Having a manufacturing facility means paying high energy bills. Or, so you may just assume that’s a common part of the industry that you’re in. The truth is that there are countless things you can do to help conserve energy during your manufacturing process that will translate to lower energy bills.
Fix Your Lighting
This is by far one of the simplest ways you can save a ton of money on unnecessary energy expenses. Take a look at the lighting in your factory. You’ll likely find that lights will be on in areas where employees aren’t working or in rooms where employees only enter a few times per day. By installing motion sensors, you can help to reduce the amount of time the lights in a particular area stay on. This way, when the room is unoccupied, the lights can turn off and save you money.
Turn Equipment Off When Not in Use
It can seem so obvious but so many factories skip this simple tip that can save them loads of money on power expenses. When your machinery is not in use, say during the overnight hours, shut it off. Things like meters for feed water tanks and air compressors that run around the clock are a large drain on electricity. There’s no reason to run them when no one is around to use them. Instead, have an employee come in before the manufacturing process starts for the day and turn back on all the equipment.
Fix Your Air Compressors
Air compressors are an essential component of many automated manufacturing plants. The compressor is generally hooked up to a plethora of hoses that take the air from the compressor tank and utilize it for whatever purpose necessary. These lines can have tiny leaks that allow the compressed air to escape. Each leak can be costing you money. Do yourself a favor and regularly inspect the air compressor lines to identify leaks, even pinhole-sized ones. This way, they can be remedied and you can conserve your compressed air for the use you intend.
Shorten Up Your Door Closing Delays
If your manufacturing facility has automated doors, it’s likely that they take a bit to close. This can mean letting in cold or warm air from the outside. In addition, if you use these automatic closing doors for cold rooms, you’re letting all the cold air escape during the delayed closing. Simply have the automatic door closing sped up so that there is no delay to allow for unnecessary airflow.
Conserving energy is all about identifying where you’re losing it first. The above four places are common issues for manufacturing plants. By employing the solutions above, you can help to reduce your energy costs and save money in the long run.
Anica is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. You can connect with Anica on Twitter @AnicaOaks.
