Energy Audit Report for ABC (Pvt) Ltd

MBA 5223 Environmental Management

Trimester VI

Master of Business Administration (2016/18) – Weekend Programme

Postgraduate and Mid-Career Development Unit
Faculty of Management and Finance
University of Colombo

December 15, 2018

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The Team

Registration Number Name

2016/MBA/WE/13 Danushanth, SY

2016/MBA/WE/17 De Silva, KSR

2016/MBA/WE/18 De Silva, BPL

2016/MBA/WE/27 Eshanga, KLM

2016/MBA/WE/29 Fernando, WDH

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Executive Summary

ABC is a global product specialist that develops, manufactures and markets high-quality
gaskets for plate heat exchangers. The factory is located at Boralesgamuwa. ABC consists of
two energy intensive plants which manufacture two products namely; Rubber Compound and
Gaskets for Plate Heat Exchangers.

Presses, Ovens and Extruders consume 20%, 18% and 15% of the total electricity
consumption at ABC respectively.

Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) for gasket production is 47 MJ/kg and the base load is
1,468 GJ. SEC for rubber compound production is 0.164 kWh/ kg (0.590 MJ/ kg) and the
base load is 49,051 kWh (177 GJ).

Following recommendations are made to improve energy efficiency at ABC:

 Improve insulation of Presses (7.1)
 Modify the electric ovens to reduce inrush current (7.2)
 Replace existing pumps with correctly sized pumps (7.3)
 Carry out leak surveys regularly and fix leaks of compressed air lines (7.4)
 Replace linear fluorescent lamps and high bay lamps with LED equivalents (7.5 and 7.6)
 Adopt effective housekeeping practices (7.7)
 Improve ventilation in the pump room (7.8.1)
 Load shifting of Ovens (7.8.2)
 Consider an absorption chiller instead of a compression chiller (7.8.3)
 Insulate steam inlet pipes of Presses (7.8.4)
 Develop an Energy Management System (7.8.5)
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Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................ii

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. v

List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ v

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Objectives .................................................................................................................... 1

2 Methodology....................................................................................................................... 2

2.1 Time Duration ............................................................................................................. 2

2.2 Sampling Institution/ Site ............................................................................................ 2

2.3 Method of data collection ............................................................................................ 2

2.4 Data Collection ............................................................................................................ 2

Collected data are analyzed in the following Sections of the report. ..................................... 3

3 Electricity Consumption ..................................................................................................... 4

3.1 Power Supply and Distribution ................................................................................... 4

3.2 Tariff Plan ................................................................................................................... 5

3.3 Installed Capacities ..................................................................................................... 5

3.4 Load Profile Analysis .................................................................................................. 6

3.5 Load Balance ............................................................................................................... 7

3.6 Energy Balance ........................................................................................................... 7

3.6.1 Electrical Energy Balance .................................................................................... 7

4 Energy-Production Correlation......................................................................................... 10

5 Thermal Comfort .............................................................................................................. 12

5.1 Temperature and Relative Humidity ......................................................................... 12

6 Lighting ............................................................................................................................ 13

6.1 Illuminance ................................................................................................................ 13

7 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 14

7.1 Improve Insulation of Presses ................................................................................... 14

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7.2 Modify the Ovens ...................................................................................................... 15

7.2.1 Option 01: Modify Electric Ovens into Steam Power ....................................... 15

7.2.2 Option 02: Modify Electric Ovens by Adding Soft Starters .............................. 15

7.3 Replace Existing Pumps with Correctly Sized Pumps .............................................. 16

7.4 Carry out Leak Surveys regularly and Fix Leaks of Compressed Air Lines ............ 16

7.5 Replace Linear Fluorescent Lamps by LED ............................................................. 17

7.6 Replace High Bay Lamps with more Energy Efficient Types .................................. 17

7.7 Adopt Effective Housekeeping Practices .................................................................. 17

7.7.1 Reduce Usage of Split AC ................................................................................. 18

7.7.2 Turn off Lights When Not in Use ...................................................................... 18

7.7.3 Turn off Industrial Fans When Not in Use ........................................................ 19

7.8 Other Recommendations ........................................................................................... 19

7.8.1 Improve ventilation in the pump room .............................................................. 19

7.8.2 Install a Power Meter for the Ovens Section and maintain the maximum
demand by shifting the starting times of ovens ................................................................ 19

