Energy Saving

For us that are old enough to remember, when electricity was first available in our houses, it was an incredible event. Initially it was just over head lights, but this alone was so convenient. With the flick of a switch we could see the whole room, not just a dull corner with the silhouette of a flickering candle. I remember my grand parents referring to the “electric light bill”, when it came. Of course it makes perfect sense now, but when I was a child sat in front of the television or waiting for the toaster to pop up, i used to think what a strange name for something that serves all our electrical household needs.

Who would have thought in a matter of two generations we would be analysing energy so closely. Everyday we are bombarded with newspaper  articles or television programs that are telling us we should be more aware of the consequences of  turning on that light, leaving that stereo on stand by,  or boiling that kettle with too much water in it. There are people, who are of the opinion that this is just a media and government collaboration to frighten us into using less energy, so the polar ice cap stops melting and the ozone layer stops decreasing, when really it is a well know fact that our energy capacity is not enough to serve an ever growing population. In fact, in the next twenty years we are looking at building new power stations, but because of the short term demand they will have to be, not only renewables such as wind farms but a mix of  nuclear and coal powered, which is not ideal for the countries carbon footprint.

 

This then leads on to industry, where we as home owners, sometimes forget how much energy, is needed. Take the plastics industry as an example. To manufacture something  as simple as a washing up bowl, you would first need an injection moulding machine with a modern hydraulic system, driven by an electric motor. Not only do we power the motor, but we also have to serve all on line handling and ancillary equipment. Right from pellet to finished product we need energy for many different parts of the process.

In recent times we have seen a massive increase in the price of oil, which has in turn raised the price of raw material. Energy prices have increased by in some cases by 100%. We have also seen wage demands inflate massively, which unfortunately has seen many of our UK manufacturers driven abroad to take advantage of lower overheads. What do we have left, to encourage industry to stay, well it seems many of our options are diminishing. Energy efficiency is one glimmer of hope in the plastics industry we have of  securing investment in new plant. Energy analysis on machinery more than 20 years old suggests that, with more efficient operating  and hydraulic systems, coupled with variable drive technology, we can reduce by up to 50% the energy used, by replacing that machine with new. Of course there still has to be the capital investment, but this can be justified by a swift pay back in saved energy. If the capital investment is not available, there is help now in the form of a Carbon Trust loan.

 

It is widely publicised in the news the government has signed up to the Kyoto agreement. Its aim is to  reduce greenhouse gases and cut emissions of carbon dioxide, which is the most significant of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

The latest government figures show that greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 were reduced and that the UK is on course to reduce the national total by double the target set by the international Kyoto agreement.

However, although emissions of carbon dioxide also fell, its total decline since the baseline year of 1990 was only 8.5%, substantially short of the governments manifesto pledge of 20% by 2010.

The plastics industry can now do its bit by reducing the age profile of their manufacturing plant and equipment which will therefore improve process capability, efficiency and output and help by reducing their carbon footprint. The Carbon Trust is here to help us all, by offering interest free loans on an unsecured basis and with no arrangement fees they are typically offering loans, from £5,000 to £100,000 with repayments being offered on a 12 to 48 month loan basis. This is an excellent way to take up a loan which effectively pays for itself! With increasing utility prices, the monthly energy cost saved from installing new equipment will often exceed the loan repayment. Therefore, in most cases projects can be funded from energy savings alone.

 

Another option for those looking at energy efficiency along with investment in machinery is to go all electric. Most manufacturers now offer an all electric machine, for low end tonnages. They also give advantages such as low noise emissions, high accuracy and low maintenance costs. Some will even regenerate electricity, using the latest servo drive systems. This market is growing very rapidly worldwide, even in the current financial climate, proving that, if we focus on the long term benefits, savings can be made, manufacturing can be profitable and hopefully our energy requirements can be met and the capacity can be sustained for generations to come.

 

Any further information required on all electric machines, please contact Roger Ewers.