FROM DAVE’S DESK – Energy Management
We presented our energy management solution to an enthusiastic audience from the Manufacturing Execution Systems Special Interest Group (MESA) at our offices in February and I was amazed at how little is understood of energy overall and its potential role in optimising manufacturing costs.
A summary and takeaway of the presentation offer universal appeal to anyone interested in the impact of energy on their business. Remember that Energy Management is a continuous process model: Plan, Do, Check, and Act.

- Understand the tariff structure you are under. Peak Tariffs can be as much as 5 times that of Standard Tariffs and take up 5 hours a day.
- Understand the impact of Maximum Demand Tariffs applied to your bill.
- Measure the energy distribution, if money is a constraint identify the larger circuits/loads and measure where your money is being used.
- Get the data into a sensible structure, and think out of the box regards where you can apply the potential interventions available. These being
- Maximum Demand
- Shift and Shape
- Reduce Loads
- Build a collaborative team; supplier, production, operations, quality, and whoever else may feel the impact of an energy management system. What you may think makes sense in terms of energy reduction may not be correct and have a possible impact on say product quality.
- Building the right, contextual data and using the correct reporting and analytical tools such as “what if” capability allows you to model and understand the cost implications of any intervention you may want to look at. The data will back up this ROI investment.
- Repeat until you have squeezed the system, then repeat.





