At UniTherm International it is our goal to provide outstanding experiences and solutions for our customers. If you are in the plastics industry this post can serve as a guide to the process of outfitting your facility with UniTherm products. [Read more…]
Untapped Energy Savings in Process Heating
Almost all industrial facilities use some form of process heating, but most companies, even those with strong energy management programs, often overlook the huge potential for energy savings in hot industrial processes.
Industrial facilities make up nearly one-third of the nation’s total energy consumption and according to a recent Department of Energy study, plants with hot processes stand to save 5 – 20% on energy costs by implementing process heating system best practices.
Taking proper steps to reduce heat loss from process equipment, tanks hoses or pipes that reach temperatures of 250°F can significantly reduce energy costs in multiple ways. In many processes, temperatures often exceed 500°F requiring significant amounts of energy to maintain process temperatures and cool a facility’s ambient air temperature. For manufacturers that continuously operate production equipment, the potential energy savings increase exponentially.
The easiest and lowest-cost method of of eliminating energy waste in hot industrial processes lies in insulating process equipment, hoses and hot air ducting. UniVest systems by UniTherm are custom insulation jackets designed to snugly fit equipment and direct heat where it belongs – inside high temperature equipment. [Read more…]
A Quick Guide to Energy Management Software
If you’ve picked up any industrial trade journal or browsed the business section of the news for energy related topics, you’ve probably read about energy management software of some type. Everyone seems to agree that energy management software is the next big thing, but how will such systems actually help your business?
Energy management software generally provides options for evaluating effectiveness and ROI of efficiency projects or for measuring, tracking and controlling energy consumption to eliminate waste.
Software for Energy Efficiency Projects
With so many options to choose from, determining which energy efficiency projects to implement might seem a difficult task for any industrial facility. Employees tasked with reducing energy costs often have limited budgets and must prioritize new projects and plan for future implementation.
Through the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) division the U.S. Department of Energy offers free calculators and software tools that allow you to analyze opportunities to reduce energy costs and help you calculate possible energy savings gained from energy efficiency projects. These tools help calculate the potential return on investment or paybacks for projects, like high temperature insulation jackets, allowing you to purchase the most cost-effective projects first and achieve the greatest amount of energy savings.
Beyond software tools, the EERE also provides a variety of training courses, seminars and webinars for those interested in reducing energy costs with software. Segmented by industry, these resources offer significant insight into options available for you to reduce energy costs.
Energy Management Systems
Available as basic software that controls lighting systems or more complex systems that measure, analyze and control energy consumption, efficiency software offers many custom options for improving efficiency. Sophisticated software systems monitor every aspect of energy consumption and manufacturing emissions, store data that you can use to pinpoint energy waste and send web or cell phone alerts notifying you of any issues.
With such a large range of software options available, determining which services you need isn’t always easy. According to a recent report by business research leader Verdantix, the best method for choosing appropriate management software lies in implementing readily available, free software, choosing a reputable software provider, and clearly outlining your needs prior to the sales process.
What systems are you currently using to monitor your energy usage?
A Bright Idea: Energy Efficient Lighting
It’s a real pleasure to introduce Greg Canniff and Justin Ferrarello as UniTherm guest bloggers. Greg, a Specification Sales Specialist, and Justin, a Social Media and Marketing Specialist, both work for MH Companies, a leading provider of lighting and integrated controls solutions. We’re excited about the opportunity to share their insight about the latest in energy efficient lighting technology!
Greetings from the world of Lighting! We’re happy to offer you a glimpse into our industry through our friends here at UniTherm.
As we’re all aware, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, has become the driving factor in developing building projects across the globe. We’re asked to consider energy efficiency, environmental friendliness and sustainable methods.
Energy Efficient Lighting Options
The latest projects turning heads are those attempting to set the bar with goals of Net-Zero energy. Net-zero energy buildings operate independently of local energy grids, and some even produce more energy than they consume. We’re approaching those ambitious goals using innovative products with solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies; LED is the most widely known SSL technology.
5 Keys to Survival After the Recession: Reduce Overhead Costs & Maintain Quality
After surviving the recession, most manufacturing companies understand the importance of budgeting and reducing overhead costs all too well. Unfortunately, with energy and transportation costs rising more each day, some companies look to cut spending on vital research and innovations.
In the long run, reducing spending on product research and development can cost manufacturers significantly more as they struggle to compete with growing international manufacturers. How can companies shrink their budget without sacrificing product quality and innovation?
Crowdsourcing IT and HR Tasks
The last few years have shown a notable increase in outsourcing of human resources and information technology departments as companies seek ways to shrink company budgets without losing the skilled workforce they need to operate. Contracting third party companies for HR and IT needs enables manufacturers to offer superior benefits and take advantage of improved technology at a much lower rates.
In a discussion about the value of outsourcing human resources, business specialist Renu Chopra discusses the flexibility of outsourced programs because they “…can turn relatively fixed HR costs into variable costs that can scale with business changes such as acquisitions, divestitures, growth in new markets and contraction in times of economic downturn.”
In addition to the overall costs of outsourcing these departments, companies benefit as HR and IT firms work to improve quality of service and resources to remain competitive. Working with an agile, adaptive third party allows companies to focus spending and time on growing their business rather than updates and training for stagnant in-house departments.