Over recent years, there’s been extensive coverage about the benefits of cutting energy consumption within your company. As well as helping countless businesses to creep ever-closer to their net-zero goals, sustainability efforts like switching off office lights have been helping to squash business debt and generally tick sustainability boxes.
But small in-office improvements are no help for companies that don’t also consider sustainability in more energy-expensive areas, such as their factories. Here, simply switching off lights isn’t going to cut it. Instead, reducing factory-based energy usage and costs often requires a more dedicated effort towards sustainability and changing processes.
Keep on reading to find out just a few of the best ways to cut those factory-based voltages down to size.
# 1 - Conduct an Energy Audit
Our first tip is to simply conduct an energy audit across the factory setting. As well as helping you get to grips with exactly how much energy your current factory processes require, a thorough audit will highlight any energy-based inefficiencies. And, these should go on to form the basis for upcoming improvements.
For instance, you may find that convoluted processes leave machines running for longer than necessary, or that outdated equipment is eating up electricity at an astonishing rate. Equally, employees may simply be forgetting to turn off machinery at the end of their shift. Take note, lock in, and monitor usage over a week or more to gain an accurate picture of problem areas.
# 2 - Optimize Your Equipment
Once you know which pieces of equipment are draining energy the most, you should prioritize potential optimizations that could reduce usage. Most often, this will involve upgrading malfunctioning parts and equipment, as well as generally assessing machine performance and considering whether replacement would improve the situation.
Equipment optimizations might also include specific upgrades, such as optimizing your motor systems with equipment like a variable speed drive, which can reduce energy consumption by up to 60%. You may also find it beneficial to think about the voltage within each machine. Often, it can be beneficial to install isolated DC/DC converters within equipment that has lower voltage needs, as this will improve functionality and cut energy usage down to size.
# 3 - Think About Machine Scheduling
We doubt that machinery features much in your warehouse scheduling right now, but changing that fact could also prove transformative. After all, waiting until off-peak hours to use heavy machinery can significantly reduce your factory's energy costs, and that isn’t all.
When your employees start thinking about when and how they use available machinery, you can ensure more efficient, short-term usage without the need for regular power downs and switch-ons. Instead, staff will complete every task on that machine within a dedicated time slot, and will also be far more likely to switch the equipment off when they’re done. All of which is great news in terms of overall energy usage!
Factories often fall under our sustainability radar, but your sustainability goals are sure to thank you for these essential improvements.