The energy monitoring system manageENERGY according to ISO 50001

When implementing an energy management project in your company, the energy controlling system manageENERGY offers you customized solutions in conception, establishment and permanent implementation.

It takes into account existing operational systems and structures and is flexibly designed and structured so that specific requirements can be taken into account individually. The system can be expanded and upgraded at any time.

Rising energy prices and the ever-increasing energy requirements of the growing world population call for responsible action in industrial production processes. We took up this challenge in 2010 and bundled our know-how in our energy controlling system manageENERGY. Since then, it has proven and established itself as a permanent fixture on the market. We see every system sale as the beginning of a long-term partnership with our customer.

With the help of an energy management system, you create valuable growth in your company from within. If you want to position yourself on the market in the long term, you have to regulate growing production output with the help of qualitative dimensions in the sense of sustainability.

Investments in energy efficiency are a strong growth engine and increase long-term competitiveness enormously. This makes the use of capital and time in this area extremely worthwhile due to the short payback period, the numerous positive accompanying effects and the immense growth impulses.

Figures and data are made available fully automatically, live and at any time. By means of appropriate sensor technology, all data of the defined energy and material inputs as well as the processes are reliably recorded, read out, stored in the database and visualized. This ensures the transparency of the energy flow and the production processes. All information and details are processed numerically and graphically. They can be presented in tables, diagrams and charts.

All data can be precisely correlated with each other and compared with machine and plant behavior, etc. Precise analyses enable target/actual comparisons and the development of key figures. By means of transparency, the exact adjustment of power consumption and power output to the actual power demand is possible at any time.

Experience shows that energy costs are reduced by 5% to 10% through the use of the energy controlling system. With the creation of an action plan to increase efficiency, the implementation of projected energy efficiency measures and the further design of the energy management system, average savings of 20% to 25% can be achieved.

manageENERGY 2.0

The extension manageENERGY 2.0 of our existing monitoring system manageENERGY specifies the reduction of energy demand in the production process.

Continuous processing of energy key figures enables companies to transparently monitor, analyze and optimize all energy-relevant processes. In this way, potential energy savings can be exploited more efficiently.

Dashboard

On the visualization, each production section is colored according to its current energy rating in a graphical plant overview. Thus, it is visible at a glance if there is a change in SEUs (significant energy use) in an area.

The visualization is available throughout the network for smartphones, tablets and PCs

    Innovations

    Based on the existing data structure, the following main innovations were developed:

    In feed production, the pressing of the feed (pelleting) represents the process with the highest energy demand.

    With the press monitor, the current energy consumption in the form of electricity and steam, the relevant machine data and thus the live energy key figures of the pressing process are continuously determined in real time and compared with historical data from the system database. The result is displayed live to the operator in the machine control system as key figures, cost factors and also as a traffic light function.

    He can thus continuously adjust the machine parameters optimally during the process in order to proactively produce more energy-efficiently. This function can be transferred to other energy-intensive processes in automated production. The press monitor in particular has already been tested in several feed mills and led to a significant stabilization of the key figures during operator changes and thus also to energy savings. Several plant managers spoke of the awakened “play instinct” of the millers to produce as efficiently as possible.

    The additional historical evaluation that is available also enables the mill management to react to tendential changes in the plant.

    Grinding is another energy-intensive process in feed production.

    This process is automated to the greatest possible extent. By continuously determining the relevant key figures, by means of energy measurement technology, the machine data and the historical data on the current product in the plant, predictive maintenance can be derived. Attention can be drawn to signs of wear, such as clogged filters or worn beaters, in order to prevent negative effects on the efficiency of the plant. This feature provides mill metrics that indicate the optimal time for maintenance. Phases of inefficient grinding with worn tools or too early tool changes are thus avoided.

    Compressed air represents a significant cost factor in almost all industrial plants. Modern, efficient compressed air systems have already been installed in many plants. However, there is a need for clarification regarding the factor leakage losses and the associated cost trap “compressed air waste” due to leakage. The continuous monitoring by manageENERGY 2.0 can prevent this cost trap efficiently and without time-consuming searching. At adjustable intervals during the plant shutdown, the customer’s plant is pressurized to record the energy consumption at the compressor and the compressed air volume flow to the individual plant parts.

    The following can be deduced from these measurement results:

    • Occurrence of a new compressed air leak
    • Local containment of the leak
    • Extrapolation of the leakage loss
    • Automated fault reports

    The base load accounts for a not inconsiderable share of the energy costs. All plant components that consume energy even when the plant is inactive make up the base load. Since these plant components are in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they quickly represent a considerable cost factor. In new plants, this factor has already been minimized by modern automation. In older plants, energy consumption continues to add up to over 100 kw due to rebuilds, expansions, and only partially automated areas.

    The base load monitor determines the energy consumption of all plant sections during each plant shutdown and automatically sends a report to the responsible authority.

    The following can be derived from these results:

    • Energy consumption of all plant components
    • extrapolated costs
    • changes in the base load
    • The plant management is thus able to detect any continuous consumption and to counteract it with appropriate measures. Misbehavior in non-automated areas is also quickly detected by manageENERGY 2.0 and can be avoided.

    The peak load management in manageENERGY 2.0 provides the following additional modules to the conventional systems:

    • a static load cut-off in stages
    • a grid-dependent management with configurable location-relevant blocking and free times
    • an interface to plant automation for process-dependent load control.

    In case of need, the first area to be throttled is the one that currently has the least influence on the output of the production process. The available load window can thus be optimally utilized without having a significant negative impact on the process chain.

    On the visualization, each production section is colored according to its current energy rating in a graphical plant overview. Thus, it is visible at a glance if there is a change in SEUs in an area.

    Based on the realization that in production plants the focus is always on the product to be manufactured, its quality and the performance of the plant and not primarily on the energy efficiency, a comprehensive evaluation and alarm system was developed.

    In the background, key figures are continuously determined from all the data obtained from the energy measurement technology, the plant control system, the ERP system and other measured variables, and compared with historical data or other dynamic limit values in order to automatically notify the defined person responsible for the relevant area if action is required. This always ensures that changes in the plant that result in a reduction in efficiency can be dealt with promptly. Faults in the measurement infrastructure are also detected and alerted immediately.

    In addition to reports that support the work of the energy management team in accordance with ISO 50001, the main focus is on providing production with a tool to determine the optimum configuration of the individual production sections for each article.

    In the production report, the energy consumption is shown for each individual batch in each individual production section, the corresponding key figures under the corresponding machine parameters. This makes it possible to show for each article under which parameters in the individual processes the highest efficiency can be achieved.

    The energy cost shares of each product can thus also be determined for each part of the process chain.

    Testimonials

    “For us, sustainable work processes and energy-efficient production processes have top priority. The Manage Energy energy controlling system from atcetera gruppe supports us in optimizing and expanding our innovative environmental policy. A sensible investment for anyone who wants to uncover energy saving potential in their company.”

    “Our guiding principles in the area of environmental protection are environmentally oriented and forward-looking action and energy-efficient production conditions. In this context, our innovative corporate management attaches great importance to environmentally friendly and responsible work. The establishment of the eligible energy controlling system Manage Energy of the atcetera group supports us in continuously developing and optimizing our production processes in line with our environmental policy.”

    Other clients