Make the most of what you have

Trends like online shopping, just-in-time production and delivery, and increasing warehouse costs are forcing logistics operators to deliver more frequently, which often means under-capacity loading. At the same time, fuel and vehicle costs are going up and consumers are conscious of the environmental impact of the products they buy. Logistics pooling can help companies to maximise loads and minimise the number of trips and distance travelled, resulting in lower overall transport (fuel, maintenance) and personnel costs.

Companies can generate energy for their own use and improve their overall energy efficiency by modernising existing equipment.

Simple measures like replacing old boilers with new ones can increase their efficiency by up to 15 %. The highest energy savings can be achieved in cases when companies retrofit old boilers (e.g. coal or oil-fired units) to run on more efficient natural gas or other alternative fuels.

Out with the old and in with the new...

•  Measures costing € 360 000 lower energy consumption and save some € 50 000 annually
•  Infrared heaters in production area reduce related energy consumption by at least 10 %

UNICORN-ESK in Slovakia is a mechanical engineering firm specialising in welded and machined parts. As an energy-intenstive sector, management explored ways to modernise its heat production, distribution, and related energy use across the property.

Long overdue upgrade yields huge savings

• Upgrading the 30-year-old liquid storage heating system saves nearly € 70 000 in energy costs annually
• The significant € 335 000 investment could be recuperated in under 5 years

Rubber manufacturer from the Czech Republic implemented an energy-saving project to replace its steam heating system for liquid storage by a more efficient electric unit.

Many production processes generate heat that escapes out windows or other openings in the building. That is a waste, especially when it can be used to preheat incoming air, water or other media as part of the building’s overall ventilation system.  

Recovering waste heat like this, companies save energy and cut operating and administrative costs at the same time.

Public building in Prague gets bespoke ventilation and heat recovery

• Well-ventilated indoor environment considered worth the premium for an office refit
• Energy consumption reduced by ~600 GJ per year
• Annual energy cost savings estimated at ~€ 9 000

An administrative building in Prague, the Czech Republic was fitted with a bespoke ventilation and heat-recovery system implemented during a recent refurbishment. The aim was to optimise air circulation  in the building and minimise heat losses during ventilation.

Measuring and control systems (MCS) are used to automatically control both manufacturing and non-manufacturing processes, including monitoring, visualisation and evaluation.

Ageing induction motor got an overdue upgrade

• Upgrading VSH’s 45-year-old electric induction motors yielded results
• Reduced energy consumption of ~388 GJ, saving € 34 567 yearly
• Investment in motor efficiency controllers will pay for itself within 3 years   

The Czech company VSH produces and sells building materials, including a cement plant which was built in 1973.

Why not be more ambitious? 

• New pump with frequency inverter delivered energy cost savings of nealry € 20 000 annually
• Return on investment was 2.1 years

The company Paramo, Czech Republic, which produces and sells fuels, motor and process oils, asphalt and coatings for the construction industry, implemented an ambitious energy-saving project to replace its cooling-circuit pump.