Energy audits quantify potential savings

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Energy audits quantify potential savings

September 22, 2009 Leave a comment Go to comments

Soaring energy prices and concern about climate change from man-made emissions of carbon dioxide have propelled energy efficiency to the top of the agenda in the boardroom, in public debate and in public policy. The Energy Efficiency Track provides an overview of the challenges, how governments and industry are tackling them and the Automation solutions already at hand.

Only a few industrial systems are optimally dimensioned from the point of view of energy

efficiency. It is an extremely challenging task to design an optimized plant with hundreds

of actuators, valves, pumps, fans, etc. for a complex process involving multiple parameters

from varying demand to ageing equipment. The investment cost for both the (re)design and

selection of control equipment technology still remains a major decision criterion, even if it

only represents less than five per cent of the plant’s life cycle costs.

In order for a company to reduce its energy costs, it needs to evaluate how it uses energy.

An energy audit is a systematic examination of key pump and fan applications that

includes the monitoring of energy consumed both before and after the change to variable

speed drives.

The audit defines where and how much energy can be saved by installing variable speed

drives. These figures are then translated into a potential monthly saving, i.e. this is the

reduction in energy costs possible if the equipment is installed.

Only a few industrial systems are optimally dimensioned from the point of view of energy efficiency. It is an extremely challenging task to design an optimized plant with hundreds of actuators, valves, pumps, fans, etc. for a complex process involving multiple parameters from varying demand to ageing equipment. The investment cost for both the (re)design and selection of control equipment technology still remains a major decision criterion, even if it only represents less than five per cent of the plant’s life cycle costs.

In order for a company to reduce its energy costs, it needs to evaluate how it uses energy. An energy audit is a systematic examination of key pump and fan applications that includes the monitoring of energy consumed both before and after the change to variable speed drives.

Check out the reports published by global energy leader, ABB, for more information on the subject.