As a power intensive sector, the manufacturing industry is required to look at innovative ways to pare down energy consumption. While there are numerous devices available in the market, the question here is not only about reducing energy consumption, but also operational costs while remaining competitive.
Not only is the Indian manufacturing sector one of the major contributors to the country’s GDP but it also plays a crucial role as an employment generator. From MNC’s and large-scale companies to even MSME’s in manufacturing, have considerable contribution in the growth of the sector. However, keeping expenses in check is a priority and hence, the need for energy efficiency which, if done correctly, not only contributes to significant savings in the long term but also helps in reducing the adverse effects on the environment and controlling pollution.
Keeping this in mind, more and more manufacturers are becoming energy efficient, contributing towards reducing their global carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. Internationally and locally, the focus on adopting greener and sustainable practices is rapidly increasing. There is an overall push towards a green economy, in turn encouraging manufacturers to adopt sustainable business practices.
From digital and paperless documentation, cloud computing, automation and use of emerging tech like AI, ML and AR for smarter and energy efficient operations, manufacturing and other industries, are working hard to inculcate greener solutions while maintaining production and profits.
This being said, there is a prevailing misconception that introducing greener and sustainable solutions is expensive. This is the reason many manufactures still operate the old school way. Creating awareness among these manufacturers is going to be of utmost importance to make them the importance of becoming energy efficient and using sustainable business practices, which will prove to have multi-pronged benefits.
Steps Towards Becoming Energy Efficient
Praful Shende, CSMO, BFW, explains that their company is committed to be socially responsive towards the environment. CSR is part of their value system. Right from the beginning, adopting sustainable practices have been one of the priorities. Recently, the company implemented Rooftop Solar Power for shop floors. “In 2018, BFW partnered with Enerparc Energy for installing rooftop solar projects. The capacity of 980 kWp solar plant has been installed on two shop floors. The solar plant generates approximately 15 lacs of units annually thus helping BFW to meet the major portion its power needs through green energy and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. This solar energy has been most effective, helping BFW to offset 1350 tons of carbon emission every year since installation of the solar plant,” Shende said adding that another energy efficiency accomplishment at BFW is optimizing manufacturing operations by using battery operated vehicles & forklifts for internal material movement at the shop floors.
Sudhir Shenoy, Head Sustainability – India, Middle East & Africa, Henkel Adhesive Technologies, said, “At the corporate level, we are guided by our vision and mission of improving energy efficiency by a factor of 3, which in simple terms means having a year-on-year reduction in energy footprint by 3 per cent, reduce carbon dioxide emissions periodically and move consistently towards being climate positive by 2040.”
Shenoy further explained that at shop floor level, they drive this vision through LEED design layouts in buildings with implementation of natural lighting, heat reflection sheets and paint in buildings. The high energy consumption motors have been replaced with energy efficient ones, installing variable feed drives on motors. Furthermore, they are using piped natural gas in thermic fluid heaters instead of diesel, automatic temperature control on vessels and tanks with water heating systems. The conventional lights on the shop floor have been replaced with LEDs and they are using motion sensors among other to become more energy efficient. They have also installed solar renewable energy both onsite as well as offsite through PPA and offsite wind energy.
What Works Best
While there are many ways in which manufacturers can become energy efficient, some prove to be more efficient than others.
Elaborating on the subject, Kirit Joshi, Co-Founder and Director, Spacewood Group, said, “Switching to solar is one of the most efficient and obvious moves for industries, when one thinks of greener practices. While this is true, sustainable practices go much beyond this. To start with, conducting an energy audit to identify wastage and consumption patterns, can help create a better understanding of the energy requirement, on a daily and monthly basis. Optimising this consumption by ensuring zero wastage, and maximising output, could be step one. Bifurcation of heavy energy consumption Vs. routine consumption can be made and the latter can be sourced with smaller set ups of solar power, to further reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Functions like lighting, cooling and heating, for example, can be switched to solar while heavy duty machinery functions can be still carried on with regular electricity source. Not only will this help reduce costs, but also the carbon footprint and the operational efficiency.”
Shende explained that special emphasis is put on the lighting technologies that can be used in the manufacturing processes. Lighting controls, retrofit wireless controls, LED signage’s instead of CFL, etc.
Implementing energy-efficient designs & technologies in the manufacturing can prove to be feasible and beneficial “Adding to this, BFW aims to create a sustainable manufacturing eco-system, developed by its own IoT technology and business model, IRIS. Addressing smart manufacturing processes, this integrated technology devices monitors the energy consumption of every equipment and machine connected. It helps in measuring the power consumption while the connected machine is not in production.”
Shenoy said, “We consider devices and equipment which are primarily safe by design, an aspect where we place a lot of emphasis. Further, the devices should be from reliable and approved vendors, conform to the plant layout and be safe in operation.”
Continuing the Progress
Companies like Dormer Pramet are taking several steps towards reducing energy consumption and bringing down CO2 emissions by implementing new insulation on its furnace coating, the manufacturer improved the heating of its CVD coating reactor, significantly shortening cycle time. This not only resulted in improved deposition conditions, which affects the evenness of the coating on inserts, but it also generated a positive environmental impact, reducing CO2 emissions by 25tonnes per year.
Becoming energy efficient is one thing, to maintain is another. Manufacturers need to take the right steps and create awareness among employees to adapt to it. Giving a few examples of how companies can become energy efficient, Shende said that conducting an energy awareness program periodically in the employee training sessions, regular campaign on social media, providing typical tools for energy conservation are some of the ways to go about it. Furthermore, natural ventilation in the buildings should be preferred and power should be derived from solar energy. Charging stations should be solar powered and employees should be motivated to use the stairs instead of elevators or escalator in to the office premises among other things.
Shenoy asserted that besides having conducted training on the best operating practices on energy management and more specifically on the use of embedded checklists, training on energy auditing, ISO 50001 and its implementation, they have also organized site-wise energy management workshops. “As a global company with sustainability as a core focus area of its strategic framework, we have been conducting sustainability training for our employees. As a result, today, our 52000 employees are Sustainability Ambassadors. I opine that some or all of above trainings will provide the necessary impetus to drive energy efficiency,” he concluded.