7.8.3 Consider an Absorption Chiller instead of the Compression Chiller ................ 20

7.8.4 Insulate the steam inlet pipes of Presses ............................................................ 20

7.8.5 Develop an Energy Management System (EnMS) ............................................ 20

References ................................................................................................................................ 22

Annex 1: Load Profiles ............................................................................................................ 23

Annex 2: Load Balance ............................................................................................................ 24

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List of Tables

Table 1: Energy Audit Work Schedule ...................................................................................... 2

Table 2: Summary of Installed Capacities ................................................................................. 5
Table 3: Summary of Electrical Parameters .............................................................................. 6
Table 4: Monthly Electrical Energy Balance ............................................................................. 8
Table 5: Temperature and Relative Humidity ......................................................................... 12
Table 6: Summary of Artificial Lighting Installations ............................................................ 13
Table 7: Lux Levels ................................................................................................................. 13
Table 8: Compressor Leak Test Measurements and Results ................................................... 17
Table 9: Production Batches and Energy Consumption for Oven No. 2 ................................. 23

List of Figures
Figure 1: Electrical Distribution ................................................................................................ 4
Figure 2: Installed Capacities Distribution ................................................................................ 6
Figure 3: Energy Balance for Transformer 01 and Transformer 02 .......................................... 8
Figure 4: Electrical Energy Balance .......................................................................................... 9
Figure 5: Energy- Production Correlation for Gasket Production ........................................... 10
Figure 6: Energy- Production Correlation for Rubber Compound Production........................ 11
Figure 7: Single Layer Operation while Steam supplied to all three Layers ........................... 14
Figure 8: Using a Soft Starter .................................................................................................. 15
Figure 9: Compressed Air Leakages ........................................................................................ 16
Figure 10: Unnecessary Lighting ............................................................................................. 18
Figure 11: Industrial Fans Turned On Unnecessarily During Breaks...................................... 19
Figure 12: An Un-insulated Steam Header and a Steam Leak ................................................ 20
Figure 13: Load Profile of Transformer 01.............................................................................. 23
Figure 14: Load Profile of Oven No. 2 .................................................................................... 23
Figure 15: Voltage Imbalance of Transformer 01 ................................................................... 24
Figure 16: Current Imbalance of Transformer 01 .................................................................... 24
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1 Introduction

Energy is one of our most pressing environmental concerns. While demand for energy is
growing rapidly, its conventional source – fossil fuels – is declining in availability and
discouraged due to adverse environmental consequences. Therefore, Renewable Energy is
sought for from the supply side whereas Energy Efficiency is encouraged from the demand
side (IEA, 2018). As far as environment is concerned, the greenest unit of energy is the one
saved rather than the one used no matter how cleaner it is generated; hence the importance of
demand side energy efficiency is emphasized. According to Roy (2018), if 1 USD is needed
for a particular supply side intervention, less than 0.5 USD is needed for an equivalent
demand side intervention.

In Sri Lanka, Industries account for 30% of electricity sales of the Utility (CEB, 2017).
Therefore, industries have a major role to play in Energy Efficiency. This study intends to
conduct an Energy Audit in a selected factory belonging to an energy intensive industry, as a
case study to identify energy efficiency measures which can be implemented to reduce its
energy consumption.

ABC is a rubber products manufacturer under the ABC brand located at Boralesgamuwa.
ABC operates around the clock except one shift from 10.00 pm on Sundays to 6.00 am on
Mondays. ABC consists of two energy intensive plants that manufacture two products
namely; Rubber Compound and Gaskets (for Plate Heat Exchanger). Rubber Compound is
manufactured in the Mixing Plant which incorporates a DC motor drive and a dump mill. Part
of the output of the Mixing Plant is used in the Gasket Production Plant where the compound
is processed by extrusion, compression molding and post curing. The rest of the Mixing Plant
output is dispatched to another factory in Horana. This Energy Audit was carried out from
19th to 23rd November, 2018.

1.1 Objectives
 Analyze the present energy consumption of the factory to establish its Energy Balance
 Analyze correlation between Energy and Production to establish Specific Energy
Consumption (SEC)
 Identify Energy Losses and provide recommendations for improving Energy Efficiency
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2 Methodology
The energy audit for ABC factory was completed within one week as follows.
2.1 Time Duration
19 to 23rd November, 2018
th

2.2 Sampling Institution/ Site

ABC is a global product specialist that develops, manufactures and markets high-quality
gaskets for plate heat exchangers. The factory is located at Boralesgamuwa. ABC consists of
two energy intensive plants which manufacture two products namely; Rubber Compound and
Gaskets for Plate Heat Exchangers.

