2 min read
As Net Zero approaches, the pressure on industry to deliver on sustainability targets increases, and this is compounded further by spiralling energy costs. Both demand equal attention. Fortunately, they are two factors that can work hand-in-hand rather than compete.
According to figures from HSBC, the manufacturing sector is responsible for 12% of the UK’s overall Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Around half of this is from the heavier end, including steel and cement. All manufacturers, however, have a role to play. The clock is ticking and the journey to 2050 is fast becoming a race.
For one leading UK health and beauty contract manufacturer, tackling energy consumption, driving down energy costs, and meeting factory sustainability targets was hindered by an inability to determine usage. RS Industria helped provide this visibility and insight...
Tackling soaring prices – efficiently
With no clear metering and infrequent bills, tracking costly consumption of electricity and water at Laleham’s Hampshire site was challenging. Without insight, engineers could not determine how and where overuse was occurring, in order to tackle it and make savings.
As energy prices soared, Laleham needed to find a solution that would shed light on usage, identify variations in consumption and achieve savings - quickly.
Working with supplier partner and leading solutions provider, RS Industria, Laleham’s engineers were able to better understand how it could achieve greater energy efficiencies and optimise its use of water.
Valuable insight for sustainability and excellence
An innovative cloud-based service that connects manufacturers to valuable insight, RS Industria can be leveraged to achieve sustainability ambitions, operational excellence, and a reduction in spend.
RS Industria worked with counterparts at Laleham’s Alton site to utilise the platform and give engineers access to continuous, real-time data that could drive down waste and reduce environmental impact.
To improve visibility, metering was installed on the mains incomer and area sub-locations to provide a clear display of energy consumption on each unit. The resulting data has allowed Laleham engineers to identify where and when it uses the most energy and adjust usage accordingly, such as at weekends and during downtime.
With clear insight enabling immediate changes, Laleham was able to drive down consumption by a third in just one week. Now the company is on track to save £44,000 on electricity this year alone.
Solving issues and achieving goals
It’s a clear example of how data can help customers solve short-term issues and achieve longer-term goals by ensuring operations runs efficiently and sustainably. Richard Jeffers, Managing Director of RS Industria explains: “RS Industria gives engineers access to live data. This can be used to address problems as diverse as predictive maintenance, operational loss identification and eradication, and achieving Net Zero through understanding energy losses.”
With energy consumption reduced, RS Industria and Laleham have turned their attention to water monitoring and are in the process of installing an Ultrasonic Clamp On water meter on the mains tower water supply. The resulting insight will prove invaluable in the company’s quest to optimise the use of a critically important natural resource. It’s just another example of how the beauty of data can help RS customers address spiralling costs and environmental challenges.
