Direct answer
Sub-meter the major consumers, build an energy baseline per production unit, and rank measures by cost per unit of energy saved with verification built in.
How this problem shows up
- Energy cost per unit rising or above sector benchmarks
- No sub-metering of major consumers
- Compressed air leaks and oversized systems
- Refrigeration running at fixed conditions regardless of load
- Waste heat rejected without recovery
Engineering responses
Measurement and baselining
Sub-metering and normalisation against production output.
Compressed air optimisation
Leak reduction, pressure optimisation, control sequencing.
Refrigeration and HVAC control
Floating head pressure, variable speed, defrost optimisation.
Heat recovery and motor efficiency
Recovering rejected heat and replacing oversized motors with VSD drives.
Engineering and project considerations
- Normalise energy to output or the baseline is meaningless
- Measurement and verification protocol should be agreed before implementation
- Efficiency projects frequently access green or sustainability-linked financing
- Behaviour and control settings decay — build periodic verification
- Some measures reduce resilience; assess before implementing
What to prepare before engaging engineering companies
- 12 months energy consumption and cost data
- Production volume data for normalisation
- Sub-metering inventory
- Equipment list of major consumers with ratings
What to measure
Frequently asked questions
Which measures pay back fastest?
Typically compressed air leak reduction, control and setpoint optimisation, and lighting — commonly under 24 months. Heat recovery and refrigeration upgrades are larger and longer.
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Continue on the platform
Independent, buyer-side and supplier-neutral
Global B2B Group does not sell machines and does not represent equipment manufacturers. This material is published to help industrial organisations define the problem, prepare the specification and structure the investment before engineering partners are selected.