Is your technical service a key partner in energy saving?

Belgium agreed with Europe to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 per cent by 2020 and to increase the share of renewable energy to 13 per cent. In Flanders, many (energy-intensive) companies concluded an Energy Policy Agreement, in which they committed themselves to permanently anchoring their energy efforts. In addition, all (non-exempt) large companies had to have an energy audit drawn up by 1 December and report the results to the Flemish government. Less well known is the European Energy Roadmap 2050, in which the EU aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050. One thing is clear: in the coming years, our companies will be encouraged by policy to further reduce their energy consumption.

Technical services in the driving seat

Technical services cannot afford not to play a role in this. Besides machine reliability, Equipment Energy Performance will become the second major factor to which a technical service can/must contribute. The question is now, of course, 'how can this be done concretely?' To begin with, one has to take a close look at basic maintenance. More specifically, lubrication and precision alignment. Problems with lubrication, misalignment and imbalance are still at the root of many failures and ... unnecessary energy loss. Applying best practices in this area can therefore not only save time and money, but also energy. 

In addition, I would focus on detecting energy leaks such as those in compressed air and steam pipes. I am often approached by people who complain that they cannot invest sufficiently in condition monitoring for maintenance. I always advise that the investment in a multi-purpose ultrasonic detection device can easily pay for itself in a few months if it is also used for eliminating compressed air and steam leaks. 

Thirdly, when replacing components, one can opt for energy-efficient alternatives. A classic example is LED lighting, but there are also electric motors with higher energy efficiency, for example. However, it is important to note here that many motors run at a partial load of 50% to 25%, and in combination with frequency drive also at slower speeds. Motors with a higher energy efficiency are often sensitive to such a configuration, and at part load at lower speeds, they sometimes consume more energy than a 'classic' motor. Blindly replacing engines with a lower energy variant can therefore potentially result in higher energy consumption. So pay attention!

The role of culture

In many companies and organisations, various energy-saving technical measures have already been implemented. There is usually still a considerable potential, but tapping into this is technically more drastic and costly. Fortunately, there is also another underutilised savings potential: the behaviour of employees. Pioneering companies in this field not only try to implement purely technical energy savings, but also invest in awareness and employee involvement, in order to achieve a real 'energy culture', by analogy with the 'safety culture'. The aim here is to pay constant attention to all possible improvements in the energy performance of the processes. 

The reason that there is still potential here is the observation that there is great variation in the energy required to achieve a given production volume. By gaining better insight into the impact of production-technical parameters on energy consumption, and by using this in a continuous adjustment towards 'best energy performance', a lot of (extra) energy can be saved at the end of the ride. 

Conclusion

Energy saving will be one of the biggest business drivers in the near future. As a technical service, it is indispensable to help shape this within the company. It is therefore time, if this is not already the case, to view your organisation through the prism of an 'energy hunter'.

EMAB framework

Maintenance managers and asset managers increasingly fulfil the role of energy manager and, thanks to a well thought-out technical policy, often contribute to rationalising the energy consumption in their company. That is why BEMAS, together with VIB and IFMA, is the driving force behind EMAB. The Energy Managers Association of Belgium is a platform for experience exchange for energy managers in industry, the tertiary sector and government. More info on www.bemas.org/nl/EMAB

Wim Van Cauwenberghe