final, yet most important point before
policies and financial incentives encouraging support is available, you can always research engaging in the energy-efficiency debate is to
existing energy-saving schemes and get the entire team onboard. By promoting
the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. incentives. energy awareness within the company, you
multiply your chances for success. If the
Like many research projects before it, the Easy wins people in your offices, in the supply chain or
ACEEE study confirms the existence of a There are a few changes you can make on the factory floor aren’t onboard with
directly proportional relationship between straight away. Take lighting, for example. In the energy-saving initiatives, all your hard work
levels of industrial automation and energy US, it accounts for over a fifth of general will be wasted.
efficiency in industry. electricity consumption. By replacing older
incandescent light bulbs with new, What is truly needed at the moment is a
Regardless of whether we’re discussing energy-efficient ones, any business can cultural shift. We need to start looking at
energy-intensive industries like mining, significantly reduce its energy consumption. everything we do through an
metals, oil and gas, chemicals or general energy-efficiency and sustainability lens.
manufacturing, companies across sectors Another popular offender is the humble Here at European Automation we are certain
should be reducing their energy usage. electric motor. Statistics show that about a this is one of the biggest challenges industry
European Automation has compiled a short third of electricity produced globally is used by will face in the years to come.
list of top five tips for companies keen to these energy-hungry devices. Making sure
become more energy-efficient. you don’t over-specify motor requirements Imagine situation in which the ACEEE
means a 10 per cent saving on electricity compiles a league table of energy efficient
Continuous analysis businesses. Now imagine that your business
The first step in becoming 'the Germany' of comes top. Would you be surprised? Not, I
your sector is to put energy monitoring in imagine, if you had already implemented
place. You need to perform an initial these five measures. To be or not to be energy
evaluation of your company’s energy efficient? There is only one sensible answer.
consumption to identify what are the most
08 AUTOMATED | THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY european |automation
