Innovative energy solutions for Manufacturers
3rd Oct, 2008
IMServ Europe Ltd is an independent energy data management specialist. Simply said, it provides businesses information about how much energy they use. With government pressing for CO2 reductions and businesses having to make cuts to the bottom line, the subject matter of energy has never been as important as it is today.
More and more businesses are seeking visibility on their energy data so they can see exactly where and when energy is being consumed and identify any anomalies or wastage. This kind of information is empowering businesses to implement energy saving actions leading to lower energy bills and helping to reduce carbon emissions.
IMServ’s online data presentation tool, Energy DataVision (EDV), allows users to easily view their energy consumption across entire portfolios or single sites through one secure window. For more sophisticated energy management, IMServ’s reports can provide email alerts flagging attention to the fact that a certain threshold of consumption has been surpassed or that unusually high levels are being recorded.
IMServ provides bespoke solutions for each client. That means the complexity of the data provided is up to the customer. It can involve installing sub-meters to monitor the energy consumption of certain parts of a plant or even down to individual appliances. IMServ can even monitor other utility consumption such as water and gas.
“Before any company embarks on an energy efficiency drive they need to know what they are currently using as a baseline,” says Lucy Fitzgerald of IMServ. It’s all well and good implementing energy saving activities such as installing energy efficient lighting or machinery, but without knowing where you started from and without visibility it’smuch harder to gauge the success of your initiatives.”
For manufacturers this point is even more pertinent, as Lucy points out, because the machinery and processes they operate can use huge amounts of electricity which, in most cases, has the potential to be reduced. As well as Corporate Social Responsibility and costs benefits of doing so, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce carbon output from government targets set by EU legislation.
One of IMServ’s clients, the Kent-based Medway Galvanising Group, provides a model example of the benefits of EDV. Its engineering manager Steve Lovelock said: “It is something we should have looked at years ago. We have installed energy-saving devices, such as a heat recovery plant to heat our pre-treatment tanks – which saves around 48kW per year – but we still need to tighten up throughout the plant.
With the EDV system, each of our three units is linked to a separate electricity meter, and the office runs on a sub-meter. This allows for complete transparency across the site and has led to all departments engaging directly with their own energy management. Working together, we managed to save 10 per cent of our energy costs in year one and a further 10 per cent in year two.
From its beginnings in 1992 as an electricity data collector for energy suppliers, IMServ has evolved with the electricity market providing tailored energy solutions directly to UK businesses: helping businesses see more, save more and be greener.