Energy efficiency for industry: why is it the need of the hour?

Energy efficiency today is the keyword for sustainable development across several economies all across the globe. With intense focus driven towards combating the trends of climate change via greenhouse gas reduction, more and more industry leaders are now investing both time and money on energy efficiency for industry.

Strategic practices for energy management, along with energy-efficient operations, serve as a paramount action when it comes to the achievement of these goals. Any industry that has been optimized for energy efficiency, as well as cost effectiveness, might not actually achieve the absolute least of energy consumption. However, the focus here is on the achievement of a perfect balance between use and cost that helps business owners use energy resources as efficiently as possible.

Read: A Detailed Overview on Energy Efficiency for Industry and the Future of Energy

Why should industries focus on energy efficiency?

Today, we live in a scenario where the world is struggling with several problems associated with the perpetual population increase. Gas and oil, along with several other major industries, are trying their best to keep up with the increasing global demands for energy.

This mix of critical energy challenges is primarily characterized by stringent regulations, volatile prices, as well as insatiable consumer demand. Fortunately, with the protocol for energy efficiency for industry in place, you can reduce the overall energy consumption while minimizing the global waste product that comes from industries dedicated to manufacturing or similar stances.

So, what exactly are the underlying benefits of energy efficiency for industry?

Energy Efficiency for Industry: A Quick Glance

Industrial methodologies for energy efficiency come with a widespread positive impact on the business. Although most of this positive news revolves around greenhouse gas emission or energy savings, there are multiple indirect benefits with regard to productivity in the industry. Here are some of the indirect benefits listed out:

• Maintenance and operation savings
• Capital cost reduction (Immediate and future)
• Compliance cost reduction
• Enhanced employee productivity
• Better competitive spirit
• Creation of wealth and jobs in the industry

Energy Efficiency Protocol: Identification of the Weak Points

Almost every industry tends to face a commonly occurring challenge which is:
“Improvement of Productivity with Reduction of Energy Consumption”

As governments try their best to enforce tough energy-related regulations with regards to efficiency and emissions, the overall pricing for energy is now skyrocketing. With no measures in place to counteract the negative effects of the price hike in energy, industries might easily start to die out due to losses.
The great news is that the industries with lower productivity levels can do much more if only they learn to manage the factors that might have been stalling the progress scenario. When talking about the energy efficiency for industry, understanding the engineering/technical reasons could help locate why productivity has been poor with minimal returns.

So, what are the methods that can be used for energy efficiency for industry?

Efficient Solutions for Modern-Day Industries

The first thing to be done by an industry owner who wishes to invest in efficient protocols is to look for a reliable team that can get the job done in the right way. While you might try to do it all on your own, it isn’t simply a wise choice.

This is due to the fact that professionals that deal with energy efficient services know what goes into the protocol. They know the dos and don’ts of the industry with highly efficient strategies in place for maximum efficiency. They have years of experience to understand exactly what works and what doesn’t, which saves you a lot of time and money. This is why trusting a professional is the key to ultimate energy efficiency for industry.

Here are some of the methods used by professional service providers to introduce energy efficiency for industry.

• Assessment of the industry needs (Control and Instrumentation)
• Minimization of temperature or pressure losses
• Selection of efficient equipment (Pumps, motors, drives, etc.)
• Maintenance of energy-efficient standards
Core process modifications

How can industry owners reduce unwanted energy costs?

In order to make the manufacturing unit way more efficient in terms of energy at minimal expenses, companies can follow the protocols listed below:

1-Hire a team for efficient energy management:
One of the main reasons most of the cost-saving and energy management initiatives fail is due to the fact that there is no particular team in place to handle the situation. No one knows who is to take responsibility and what job is to be done by whom. This is why it is critical to hire a professional management team that knows how to get the job done in the best way possible. Bring in a service provider with a positive history that shows results with various niche-specific domains.

A team that knows the do-how of energy efficiency for industry can bring in better results while you get more time to focus on your company and handle it better.