2.3 Method of data collection

 Observations
 Electricity Bills and other energy related documents
 Measurements

2.4 Data Collection

Data collection schedule is as follows.

Table 1: Energy Audit Work Schedule

Date Instruments Used Activities Performed
November DENT ELITEpro SPTM Power Meter Logged data at Transformer 1,
19 Kyoritsu Power Meter compressor and subpanel 13 of Press
section

November DENT ELITEpro SPTM Power Meter Logged data at the common sub panel of
20 Kyoritsu Power Meter Nitrogen Plant, Ovens and Boiler
Logged data at Nitrogen Plant

November DENT ELITEpro SPTM Power Meter Retrieved data

21 Kyoritsu Power Meter Logged data at Press No.21, Extruder
Lux Meter 1&2, Oven 2, Oven 5 and pumps
RH Meter Measured illuminance, temperature and
relative humidity at different locations
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November DENT ELITEpro SPTM Power Meter Logged data at pumps, induced and
22 Kyoritsu Power Meter forced draft fans of boiler, Oven 15,
Chiller and CNC 5
November DENT ELITEpro SPTM Power Meter Retrieved data
23 Kyoritsu Power Meter Measured pressures of press water lines
Collected installed capacities
Collected historical energy data

Collected data are analyzed in the following Sections of the report.

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3 Electricity Consumption
This chapter analyses the electricity consumption at ABC.

3.1 Power Supply and Distribution

Utility electrical power is supplied through four transformers as shown in Figure 1. Supplies
through transformers 1, 2 and 4 are delivered and metered at 400/230 Volt nominal whereas
the supply through transformer 3 is delivered and metered at 33,000 Volt nominal.
Transformer 1 supplies solely Gasket Production Plant which includes Extruder Section,
Presser Section, Air Compressor, Finished Goods Stores and Factory Services. Transformer 2
feeds the Dump Mill, Chiller, Post Curing Section (Ovens and Nitrogen Generators),
auxiliary equipment of the firewood boiler and offices. Transformer 3 is dedicated to the DC
motor drive of the Mixing Plant and Transformer 4 supplies the Tool Shop. A stand by
generator of 1,860 kVA is used as a backup to the Utility power supply.

Standby
Generator
(1,860 kVA)
kVA)

Mixing Gasket

Figure 1: Electrical Distribution Production

Note: Consumption under Transformer 4 is not considered in the analysis due to its less
significance compared to the other three transformers.
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3.2 Tariff Plan

Being a manufacturing entity, ABC belongs to the Industrial tariff plan. Based on the delivery
voltage and the contract demand, this tariff plan is divided into three categories of which
ABC falls under Category 2 (I-2) and Category 3 (I-3). Accordingly, supplies through
transformers 1, 2 and 4 are billed under I-2 whereas the supply through transformer 3 is billed
under I-3.

3.3 Installed Capacities

Installed capacities of major machines and equipment of different electricity consuming
sources at ABC are summarized in Table 2 and Figure 2.

Table 2: Summary of Installed Capacities

Source Capacity (kW)

Presses 1,377.400

Mixer Plant 1,254.500

Ovens 985.900

Extruder Plant 325.400

AC 101.970

Lights 98.821

Compressors 93.000

Nitrogen Plant 78.000

Pumps 65.700

Boiler Auxiliaries 65.500

Fans 36.040

Office and Kitchen Equipment 15.582

Total 4,497.813
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Figure 2: Installed Capacities Distribution

3.4 Load Profile Analysis

Figure 13 in Annex 01 shows the load profile of the gasket production plant supplied through
Transformer 01 from 12.00 noon of November 19, 2018 to 12.00 noon of November 20,
2018. A summary of electrical parameters is provided in Table 3.

Table 3: Summary of Electrical Parameters

Parameter Value
Average Phase Voltage (V) 234
Average Phase Current (A) 640
Maximum Demand (kVA) 588
Average Real Power (kW) 436
Average Reactive Power (kVAr) 70
Average Power Factor 0.99
Energy Consumption (kWh) 10,570
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The recorded power factor above implies that the capacitor bank installed at the Gasket
Production Plant performs the reactive power compensation function properly. Therefore,
there is no further room for demand reduction by improving the power factor.

