scholarly journals Possibilities of Increasing of Energy Efficiency in a Small Enterprises - Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-402
Author(s):  
Milan Perný ◽  
Vladimír Šály ◽  
Milan Andráš ◽  
Lukáš Valášek ◽  
Juraj Packa

Reducing the electricity consumption is a current trend which has an economic, social and environmental impact. Measures which are outlined to increase efficiency are also supported by legislation and could be funded from the national or European funds in EU countries. In Slovakia, there are many establishments, public buildings and households built in past decades where energy is being wasted. Approximately the share one third of the consumed energy in Slovakia belongs to industry. This statistic naturally legitimizes the effort to achieve energy savings in this segment. We choose a body which is in use partially as commercial offices and partially as production facility. The matter was to identify areas with excessive energy consumption and propose appropriate measures to avoid unnecessary losses. The paper presents more aspects of building operation regarding of energy consumption, especially in relation with old buildings with more structural and operational defects and propose some ways of the improvements the energy efficiency. The work also includes experimental data and simplified economy considerations related to the proposed measures. Finally the step model is presented in order to simplify the decision making process. The model is relevant and also applicable generally for the other engineering disciplines.

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandarani Maistry ◽  
Harold Annegarn

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline efforts at the University of Johannesburg, a large metropolitan university in Gauteng province, to examine energy efficiency within the context of the green campus movement, through the analysis of electricity consumption patterns. The study is particularly relevant in light of the cumulative 230 per cent increase in electricity costs between 2008 and 2014 in South Africa that has forced institutions of higher education to seek ways to reduce energy consumption. Design/Methodology/Approach – A quantitative research design was adopted for the analysis of municipal electricity consumption records using a case study approach to identify trends and patterns in consumption. The largest campus of the University of Johannesburg, which is currently one of the largest residential universities in South Africa, was selected as a case study. Average diurnal consumption profiles were plotted according to phases of the academic calendar, distinguished by specific periods of active teaching and research (in-session); study breaks, examinations and administration (out-of-session); and recesses. Average profiles per phase of the academic calendar were constructed from the hourly electricity consumption and power records using ExcelTM pivot tables and charts. Findings – It was found that the academic calendar has profound effects on energy consumption by controlling the level of activity. Diurnal maximum consumption corresponds to core working hours, peaking at an average of 2,500 kWh during “in-session” periods, 2,250 kWh during “out-of-session” periods and 2,100 kWh during recess. A high base load was evident throughout the year (between 1,300 and 1,650 kWh), mainly attributed to heating and cooling. By switching off the 350 kW chiller plant on weekdays, a 9 per cent electricity reduction could be achieved during out-of-session and recess periods. Similarly, during in-session periods, a 6 per cent reduction could be achieved. Practical implications – Key strategies and recommendations are presented to stimulate energy efficiency implementation within the institution. Originality Value – Coding of consumption profiles against the academic calendar has not been previously done in relation to an academic institution. The profiles were used to establish the influence of the academic calendar on electricity consumption, which along with our own observation were used to identify specific consumption reduction opportunities worth pursuing.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge S. Carlos ◽  
Helena Corvacho

