Energy Saving News
Automated Controls For Energy Saving
Engineering seems to be a fairly stable industry, stable in the sense that apart from the leading edge of engineering research, many engineers follow sound, tried and tested disciplines and processes.
This is not a criticism as it is often a wise choice as most engineers are working with established plant and within established operating procedures.
From an outsiders viewpoint it is interesting to look at various reports and news items on engineering blogs and websites.
It appears at times that it is difficult to break down established barriers, but that can be a good thing as the engineers want to be certain of a new process or method before implementing it, they do like to measure twice and cut once.
How does this impact on energy saving, well some of the greatest energy savings to be made are through engineering and engineering processors.
Jeff Whiting, energy spokesman for Mitsubishi Electric’s Energy Centre, has written an article for Control Engineering themed “Using Machine Controls for Energy Engineering.”
It is fairly technical but underlines how automated controls are a very good solution to producing substantial energy savings – as he states:
“When designing a machine engineers primarily think functionally: what are we making, how can we do that, what processes are involved?
“Energy considerations, where they are considered, usually come somewhere low down the list of goals.”
This has been the norm in engineering hence the need for retrofitted controls for many applications, as Whiting said energy saving controls or solutions were not considered when a piece of equipment was designed.
But is it not more expensive to add controls post production? Yes, it is bound to be, but there are so many applications out there from HVAC through to motors, lighting and refrigeration that are wasting energy where automated controls could save so much that the investment to retrofit is a no-brainer.
Whiting highlights this very fact:
“Extra equipment needed often pays back in energy saving in just a few months. Given that the life expectancy of automation equipment is over 12 years, substantial returns during the life of the machine can be expected.”
He also realises there is a business opportunity for those who can supply retrofit energy saving control equipment when he says there is a “window of opportunity” which provides “a competitive edge” as energy concerns and carbon emission consciousness increases.
What sort of payback can be expected, Whiting makes an estimate:
“Let’s quantify savings we could reasonably expect. Many public buildings have been retrofitted with Building Management Systems in recent years: a comprehensive study of their performance suggests that this leads to an average reduction in annual energy bills of around 15-20 per cent.
“In energy hungry industrial processes, a 20 percent energy saving could be very significant to the overall bottom line of the entire business.
“It is reasonable to take this as a rule of thumb and say a plant or machine designed for energy efficiency will be one-fifth cheaper to own and run.”
Yes, energy savings and the ensuing reduction in the utility bill means the money remains in the businesses pocket, it is part of the bottom line. Whiting estimates 20 percent saving, a substantial amount and experience shows that in many applications the savings are far greater.
Also to be considered is the increased life of the plant that is intelligently and automatically controlled, as the process often extends the life of the equipment considerably, due to lower running times and running under lower stress levels.
You may not be an engineer but it is good to see such recommendations which can support efforts to help commerce, industry and the public sector save energy.
Hopefully the engineers you meet will be excited by the prospect of smart control engineering that they can add and install in their facilities.
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