Load profiles of supplies through Transformers 2 and 3 could not be recorded because, main
circuit breaker of Transformer 2 was not accessible and Transformer 3 is a high tension
supply.

3.5 Load Balance

The loads in a three phase system should be evenly distributed among the three phases to
maintain the voltages and currents balanced (sinusoidal and equal in magnitude with
individual phases 1200 apart). Unbalanced voltages can result in adverse effects on equipment
and power system, which is intensified by the fact that a small unbalance in the phase
voltages can cause a disproportionately larger unbalance in the phase currents. Under
unbalanced conditions, the power system will incur more losses and heating effects and be
less stable because when the phases are balanced, the system is in a better position to respond
to emergency load transfers. The allowable limit of load imbalance at a facility is 1% and
10% for voltage and current respectively (Jouanne, 2001).

Figure 15 and Figure 16 in Annex 2 show the variation of voltage imbalance and current
imbalance of the supply through Transformer 01 respectively during the same period of the
load profile in Figure 13. Accordingly, both voltage and current imbalances are within
accepted limits.

3.6 Energy Balance

Energy balance shows how the total energy consumption is distributed among different
sections and/or sources of consumption.

3.6.1 Electrical Energy Balance

Monthly energy balance was estimated based on real time measurements, check meter data
and assumptions to generalize the operating times. Therefore note that these figures are
approximate and may have slight variations depending on the actual operation.
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Figure 3 shows the energy balance of electricity supplies through Transformer 01 and
Transformer 02. Note that lighting and ventilating loads are not quantified separately because
they are supplied together with the production machinery and negligible compared to the
quantified loads.

Figure 3: Energy Balance for Transformer 01 and Transformer 02

Table 4 and Figure 4show the monthly electrical energy balance of the total facility.

Table 4: Monthly Electrical Energy Balance

Source Consumption (kWh)

Presses 97,920
Ovens 87,547
Extruders 71,628
Mixer HT 48,725
Dump Mill 35,256
Nitrogen Plant 34,046
Compressor 28,380
Chiller 24,830
Boiler Auxiliaries 24,735
Pumps 16,934
Factory Offices 11,650
General Offices 6,994
Total 488,644
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resses
20%

Figure 4: Electrical Energy Balance

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4 Energy-Production Correlation

Based on electricity bills and check meter readings, the Engineering Department of ABC
estimates its monthly energy consumption for each product. Such historical records were
available for a period of five years. Nevertheless, those data have not been analyzed to derive
meaningful information in order to use energy more efficiently and effectively.

Therefore, based on those historical data, a regression analysis is carried out to find out the
energy-production correlation by establishing the Base Load and the Process Load. Base load
is the energy incurred due to components like offices which are independent of production.
Process load or Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) is the amount of energy required per
unit product.

Figure 5 shows the energy-production regression analysis for gasket production.

Figure 5: Energy- Production Correlation for Gasket Production

Accordingly the SEC for gasket production is 47 MJ/kg and the base load is 1,468 GJ. Base
load is 25% of the average monthly energy consumption for gasket production (5,983 GJ
according to historical data).

Figure 6 shows the energy-production regression analysis for Rubber Compound Production.
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Figure 6: Energy- Production Correlation for Rubber Compound Production

Unlike for gasket production, energy and production data distribution for rubber compound
shows a relatively high inconsistency. Data for the most recent twelve months available
shows a satisfactory consistency with respect to other periods. Therefore, only those twelve
months is considered for the regression analysis. Accordingly, the SEC for rubber compound
production is 0.164 kWh/ kg (0.590 MJ/ kg) and the base load is 49,051 kWh (177 GJ). This
implies that as an average 44% of the energy consumption (monthly average is 112,415 kWh)
contributes to the base load which can be the cause of inconsistency of energy-production
data distribution.

These established SEC values can be used as baselines to evaluate the performance of energy
efficiency measures implemented at ABC in the future, including those recommended further
in this report.
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5 Thermal Comfort
Thermal comfort is the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal
environment. This is an important goal of ventilating and air conditioning. Many factors
affect thermal comfort among which air temperature and relative humidity are prominent.

5.1 Temperature and Relative Humidity

The indoor conditions of an air-conditioned space shall be designed for a dry bulb
temperature of 25° C ± 1.5° C and relative humidity of 55 % ± 5 % (SLSEA, 2008). The
combination of suitable high temperatures and humidity may be used within the comfort zone
for energy saving purposes, provided that the conditions maintained herein are agreeable to
the occupants. Indoor temperature and relative humidity measured in different locations at
ABC are shown in Table 5.

