Genesis Now, on behalf of Automotive Supplier Excellence Australia (ASEA) in cooperation with Complete Lean Solutions, has developed an ‘Energy Diagnostic’ for manufacturers.
This request from ASEA arose from their realisation that Genesis Now’s energy efficiency projects in Australian car parts manufacturers were identifying very significant savings opportunities, and many of the low cost, easy to implement actions were being completed (and saving energy and cost) before the energy audit investigation and opportunities list was completed. So ASEA asked for an ‘Energy Diagnostic’ which would:
- be completed quickly (four calendar weeks, four working days)
- make energy consumption (quantity and patterns) and costs visible
- analyse patterns of electricity and natural gas usage, including yearly, monthly, weekly and hourly patterns
- investigate the relationship between energy consumption and, e.g.:
- production quantities and product types
- working hours / non-working hours, or day, afternoon and night shifts
- ambient temperature (hourly data) or seasons
- compare and benchmark average electricity and natural gas prices paid (compared with other similar sized manufacturing clients in the same geographical region)
- check the accuracy of a sample of electricity and natural gas invoices
- check the appropriateness of network tariffs, demand levels, and other charges
- identify and quantify the 3 – 6 high priority energy efficiency opportunities, including calculating the likely energy savings and cost savings.
This approach allows a company to start saving energy very early in their energy efficiency project.
Our experience using this ‘Energy Diagnostic’ with manufacturers (including those outside the automotive sector), shows that companies can reduce energy costs by 5 – 15% without requiring a capital investment.
Only once the actions flowing from the Energy Diagnostic are underway and the company is getting real ‘runs on the board’ do we move to the stage of identifying the further energy efficiency opportunities which require more detailed engineering investigation (and probably a capital investment).