Read : Detailing the Various Aspects of Energy Efficiency for Industry

2-Energy Audit for the Company:
An energy audit is another crucial factor that comes into play when you are looking for methodologies that can help reduce energy usage at minimal pricing. This can easily be performed by a dedicated team to check which operations in your company are using the maximum amount of energy along with suggestions that can help reduce the same. It will also help with the appropriate identification of the peak consumption times throughout the year. Your dedicated team will also offer top-notch recommendations that suggest which protocol will help save energy with the best investment return.

3-Strategic Use of Schedule Machinery:
With the use of the information collected from the industry’s energy audit, you can consider which particular machine consumes the maximum amount of energy to function. If possible, try to schedule the operation of such machines outside the peak hours. The peak hours tend to constitute about 30 percent of the bill paid by the manufacturing units.

4-Schedule the Start-Ups and Shut-Downs:
If most of your machines require manual start or manual shut down, the best move would be to opt for scheduled operations. With manual labor in the scene, there is a big possibility that your workforce might be running the machine beyond its required time. This can happen due to various issues and requires proper scheduling to ensure energy isn’t consumed for a period more than what is required by your manufacturing unit.

5-Air Compressor Optimization:
Another great protocol that can be adapted by business owners for energy efficiency for industry is through the optimization of the industrial-level air compressors. The compressors can be blamed for the consumption of a large amount of energy that ultimately goes to waste. While some are designed poorly, others are simply maintained improperly.

If you happen to have a single leak in the system, it can cost more than $500 for your business on a yearly basis. This is just a single leak we are talking about, and chances are, your air compressor might have multiple issues leading to high energy bills. So, this is one way to ensure that the businesses run optimally with maximum efficiency in place.

6-HVAC Audit:
Your HVAC system is responsible for the effective maintenance of comfort and air-quality within the production floor. Further, it is directly responsible for 50 percent of all energy consumption in your building or manufacturing unit. There are several variables that dictate the efficient operation of your HVAC system.

This is something that can easily be done by your dedicated energy management team. Depending on the energy consumption level, your team might suggest a complete system replacement, maintenance, or repair of critical parts of the same.

Conclusion

Although at first glance, energy efficiency for the industry is something that might not seem as important for your unit, a deeper glace would surely show how critical it is. With a dedicated team for energy efficiency for industry, you can focus on the macro-economic industry develop while exploring the broader possibilities for a positive industry as well as environmental impact.

Wishing you could bring down the energy consumption at your manufacturing unit? We are here to help! At Keiken Engineering, we opt for the best and most innovative strategies that help reduce the overall energy consumption at minimal capital investment. Our team is known for the reliable strategic workout of your work model to ensure there is no wastage of energy. To hire us today, give us a quick call at +34-93-681-1650. You can also send in your queries at info@keiken.es.

Brine Disposal: How do efficient desalination plants get rid of this toxic remnant?

Gestión de la salmuera en desaladoras de interior

If you have never heard about desalination plants, let us give you a quick idea of what it is. In essence, as the planet struggles with the freshwater availability, modern technology has made it possible for manufacturers and large industries to convert saline or saltwater from the sea to be used as freshwater. At present, the desalination process is a tad bit pricey to be implemented for common use. However, it is efficiently being used by industry owners and large-scale manufacturers to save freshwater.

When efficient desalination plants work on the conversion of salty seawater to freshwater, the resulting remnant is a toxic form of a compound called Brine. This brine is a highly salt-dense compound that is evidently passed back into the sea by most desalination plants. However, efficient desalination plants do not do the same.

So, what are the side effects of brine added back to the sea?

Side effects of brine in seawater

Brine, when pushed back into the seawater, can have a drastic impact on the salt-water ecology. Here are some issues that might surface when this is done on a large scale.

• The toxic effect on the fishes and other marine life
• Reduction in the oxygen levels present in the seawater
• Ecological disturbance of the seawater food chain
• Brine deposits on the sea/ocean water base can lead to the destruction of sea plants

This being said, with the help of efficient desalination plants, you can reduce or eliminate any risks associated with rampant disposal of brine in the sea or any other place. Today, desal technology has been evolving at a rapid pace. This is why the efficient desalination plants today work in a far efficient manner both in terms of the brine being produced or energy used for the production of desalinated water.