Table 5: Temperature and Relative Humidity

Area Temperature (oC) Relative Humidity (%)
Air Conditioned Areas
General Manager Gasket 22 57
Factory Office 27 84
Production Engineer 27 77
Gasket Production Office 26 73
Non Air Conditioned Areas
Presser Area 34 60
Extrusion Area 34 64
Mixing Area 34 63

According to the above, as far as energy saving is concerned, it is encouraged to maintain

higher temperatures outside the defined comfort zone in air conditioned areas given that those
temperatures are acceptable to the occupants.

Higher temperatures in non-air-conditioned production areas are caused mainly by the

thermal losses of machines. Human comfort together with the energy efficiency in these areas
can be improved by increasing the level of insulation as discussed in Section 7.1.
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6 Lighting
Present artificial lighting installations of ABC are summarized in Table 6.

Table 6: Summary of Artificial Lighting Installations

Type Number Unit Power (W) Total Power (kW)
T8 FL 2 ft with magnetic ballast 188 24 4.512
T8 FL 4 ft with magnetic ballast 1,050 48 50.400
T8 FL 4 ft with electronic ballast 409 40 16.360
High Bay Lamps 104 250 26.000
CFL 17 65 1.105
6.1 Illuminance
The action of vision is due to luminance which depends on the reflectance properties of the
surface being viewed. However, due to the difficulty of measuring luminance, the common
practice is to indicate the required illuminance values or lux levels at a defined work plane.
Required illuminance level depends on the type of use of a particular space and the nature of
the task to be performed. Table 7 compares Illuminance levels measured at different locations
at ABC with the levels acceptable to local conditions (SLSEA, 2008).

Table 7: Lux Levels

Illuminance (Lux)
Location
Measured Acceptable
Plant Area
Inspection Area 1 589 1,000
Gasket Manufacturing 432 500
Testing Laboratory 165 300
Dump Mill Area 146 150
Extruder Area 200 500
Mixer Area 81 150
Office and General Area
Corridor 130 100
Factory office 60 300
R&D Mixing 315 300
Lunch Room 144 150
Wash Room 38 100
In areas where the measured illuminance levels are less than that of acceptable, it is
encouraged to maintain these lower values assuming that they are acceptable to the
occupants.
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7 Recommendations
Based on the above analysis and observations made during the audit, this section provides
recommendations for improving energy efficiency at ABC. Quantification of savings, their
investment requirements, and financial feasibility lie beyond the scope of this Project. Those
can be determined for each recommendation on a case by case basis upon the interest of
implementation by the management of ABC, subsequent to the perusal of recommendations
which follows.

7.1 Improve Insulation of Presses

There are 69 numbers of Presses used for gasket manufacturing. All these Presses have a
curing temperature of about 1600C. Asbestos sheets of 25 mm thickness are used as
insulation layers for both upper and lower molds holding plates. Yet they are transmitting a
considerable amount of heat to other parts of the presses and average temperature of these
areas is around 900C.

These thermal losses may be reduced up to 50% by reducing the Press outer surface average
temperature from 900C to around 600C. This can be easily achieved with an extra insulation
layer for both top and bottom plates. 25mm wood layer with currently available asbestos
sheet is suitable for insulation within the working temperature range. It is advisable to check
the feasibility of wood strength according to the working pressure of the beds.

Most of the Presses have two layers of mold with three layers of heating plates. During the
audit it was observed that a considerable number of Presses of this model worked with single
mold while steam is supplied to all three layers as illustrated in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Single Layer Operation while Steam supplied to all three Layers
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By inserting a temporary insulation layer in between the unused molds and closing the third
steam line thermal losses can be further minimized. These can be implemented after
considering additional cost for the insulation material (wood) and maintenance cost.

7.2 Modify the Ovens

As seen in the energy balance, 15 Nos. of Electrical Post Curing Ovens consume 18% of the
total electrical energy at ABC and account for about 250 kVA of the maximum demand
(assuming unity diversity). According to the load profile illustrated in Figure 14 under Annex
01, they operate at the rated capacity only for a limited period of time at the start-up of each
batch. Almost 90% of the batch time is run at about 10-30% of the maximum load. This
operational characteristic is very undesirable in terms of maximum demand.

