Overspending on energy

A recent analysis has revealed that the UK industry is overspending on energy by around 2.2bn. This is largely due to inefficient equipment, technology and controls. This is a huge amount of money wasted that could otherwise be invested in innovation, training and other resources.

But how can this overspending be avoided? Companies need to ensure that their machines are running as efficiently as they can. This may mean that some older, extremely inefficient machines will need replacing with more up-to-date equipment that isn’t quite as greedy for energy. Many companies are hesitant to do this, as the process can mean huge upfront costs. This may be the case, but these costs will be recovered in following years through lower energy bills. There are also financial schemes to help businesses make this transition, such as EEF and the Carbon Trust.

However, this drastic action isn’t always necessary; sometimes existing machinery can be operated more efficiently through proper maintenance and monitoring.

Condition Monitoring can be used for performance analysis to identify areas of inefficiency and opportunities for improvement. If a machine is monitored for factors such as vibration, temperature and pressure, then signs of damage, and therefore inefficiency, can be spotted early and repaired. This also significantly lessens the chance of an unexpected malfunction that could be costly to any business.

Hansford Sensors are specialists in vibration monitoring and can offer a wide range of equipment that enables effective preventative maintenance.