A recent article in Information Week on getting started with your energy efficiency program had a few good tips that are worth sharing.
- Identify current power usage
Use real data which measures power utilization on an hourly basis. Contact your utility provider if you have to. - Understand how the bulk of your energy is consumed.
Once you’ve identified the peak load times, identify the major culprits. Is it a production line or particular piece of production equipment? Air conditioning for your data center? Consider getting an independent energy audit. - Look for ways to minimize energy use at peak times.
Set your charging units to kick in after midnight … not when the batteries are plugged in when people leave at 5:00 pm. Adopt a casual work environment and turn the thermostat up (to 25C) in the summer, down (to 17C) in the winter, and consider instituting a siesta. And if you run a data center, fight to bring back liquid cooling. Why try to cool an entire room when the only part of the machine in danger of overheating in a standard operating environment is the CPU? - Sniff the Air
Compressed air, like electricity, is often a necessary evil in many industries, but it is not monitored closely and systems are typically laden with leaks. Every leak (exponentially) increases the energy required to maintain the pressure. - Mechanical Drive Trains Use Energy Too
And just like variable rate motors can save energy, so can different types of gear reducers.