Therefore, following two alterative options are recommended.

7.2.1 Option 01: Modify Electric Ovens into Steam Power

The best option is to convert these ovens into steam if the steam boiler has enough capacity.
This modification can be done without removing the existing electrical heating system so that
it can be operated in either or both energy sources as required.

7.2.2 Option 02: Modify Electric Ovens by Adding Soft Starters

If the ovens are to run in electricity, it is recommended to apply soft starters to reduce the
initial current surge that affect maximum demand. Figure 8 shows the relative reduction of
inrush current through soft starters with respect to other starting methods.

Figure 8: Using a Soft Starter

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However, soft starters take considerable time to raise the temperature up to set value.
Therefore, attention should be paid of processing time variation with soft starter.

7.3 Replace Existing Pumps with Correctly Sized Pumps

Except for the two water circulation pumps of the Extruders, all the other pumps are centric
branded pumps used for cooling system of Presses. According to random spot measurements,
actual operating pressure of the cooling system is less than 1bar or 30 water feet. But the
rated best efficiency point pressure for these water pumps is 60 water feet. This implies that
the existing pumps are largely oversized for the requirement causing them to run at a lower
efficiency. Therefore, it is recommended to replace these with new pumps of rated pressure
of 30 water feet through Variable Speed Drive (VSD).

7.4 Carry out Leak Surveys regularly and Fix Leaks of Compressed Air Lines
A lot of compressed air leakages were observed during the audit as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9: Compressed Air Leakages

The severity of leaks and the energy lost through them can be assessed by conducting a leak
test. This test must be conducted when the facility is shutdown; therefore the Energy Audit
team instructed the technical team at ABC to perform it. The steps are as follows.
 Close all the valves at the points of use thereby isolating the compressor, receiver vessel
and the distribution network
 Start the compressor and allow the pressure to build-up. Once the cut-off pressure is
reached, the compressor will automatically shut down. Record the duration between start
and stop (Ton)
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 If there are no leaks, in principle, the compressor will not start again. But in practice, the
compressor will start again after a few minutes because air leaks cause the pressure to
drop to the cut-in pressure. Record the duration between stop and start (Toff)
 Record the duration of on-off cycles (Ton and Toff) by allowing a number of such cycles to
repeat
Table 8 shows the measurements and results of the leak test.

Table 8: Compressor Leak Test Measurements and Results

Loading Time (Ton minutes) 5
Unloading Time (Toff minutes) 12
Amount of Leakage (%) [Ton/ (Ton + Toff)] 29

Rectification of these leaks will lead to approximately 20% of energy saving of the
compressor. Compressed air line accessories must be maintained properly to reduce this leak.
Special attention must be paid on flexible hoses used in this system.

7.5 Replace Linear Fluorescent Lamps by LED

It might not be financially feasible to replace all existing, well operating linear fluorescent
lamps with LED. Therefore, it is advisable to go for the replacement with LED in the event of
existing lamp failures. A 48 W 4 foot Linear Fluorescent Lamp can be replaced by an LED
Strip Lamp of about 16 W.

7.6 Replace High Bay Lamps with more Energy Efficient Types
250 W High Bay Lamps can be replaced by either CFL or LED of around 100 W.

7.7 Adopt Effective Housekeeping Practices

Energy consumption of an organization is influenced by its human occupants. Organizational
behavior is a key factor where awareness and attitudes of the employees are important.
Adhering to good housekeeping practices can make a significant effect on energy savings
with no financial investment. It was observed that although energy efficient housekeeping is
encouraged within ABC by means such as reminder stickers, the practice should be
improved.
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7.7.1 Reduce Usage of Split AC

There is a possibility of using outside air to cool indoors during early mornings when the
outside fresh air temperature is less than the indoor building temperature. This will reduce the
initial cooling load of the AC units and allow fresh air into the building as well as save
energy that would have been consumed by the AC during this period if turned on.

Further, temperature of an already air conditioned area will not drastically increase due to the
lack of cooling effect for half an hour in the evening. Therefore it is recommended to turn off
all Split AC units half an hour before leaving the offices.

7.7.2 Turn off Lights When Not in Use

Figure 10 depicts instances of lights kept turned on unnecessarily at ABC if turned off could
lead to energy savings at no cost.