Why countries need desalination of seawater?

With rising instances of depleting groundwater as well as freshwater levels, it has become important for countries all over the globe to come up with an alternative that can keep up with the need for freshwater. The only possible way is to opt for sea/ocean water desalination.
However, this should always be done while ensuring that there is the least adverse impact on the environment all around us.

Here are some ways in which efficient desalination plants work with the environment to carefully dispose of the toxic brine for minimal adverse effects.

1-One popular choice opted by most desalination plants is to mix it with the sea water before being pumped out properly. This helps with the dilution of the brine and aids in the reduction of the overall side effects that come from the dumping of brine into the ocean or seawater.

2-Another way to go about it is to dispel the brine in places where the water current is at its strongest. This helps in a way that the salt is easily mixed with the ocean/seawater as opposed to settling down. This efficiently reduces any negative impact of brine being added to the seawater.

3-Yet another popular way for the efficient desalination plants is to make use of brine rather than dumping the same in the seawater. For example, brine can be made use of in the meat-packing and preservation industry. It can also be used for pickling.

4-Brine is also being used with the cooling and refrigeration systems. Why is that? This is because brines are helpful in the transfer of heat and work as a powerful media given the low temperature for freezing. Not just that, brine is also known for its lower vapor pressure. This makes it perfect for being used in refrigeration systems.

5-Brine is also perfect for use in inland cropping that helps irrigate the crops that are salt tolerant. It could also be used during fish farming as well as the production of table salt.

Realistic and Most Successful brine Disposal Methods

If you get in touch with a reliable team working with efficient desalination plants, you will come across some of the solutions listed below for brine disposal.

1-Mixing Diffusion Dilution

In order to avoid the brine’s plume effect, it needs to be disposed of with the strongest sea current in the area to ensure that the brine efficiently mixes up with the seawater. For enhancement of the brine diffusion, a separate solution is prepared for the perforation of the pipe that runs through the seafloor.

2-Surface Water Discharge

In several instances, brine is discharged into the surface of the water bodies like lakes, rivers, or reservoirs. This is an easy solution for desalination plants. However, the efficient desalination plants need to do this in compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

3-Evaporation Pond

In this process, brine or the highly concentrated salt water can be allowed to accumulate within a pond or surface impoundment that helps with the further concentration of the brine as the water within evaporates. For this process, there is no requirement for a federal permit. However, some local state governments might need regular monitoring of the same.

4-Land Application

In the case of crops that are tolerant to the high amount of salt, brine can be used for irrigation of the land and result in successful crop growth.

5-Deep Well Injection

Another method opted by efficient desalination plants is to inject the brine within the porous space of the subsurface formation of rock. However, even though the process isn’t as harmful to the environment, it might be a costly process, given the fact that it requires the plants to drill and maintain the well in the long run. Not just that, you would require a permit for the same, which generally includes rigorous evaluation as well as site monitoring by the local authorities.

6-Dust Control

Another friendlier way to dispose of the brine by efficient desalination plants is to use the same for dust control in places where the climate is dry during the summer months. It can easily be applied to the fields or roadways via the spray method.

7-De-Icing Agent

In the traditional scenario, road salt helps with the suppression of ice present on the roadways with colder climates. Instead of opting for road salt, brine can be used to tackle the snow levels on the road.

Conclusion

Brine is something that can be a burden on both the efficient desalination plants as well as the environment. The key is to opt for cost-effective methodologies that keep the overall financial requirements within the bay. One must always keep in mind that there should be minimal negative comes to brine disposal. A method can be dubbed eco-friendly and cost-effective only if it causes minimal damage to the environment while reducing the effects on your pockets. This is what efficient desalination plants do for you.

Want to opt for efficient desalination of sea or saltwater for your manufacturing unit? You can place your trust in Keiken Engineering. Our innovative and experienced approach in the management of your industrial projects will help bring down the overall costs required while being minimally damaging to the environment. To know more about our work, write to us at info@keiken.es. You can also give us a quick call at +34936811650.