It has never been more urgent to rethink and radically optimize your own energy management – both in the private and especially in the business sector. In this article, we look at how industrial companies can develop their own climate strategy, why this is more important than ever right now and how energy can be saved in concrete terms.
According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment’s Climate Action Plan 2050, the industrial sector was the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in Germany in 2014 with 181 million tons of CO2, accounting for around 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions nationwide. According to the interim target for 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from industry must be reduced to between 140 and 143 million tons of CO2 by 2030. Wherever retrofit measures are carried out on production facilities or new facilities are commissioned, these must be based on the best available technology (BAT) with regard to the specific climate impact of production.
So there is still a lot to do in the industrial sector. The opportunities for optimized energy management through digitalized company processes have never been as diverse and effective as they are now. But where and how should you start?
It all starts with a strategy
Companies are no longer left to their own devices if they want to reposition themselves when it comes to energy management. With the Climate Protection Act, the Federal Government and the Bundestag have passed what is probably the most comprehensive climate protection package ever, including binding targets and specifications as well as attractive incentives such as funding and investment programs. An immediate program with additional funding of up to eight billion euros is both an opportunity and an incentive for companies to actively work towards the climate targets.
From easy-to-implement concepts to a complete climate-neutral value chain in the company – there are many different strategies in all possible forms to enable companies to produce more sustainably. As mentioned in the previous article, even simple and smart measures to reduce emissions can result in major energy and cost savings, and at a manageable cost. Because one thing is clear, of course: even if achieving climate targets is an important priority for a company, profitability and competitiveness must not suffer as a result.
For this reason, an individual strategy is needed, which should be part of the coming year’s planning – both in terms of processes and the entire corporate culture. For example, drastic changes can already be achieved in the areas of light, electricity and heat. Unnecessary electricity costs often accumulate in outdated ventilation, UPS and lighting systems. Unnecessary downtimes of machines and systems also lead to immense economic and resource-hungry measures. Digital control and maintenance mechanisms as well as suitable retrofitting for older systems can also make a massive contribution to more sustainable production.
Sustainability in companies – why is it important?
Rising material and raw material costs and sharp declines in production are currently hitting the industry with full force. The tangible effects of climate change are coming to the fore in all parts of the world and are increasingly threatening the lives of the entire human race. This should be reason enough for companies to position themselves clearly and reorient themselves.
“Six percent (55 billion euros) of German imports and four percent (just under 50 billion euros) of exports are distributed across twelve countries or regions that are considered particularly vulnerable to climate change,” according to an article by the Federal Environment Agency entitled “Many companies underestimate the risks of climate change”. “These international effects of global climate change can be particularly relevant for countries that are closely intertwined with the global economy, such as Germany (source: German Environment Agency, Final Report 15/2020, Consequences of global climate change for Germany).”
How can energy be saved in a targeted manner?
Although many companies would like to make changes, they do not have an overview of their current consumption values or do not know which hotspots consume the most resources during operation. In order to make effective changes, current values and, above all, the emission drivers must be clearly known. Once the values are known, energy consumption can be reduced step by step through targeted measures. An energy audit in accordance with DIN EN 16247-1 is one way of identifying weak points.
Energy can also be saved by purchasing new systems or by replacing individual appliance components, in some cases even during ongoing operation. Suitable, affordable and realistically implementable measures can be found for every company, for example converting to more sustainable lighting systems, replacing old supply and exhaust fans or increasing the operating time of UPS systems. Just to make the idea a little more tangible: Outdated lighting can consume up to 70% more energy than necessary. Old ventilation systems also account for around 50% of all energy costs and outdated UPS systems increase power loss by up to 15%!
In order to produce more sustainably today, a simple three-step approach is sufficient: analyze, control and optimize energy consumption. Energy wasters must be identified and, if necessary, upgraded. Companies can certainly make use of state aid for this, up to the six-figure range! However, it is not always necessary to upgrade plant and machinery. Sometimes it is sufficient to read out production and machine data automatically in order to identify and simplify unnecessary or time-consuming processes. Centralized platforms that can be networked with all devices, systems and machines via interfaces are particularly useful for this purpose.
With its visualization options for energy monitoring, KENEXOS® makes it easy to get started and provides you with all the tools you need for process optimization in construction and building technology, industry and the public sector. Test the centralized, device-independent software solution for documentation, order entry and awarding, process planning and optimization as well as complete team communication now for 14 days free of charge. You can find all the information you need at www.kenexos.com.
About KENEXOS®
With Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH (KBS for short), Kreutzpointner is setting a significant milestone in the technical development of the entire group of companies. Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH focuses on the special requirements and digital needs of industrial customers with an independent business model. The operational launch took place in October 2020.
With KENEXOS®, KBS offers corporate customers an individually expandable application platform with its own software products and focuses on the implementation of industrial applications. KENEXOS® offers modern web technology for access via a wide range of end devices and enables integration with existing systems via an API interface. The standard modules include, for example, construction site documentation, task and ticket recording, plant management and maintenance and many more. The application platform is available for in-house installation (on-premise) or as a cloud solution (SaaS).
The ideas and the technical basis for Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH have been successfully developed in recent years as part of the company-wide “Research & Development” process. In addition to the IT systems division, the new digital unit ideally rounds off Kreutzpointner’s large portfolio.
