Utility dependency is a global concern. As a result of world events, resource availability and climbing energy prices, sustainable operational practices are more important than ever. Tier-one consumables, such as electricity, water and gas, along with tier-two products, like steam, compressed air and heat, which are generated using tier-one utilities, power everything within the walls of industrial facilities. Optimizing resource usage is key to sustainability and profitability.
Key utilities
Utility applications for efficiency enhancements and improvements
Compressed air
Using Endress+Hauser’s energy management solutions, users can reliably identify weaknesses and savings potential in compressed air systems.
Heating and cooling systems are crucial in daily operations. Learn about waste heat recovery (WHR), district heating and cooling, process heating and cooling, saving energy and costs in this utility
Steam serves as a crucial heat transfer medium across various industries, emphasizing the utmost priority on safety throughout its production, distribution and utilization.
Optimization efforts begin with creating context throughout entire plant operations by placing the right instruments in suitable locations. These instruments generate data, which can then be aggregated and pieced together. When analyzed appropriately, the resultant insights from data collected over time tell a plant story, providing personnel with a detailed understanding of their operations. There are a few approaches the Endress+Hauser team takes to ensure detailed and accurate information:
Leveraging process knowledge
Leveraging comprehensive knowledge of process operations allows teams to work directly with plant personnel to determine measurement needs
Review current utility requirements
A holistic examination of a facility allows teams to identify strategic measurements to provide high quality data used to create insights. For example, Endress+Hauser’s Heartbeat Technology helps digitalize plants by providing diagnostics, verification and monitoring data which enables digital twin mindset
Regulatory compliance
Reviewing any regulatory compliance standards are necessary to meet all relevant standards of energy monitoring and energy and resource consumption. These regulations may be set at local, national or global levels.
The correct information leads to actionable insights for efficiency enhancements
Data collection must continue, informing efficiency gains and supporting compliance reporting. In addition, the right software tools are needed to ease procedures for moving operational data to shareable reports, which in turn can be used to communicate wins throughout a company and demonstrate regulatory agency compliance.
In one facility, poor insulation, faulty steam traps and pressure and temperature variations resulted in the condensation of steam in the pipe, causing wet steam to form. This created poor energy transmission efficiency, dangerous plug flow water hammer and condensation-induced water hammers.
To address these issues, the facility made infrastructure improvements, and additionally installed multivariable vortex flowmeters throughout its steam system to identify challenges before they occur.
How to begin efficient optimization of energy: Top questions answered
Plant managers and engineers today understand the need to monitor their core processes by using accurate, data-rich instrumentation. However, if you are just getting started and looking for ways to gain energy efficiencies, you may have some questions surrounding energy saving solutions and which technologies can help achieve this.
Discuss your production challenges with our expert
The innovative energy concept of the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich is particularly evident in the cooling generation. The energy service provider ewz uses Endress+Hauser technology to monitor efficiency.
Learn more about how to lower your energy costs with process instrumentation. Download the infographic for some tips and what to think about with your measurement technologies.
Many opportunities exist for savings in steam, compressed air, heating, cooling and industrial gases utility networks. Comprehensive energy monitoring can cut energy consumption anywhere from 5-15%.
More information about energy efficiency
Further reading on energy savings in utilities
Key Utility: Boiler efficiency
There are a variety of utilities and applications to explore to uncover energy savings. Boiler efficiency and steam quality is a good place to start.
Many opportunities exist for savings in steam, compressed air, heating, cooling and industrial gases utility networks. Comprehensive energy monitoring can cut energy consumption anywhere from 5-15%.
Operational efficiency in process control and industrial applications is critical. Plant personnel must uncover ways to save energy and costs while maintaining safety, quality, reliability and uptime.
Pierre Kellenberger Photography
