Out with the old and in with the new...

•  Measures costing € 360 000 lower energy consumption and save some € 50 000 annually
•  Infrared heaters in production area reduce related energy consumption by at least 10 %

UNICORN-ESK in Slovakia is a mechanical engineering firm specialising in welded and machined parts. As an energy-intenstive sector, management explored ways to modernise its heat production, distribution, and related energy use across the property.

Long overdue upgrade yields huge savings

• Upgrading the 30-year-old liquid storage heating system saves nearly € 70 000 in energy costs annually
• The significant € 335 000 investment could be recuperated in under 5 years

Rubber manufacturer from the Czech Republic implemented an energy-saving project to replace its steam heating system for liquid storage by a more efficient electric unit.

Many production processes generate heat that escapes out windows or other openings in the building. That is a waste, especially when it can be used to preheat incoming air, water or other media as part of the building’s overall ventilation system.  

Recovering waste heat like this, companies save energy and cut operating and administrative costs at the same time.

Public building in Prague gets bespoke ventilation and heat recovery

Measuring and control systems (MCS) are used to automatically control both manufacturing and non-manufacturing processes, including monitoring, visualisation and evaluation.

Ageing induction motor got an overdue upgrade

• Upgrading VSH’s 45-year-old electric induction motors yielded results
• Reduced energy consumption of ~388 GJ, saving € 34 567 yearly
• Investment in motor efficiency controllers will pay for itself within 3 years   

The Czech company VSH produces and sells building materials, including a cement plant which was built in 1973.

Why not be more ambitious? 

• New pump with frequency inverter delivered energy cost savings of nealry € 20 000 annually
• Return on investment was 2.1 years

The company Paramo, Czech Republic, which produces and sells fuels, motor and process oils, asphalt and coatings for the construction industry, implemented an ambitious energy-saving project to replace its cooling-circuit pump.

Traditional accounting systems are not routinely designed to provide companies with information about total costs related to the use of resources and generation of waste and emissions. When a company is able to calculate and allocate costs on so-called non-product outputs, it can better monitor the real efficiency of materials and energy use that leads to better management of resources and financial savings.

The right balance makes a difference

• Top 20 analysis highlights where immediate energy and materials savings can be made 
• Optimising the software on a heat pump saves about 20 000 kWh of electricity per year

HAASE Gesellschaft m.b.H. is a producer of high-temperature, low-sag energy cables and rope and lifting systems from Graz, Austria. The company carried out a Top 20 input-output analysis, which revealed potential areas of improvement in processes, products and the whole product life cycle.

Positive experience inspires continued effort