There are all sorts of things you can do to cut energy costs at your plant. Some are pretty simple and aren’t that expensive to implement, while others take major investments. Some lower-cost things you can do to improve your energy savings include:
• Change Lighting– Swap out old-fashioned incandescent bulbs for energy-saving options like high-efficiency fluorescent or LED bulbs. Look at retrofit kits, when you want to replace fixtures, which is usually cheaper than replacing everything from scratch. Also take advantage of natural lighting sources. For example, skylights can let in natural sunlight and also help to naturally heat your buildings.
• Talk to Your Utility Company—Contact your local utility provider to see if they can review your usage and your plan. You may be able to save just by switching to a plan that better suits your power needs, usage levels and usage times. Or if there are competing power companies in your area, check with each to see which offers you the better deal. Some power companies also offer incentives for installing energy-saving improvements.
• Educate Employees – Make sure your employees are not unnecessarily wasting energy with wasteful practices like leaving machinery running when it’s no longer being used, leaving lights on in large rooms that aren’t occupied, and setting thermostats at temperatures that are too low or high. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, manufacturing plants can often reduce process-heating costs by up to 15% just by implementing energy-saving measures and best practices.
If you think outdated equipment or inefficiencies in your facilities might be the causes of high-energy consumption, you might want to consider an energy audit of your facility. This type of audit will give you insights into your energy consumption levels, and provide recommendations for improvements and cost savings.
Many local Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers provide energy audit services to manufacturers. Industrial Assessment Centers, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, also provide eligible small- and medium-sized manufacturers with no-cost energy assessments.
Machine drives typically account for about a quarter of the energy used by manufacturers. Sometimes the energy efficiency of plant machinery can be improved with non-cost solutions like better maintenance practices or operational procedures. However, sometimes old equipment will need to be replaced or upgraded to significantly lower costs.
If you are considering energy-saving improvements that require extra capital, here are some resources to check out for information and possible funding:
• Department of Energy Tax Credits, Rebates & Savings Library (https://goo.gl/B4tdhs)
• ENERGY STAR Building and Plants Online Tools and Resources –(https://goo.gl/OJtrpS)
• Small Business Administration Loans and Grants – (https://goo.gl/zeovzY)
