Industrial Energy

Did you know you could cut energy costs by up to 20 per cent by employing easy measures that may not cost anything?
 

This fact sheet can help you to identify the areas where you can save money and energy in the industrial environment. These changes can also improve working conditions, so it’s a win-win situation.

Energy wasting hot spots

Want to know where you can start saving energy? This useful chart gives you a good idea of areas to watch out for. The main areas you should look at are: electric motor-powered equipment, heating and lighting, boilers and steam, and compressed air. 

Heating and lighting: 22 per cent
General processes: 23 per cent
Electric motors: 20 per cent
Compressed air: 10 per cent
Boilers and steam: 15 per cent
Other (inc. transport): 10 per cent

Electrically Powered Equipment

Did you know an 11kW motor can use over £2,500 of electricity per year? Making small changes to the operation of electrical motors can save energy and money:

• Switch off equipment when not in use. Operators who leave machinery running when they go for lunch or finish their shifts are throwing money away. Sometimes staff believe that leaving a motor on is necessary for a process, or even that it is more efficient to do so. Display information about when it is appropriate to turn off a motor, pump or fan.
• Aim higher. Consider fitting higher efficiency motors to machinery, which can pay for themselves through the energy saved. The most efficient technologies on the market can be found on the Energy Technology List. 
• Variable speed drives (VSD) are devices which vary the speeds of motor-driven equipment, according to the energy demand. Fans and pumps are the best applications for a VSD. Reducing the motor speed by 20 per cent can reduce the power requirement by about 50 per cent and, therefore, energy savings can be made. 

Compressed Air

Compressed air leaking through a single 3mm hole could cost about £600 per year. So it’s worth keeping your system well maintained:

• Fix those leaks. Make regular inspections of your compressed air system and either listen for escaping air, or hire inexpensive leak detection equipment.
• Switch it off. When it isn’t needed. An typical compressed air system costs around £15,000 to run each year but many companies waste 30 per cent of this by leaving the compressor on when it isn’t required.
• Don't over-rely on compressed air. Switch to electrically powered tools and equipment where possible — it wastes less energy and saves money.

Boilers and Steam

Did you know a leak in your steam system could cost around £15,000 a year? Keep an eye on heat and steam by following these measures:

• Check it regularly. A poorly maintained boiler can waste 30 per cent in heat loss. Check it regularly and look out for these warning signs: leaking pipework, burn marks to boilers and flues, and loud noises from pumps and burners.
• Keep it under wraps. Poor insulation could account for 10 per cent of your steam or heating bill. Make sure all pipework, valves and flanges are insulated.
• Keep it cool. Check the steam temperature required for each individual process and use the lowest possible temperature of steam at all times.
• Watch out for leaks. A leak in a steam system is extremely costly. Check regularly and make sure any leak is repaired immediately.

Heating and Lighting

You could save 10 per cent of your heating costs and 15 per cent on your lighting costs, just by following these simple measures:

• Stop heat escaping. Check that your building is well insulated, especially the roof, to reduce the amount of heat loss from the building. 
• Turn it down. Did you know you can save up to 8 per cent on your heating bills for every 1°C reduction in temperature? 19-21°C is the recommended temperature for sedentary work in factories, but it can be less for warehouses or where manual work is undertaken.
• Turn it off. Make sure your heating is off when the building isn’t occupied, either overnight or at weekends. Ensure heating timers are set correctly to reflect working hours.
• Keep it closed. When not in use, keep factory and loading bay doors closed to prevent heat loss. Consider fitting draught strips or automatic openers if doors are frequently used.
• Switch them off. Switching off lights in unoccupied spaces could save around 15 per cent of your site’s lighting costs, you could also look into occupancy sensors for areas such as store rooms and corridors.
• Switch to LED. The best lights on the market are now LEDs with a brighter output, better colour range and longer life. By replacing incandescent, halogen and fluorescent lighting with LED, energy saving can be achieved. It is commonplace to reduce lighting energy consumption by more than 50 per cent when moving from traditional light sources to LEDs.  

For more detailed information on heating & lighting, see the Heating Guide and the Lighting Guide.

Take Action

Start saving energy today.

Allocate responsibility to a member of staff or small team who can drive forward energy saving measures, like these:

1. Find out how much you are spending on energy. This will give you a base figure to monitor the success of any energy saving measure.
2. Check process, heating and cooling controls to ensure they are set at the appropriate temperatures, speeds, timings.
3. Prepare a list of good housekeeping measures, including simple actions such as turning off lights and equipment. These can be put up around the office to remind staff of their responsibilities.
4. Compile an energy checklist. Walk round your premises, and complete a checklist to identify where energy savings can be made. An example checklist is available in our Better Business Guide.
5. Start raising awareness today. The Energy Saving Trust has plenty of posters and stickers that will motivate your staff to take simple energy saving measures. 

For more detailed information on energy management, see the Energy Management Guide.