Figure 10: Unnecessary Lighting

For locations like washrooms, lunch room, canteen, stores installing occupancy sensors can
be considered to eliminate unwanted consumption.
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7.7.3 Turn off Industrial Fans When Not in Use

It was observed that a lot of industrial fans were unnecessarily turned on as shown in Figure
11 even when nobody was occupied around.

Figure 11: Industrial Fans Turned On Unnecessarily During Breaks

7.8 Other Recommendations
Small scale energy saving opportunities were identified which could be implemented at a
very low cost. Some of these implementations may help to extend life of machines.

7.8.1 Improve ventilation in the pump room

There is one opening in the pump room top level. But there is no proper path to flow fresh air
in to the room. A very small amount of fresh air flows into the room though a small opening
in the main door. So the deep end of the pump room has a relatively high temperature. This
will lead to reduce the energy performance and lifetime of pumps. So it is recommended to
arrange proper ventilation system by making fresh air inlet holes.

7.8.2 Install a Power Meter for the Ovens Section and maintain the maximum demand
by shifting the starting times of ovens
As discussed in Section 7.2, Ovens contribute to a substantial amount of the maximum
demand of the electricity supply through Transformer 02 due to the high inrush at the outset
of each batch. Therefore, if a power meter capable of displaying the power demand (kVA)
can be installed to the Oven Section, a significant demand reduction can be achieved by
scheduling the batches so that the starting inrush of ovens will not overlap.
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7.8.3 Consider an Absorption Chiller instead of the Compression Chiller

According to the electrical energy balance estimated, the chiller in the Mixer Unit consumes
12% of electricity supplied through Transformer 2 and 5% of electricity of the entire facility.
If it is possible to replace this vapor compression chiller by a vapor absorption chiller a
substantial energy saving could be achieved. While most vapor compression chillers use
electricity as its energy source to operate the machine, absorption chillers use heat, typically
in the form of steam. They use significantly less electricity than conventional chillers,
because absorption chiller can be driven with low cost steam produced by firewood boiler.
The technical and financial feasibility should be analyzed in detail.

7.8.4 Insulate the steam inlet pipes of Presses

These were observed to be worn out which causes ambient temperature rise as well as energy
losses. Therefore it is recommended to improve the insulation.

Figure 12: An Un-insulated Steam Header and a Steam Leak

7.8.5 Develop an Energy Management System (EnMS)

ABC has already focused on Energy Management at the top management level and taken a
lot of initiatives in that regard. Given below are some simple suggestions to transcend it to
the operational level.
 Form an operational team for energy management with defined targets
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 Extend Kaizen to improve energy efficiency from ideas of employees at the operational
level and reward them upon successful implementation
 Display awareness boards
o Switch off fans/ bulbs
o Close unused steam lines
o Close cooling water line when not running
o National importance of energy saving and national energy news
o Display energy consumption and power demand on each energy intensive
equipment
 Train the staff on energy efficiency measures and encourage to practice them frequently
(ex: compressor leak test)

The ultimate goal should be to get certified under the ISO 50001 Energy Management
System Standard.
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References

Ceylon Electricity Board (2017). Statistical Digest. Retrieved from

https://www.ceb.lk/publication-media/annual-reports/en
International Energy Agency (2018). Latest trends in electricity. Retrieved from
https://www.iea.org/geco/electricity/
Jouanne, A. (2001). Assessment of Voltage Unbalance. IEEE Transactions on power
delivery, 16 (4), 782-790. DOI: 10.1109/61.956770
Roy, G. C. D. (2018). South-South Knowledge Exchange Programme in Energy Efficiency,
New Delhi
Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association (1999). Energy Audit Manual
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Buildings in Sri Lanka. Retrieved from
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Sri Lanka Energy Audit Manual
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Annex 1: Load Profiles

Figure 13: Load Profile of Transformer 01

Oven No. 2
Figure 14 shows the load profile of Oven No. 2 from 12.45 pm of November 21 to 1.42 pm of
November 22.

Figure 14: Load Profile of Oven No. 2

The load profile is related to production as in Table 9.

Table 9: Production Batches and Energy Consumption for Oven No. 2

Batch No. Start Time End Time kWh Average kW
3,457 13:36:00 19:43:00 72 11.73
3,473 22:22:00 4:37:00 92 14.68
3,479 4:52:00 11:21:00 79 12.27
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Annex 2: Load Balance

Figure 15: Voltage Imbalance of Transformer 01

Figure 16: Current Imbalance of Transformer 01