Using less costs less
If you reduce your energy consumption you can save money and reduce greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels.
Improvements can be made...
In the workplace
- Turn off all lights and equipment when they do not need to be operating.
- Use energy efficient office equipment and power saving functions where they will be most effective.
- Use the most efficient motors, make sure equipment is the right size for the job, that is, not too big.
- Use the most efficient lights – triphosphor tubes are cheaper to run than fluorescent lights.
- Replace incandescent globes with fluorescent tubes to save power as well as reduce air conditioning loads and reduce labour needed to change globes.
- Install skylights in the roof or walls to reduce the need for artificial lighting.
- Minimise expenditure on space heating. At 20°C, a 1°C increase can cost about 20 per cent more.
- Insulate rooms to minimise energy waste.
- Fit self closing doors to reduce heat (or cold) loss from draughts.
- Consider installing a co-generation plant to reduce energy costs and increase energy efficiency.
- Minimise the use of hot water as it costs much more than cold water.
In the process
- Improve insulation of all hot process items and steam lines to minimise simple heat loss.
- Remove frost on refrigerated coolant lines through better insulation. This will keep the ice where you need it and where it can add value to your business.
- Avoid steam leaks. A 1kg/min steam leak costs about $1/hour and $2/hour in an air-conditioned space.
- Find ways to transfer heat from hot process streams into cold streams.
- Ensure your boiler is tuned properly and that blowdown losses are minimised. Improved feedwater quality (for example rainwater) may help reduce blowdown losses.
- Require suppliers to quote the energy consumption and costs of a new piece of equipment.
When choosing energy sources
- Investigate alternative energy sources such as solar hot water, waste, bio-ethanol and wind energy.
- Use a clean fuel such as LPG or methanol.
- Use fuels with the least greenhouse impact.
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