A study on thermal retrofit of Portuguese elementary school buildings is presented. The type of school under analysis is one adopted by a large construction campaign that began in the 1940's. This building stock has a very poor thermal performance and their retrofit was evaluated starting with a case study of a school in the central region of Portugal, where some experimental measures were performed and a calculation method was applied for the heating energy consumption estimation. A solution for the thermal retrofit of the school building external envelope was optimized and the effect on heating energy consumption was evaluated, using ECOTECT, resulting in a reduction of 52% of heating energy needs. The national impact of the thermal retrofit of the whole building stock was characterised in terms of energy savings. Finally, the pre‐heating of the ventilation air was also tested as a complementary measure and its effect evaluated. The solution tested may provide up to 1000 kWh/year of extra heat gains by pre‐heating the ventilation air. It must be underlined though that the performance of these systems is dependent on the thermal properties of their components so higher reductions can be achieved with the improvement of these properties. Santrauka Straipsnyje pateikiami Portugalijos pradines mokyklos šiluminio atnaujinimo tyrimai. Analizuojamos mokyklos tipas yra vienas iš taikytu po 1940 metu prasidejusioje plačioje statybos kampanijoje. Šios pastatu grupes šilumines charakteristikos yra labai prastos. Ju atnaujinimo vertinimas buvo pradetas nuo centrineje Portugalijoje esančios mokyklos, kurioje buvo igyvendintos kai kurios eksperimentines priemones, ir energijos sanaudoms nustatyti pritaikytas skaičiavimo metodas. Pastato išoriniu atitvaru šiluminio atnaujinimo sprendimas buvo optimizuotas ir jo itaka šilumines energijos sanaudoms nustatyta naudojant ECOTECT. Šilumines energijos poreikis sumažejo 52 %. Iš viso pastatu fondo šiluminio atnaujinimo itaka nacionaliniu mastu vertinta sutaupytos energijos kiekiu. Pabaigoje kaip papildoma priemone buvo išbandytas pirminis vedinamo oro pašildymas, nustatytas jo naudingumas. Išbandytasis pirminis vedinamo oro pašildymas gali suteikti iki 1000 kWh/metus papildomo išsiskiriančio šilumos kiekio. Pabrežtina, kad nors šiu sistemu veikimo charakteristikos priklauso nuo ju komponentu šiluminiu savybiu, gerinant šias savybes galima daugiau sumažinti energijos sanaudu.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13168
Author(s):  
Ziortza Egiluz ◽  
Jesús Cuadrado ◽  
Andoni Kortazar ◽  
Ignacio Marcos

The increasing energy consumption levels of buildings within Europe call for controlled consumption and improvements to energy savings and efficiency and effective energy efficiency regulations. However, many aging and energy-inefficient buildings require energetic retrofitting that can employ various façades solutions and insulation materials. The selection of the most sustainable options in each situation therefore requires a decision-making methodology that can be used to prioritize available retrofit solutions based on economic, functional, environmental and social criteria. In this paper, both the methodology and the economic basis of the retrofitting process are presented. The methodology was validated in a case study, and a sensitivity analysis also demonstrated its validity, robustness and stability


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saraswathy Kasavan ◽  
Sharif Shofirun Sharif Ali ◽  
Rusinah Siron

Understanding energy consumption behaviours among households is an effective way to encourage energy conservation and improve energy efficiency. This article examines households’ knowledge, awareness, commitment, attitude, and behaviour towards electricity consumption. The sample of the study consists of 360 urban households in an intermediate city, Seremban. The findings reveal that cost-saving via government initiatives is a crucial factor influencing the households’ energy consumption knowledge. The correlation analysis also revealed that knowledge, awareness, commitment, and attitude correlated significantly with the households’ electricity consumption behaviour. The evidence suggests that the government and power companies implement strict regulations and technological advances to promote energy conservation and improve energy efficiency among households. The findings can better understand where attention should be directed and the measures for long-term energy conservation, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 821 ◽  
pp. 620-625
Author(s):  
Kamil Šubrt ◽  
Radek Knoflíček ◽  
Pavel Houška

Presently, production machines and mainly contemporary machining centers are subjected to ever increasing pressure to enhance energy efficiency, both from the side of customers and also in terms of legislative regulations. A selection of drives for the individual axes is primarily a compromise between achievable dynamics, precision and price. The electrical efficiency and energy consumption is not usually taken into consideration during the design of the axis. In this paper, the electricity consumption of single drive axis actuator and redundant actuation through two drives is compared under various operating conditions. The measurement results are used to assess the benefits of redundant actuation of positioning axes with emphasis on energy efficiency, which is consistent with the current trend of the so-called Ecodesign.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arif Budiyanto ◽  
Muhammad Hanzalah Huzaifi ◽  
Simon Juanda Sirait ◽  
Putu Hangga Nan Prayoga

