What was the problem and biggest waste area identified?
Industrial process plants of all types tend to be very inefficient when it comes to energy use, in a large part because processes tend to be managed and incentivised in terms of production speed and efficiency – not energy. In this case, one of the biggest areas of inefficiency was the refrigeration units. Crucial to a meat processing plant, the system of loading and unloading from these was hugely energy inefficient – with the doors open up to 5 hours every day!
The Solution
As with all energy management projects, the process began by installing real-time energy monitoring – Eniscope. This allowed the team at Lumen, and the client themselves, to see in minuteby-minute resolution where energy was being wasted. The refrigeration units were quickly identified as a big energy waste culprit. In the spirit of collaboration that is central to their company philosophy, Lumen began a consultation with all levels of the DIHEGO hierarchy to develop a solution. The key was to save energy, without impacting process efficiency.
The Importance of Engagement
That consultation process was key and a lot of time was spent educating, training and brainstorming with the staff at DIHEGO to ensure they were fully on board with the energy saving mission. In the end, it was the floor-level operatives themselves that came up with the best solution. Instead of leaving the doors open during the whole process, they would stack the food outside of the doors – then shift it inside in one go. This new process reduced the time the doors were open to just 30 minutes – with a huge cumulative energy impact.
Headline Figures and Savings
- Monthly Cost Savings $7000
- Annual Cost Savings $84,000
- Energy Savings Up To 36%
- ROI Period 3 Months