Energize your COVID response

Saving energy without spending money is possible

Waste of resources whether it is time, money or energy is always a constant concern for all enterprises, but this pandemic has taken this concern to a new playing field. In this short guide we aim to help you minimize wasting energy through easy tips that can be followed without investing new resources in this endeavor.

From the obvious to taking it a step further and lets not forget - planning ahead

Are you in control of your energy consumption?

Review of the energy consumption of the enterprise, to evaluate where the larger consumers are. This includes electricity, petrol/diesel, gas consumption and PV panels if you have them! What energy is being consumed ‘after hours’ and is all this energy consumption accounted for?
Is the BMS being used to its full potential? What about looking at the data being logged and analysing the working pattern of a high consuming system? Training personnel in analysing energy data, identifying patterns and acting on them. Use this data to determine suitable energy performance indicators tied to production/operation levels.

Now that there is more downtime, is it possible to implement some of the most cost-effective measures identified in the last energy audit?Available personnel can carry out market research on proposed solutions

YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN MEASURE

Equipment Efficiency

€25,000 IN ENERGY SAVINGS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WHEN IMPROVING THE PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE AND AIR/FUEL MIXTURE CONTROLS OF A BOILER’S FUEL LINE

Actions that can be taken:

  • Checking ideal settings for equipment such as motors, motor-drives, air compressors, chillers, etc. Idle time can be used to experiment with new settings, detect leaks and identify upcoming problems.
  • Perform critical maintenance for equipment that is normally working all the time. Cleaning air intake grilles, coils, PVs, solar collectors and repairing pipe insulation of AC and heating systems is essential for efficient operation of these types of equipment.
  • Evaluating the performance of older equipment and putting on paper the possibility of long-term replacement/phasing out.

SIMPLE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE OPERATING PRESSURE POINTS OF AN AIR-COMPRESSOR HAS SAVED A COMPANY €4,000

A building on its own already consumes energy

EXTERNAL SHADING ON SOUTH FACING APERTURES EFFECTIVELY REDUCES HEAT WHILST STILL ALLOWING NATural LIGHT TO ENTER A BUILDING

Consider improving the envelope/layout:

  • Looking for poorly sealed apertures/gaps in walls to minimize heat losses;
  • Relocation of working areas away from hot areas;
  • Painting roofs with cool roof coating in preparation for summer;

Let there be light

Consider the following actions:

  • Adjusting the layout to benefit from more natural light without being in direct sunlight;
  • Cleaning and maintenance of light fittings, especially for reflectors and diffusers;
  • Retro fitting of reflectors to re-direct lighting were needed;
  • Sectionalizing lighting circuits to increase flexibility and eliminate illumination of large areas;
  • Retro fitting of occupancy sensors to stop lights from being left on when areas are empty or when enough natural light is present. The same sensor can be used to switch off AC units when left on.
  • Re-positioning of light fittings to ensure proper lighting distribution with the possibility of reducing the number of fittings.

IMPROVED LIGHTING NOT ONLY REDUCES COSTS BUT HAS A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON WORK PERFORMANCE

IT is always key

REMOTE WORKING ARRAnGEMENTS CAN HELP REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN A WELL PLANNED STRATEGY

Consider the below actions:

  • Are cold and hot isles properly planned in the server room? Current downtime can allow for possible re-organization of towers;
  • Reviewing printing settings of stations to ensure these are set at the most economically beneficial settings;
  • Re-consider printers available Identifying printers available and eliminating older printers by connecting more modern ones through networking were possible;
  • Allocating resources to convert paper procedures to paperless ones.

And some more ideas…

TIME IS ALWAYS KEY, BUT TIME SPARED FOR PLANNING IS THE BEST INVESTMENT OF ALL

What about looking at the below recommendations:

  • Government support schemes on energy efficiency – this is the ideal time to properly look into what is available and plan how funding can be utilised.

 

 

  • Educational programs – this is the right time to provide training to employees on energy saving practices as well as technical skills to drive the company towards better energy efficiency savings
  • Sharing concerns – this is the ideal time to reach out to other entities that can provide you with some feedback on common energy concerns
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