AbstractSustainable development of container terminals is based on energy efficiency and reduction in CO2 emissions. This study estimated the energy consumption and CO2 emissions in container terminals according to their layouts. Energy consumption was calculated based on utility data as well as fuel and electricity consumptions for each container-handling equipment in the container terminal. CO2 emissions were estimated using movement modality based on the number of movements of and distance travelled by each container-handling equipment. A case study involving two types of container terminal layouts i.e. parallel and perpendicular layouts, was conducted. The contributions of each container-handling equipment to the energy consumption and CO2 emissions were estimated and evaluated using statistical analysis. The results of the case study indicated that on the CO2 emissions in parallel and perpendicular layouts were relatively similar (within the range of 16–19 kg/TEUs). These results indicate that both parallel and perpendicular layouts are suitable for future ports based on sustainable development. The results can also be used for future planning of operating patterns and layout selection in container terminals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 6005
Author(s):  
Daniel Villanueva ◽  
Moisés Cordeiro-Costas ◽  
Andrés E. Feijóo-Lorenzo ◽  
Antonio Fernández-Otero ◽  
Edelmiro Miguez-García

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the question regarding whether the integration of an electric battery as a part of a domestic installation may increase its energy efficiency in comparison with a conventional case. When a battery is included in such an installation, two types of electrical conversion must be considered, i.e., AC/DC and DC/AC, and hence the corresponding losses due to these converters must not be forgotten when performing the analysis. The efficiency of the whole system can be increased if one of the mentioned converters is avoided or simply when its dimensioning is reduced. Possible ways to achieve this goal can be: to use electric vehicles as DC suppliers, the use of as many DC home devices as possible, and LED lighting or charging devices based on renewables. With all this in mind, several scenarios are proposed here in order to have a look at all possibilities concerning AC and DC powering. With the aim of checking these scenarios using real data, a case study is analyzed by operating with electricity consumption mean values.


2008 ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojana Prodanic ◽  
Aleksandar Jokic ◽  
Jelena Markovic ◽  
Zoltan Zavargo

General trend of free trade at the regional level as well as in the direction of European Union has motivated sugar factories located in Serbia to invest into technologies that are more efficient in order to make their products more competitive in the markets of Europe. Until 2005, the project of energy efficiency improvement in Serbian sugar factories was conducted in Crvenka and Zabalj. Now, they have energy consumption around 1 MJ/kg beet, in contrast to the previous consumption of 1.2 up to 1.5 MJ/kg beet. Further improvements are possible but investments would be high. A result of measurements taken during 2006, after the sugar factory "Donji Srem" - Pecinci was reconstructed showed that a considerable saving has been achieved. The first set of measurements showed that the energy consumption was 1.01 MJ/kg beet, which was 20% higher than intended, but at the same time energy savings were about 30% lower with respect to the values before the reconstruction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-114
Author(s):  
Ana Radojevic ◽  
Danijela Nikolic ◽  
Jasna Radulovic ◽  
Jasmina Skerlic

The implementation of energy efficiency measures and use of renewable energy sources in educational buildings can significantly contribute to reducing energy consumption, but also to CO2 emissions in the entire public sector. The paper shows the comparison of energy consumption indicators for 61 elementary school buildings which have previously been divided in 12 groups, according to the period of construction and size, based on the national typology called TABULA, as the first step of further study on how to use the renewable energy sources. The aim of this paper is to use the energy benchmarking process to select representative facilities which are suitable for applying renewable energy sources, for their further energy efficiency improvement. Indicators of annual specific electricity consumption and CO2 emissions per unit area [kWh/m2] and per user [kWh/user] were calculated. After that, from two groups (in which the highest electricity consumption and CO2 emissions are 68.37% and 74.53% of the total consumption/ emissions), one representative facility was selected.


Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 781
Author(s):  
Federico Leon ◽  
Alejandro Ramos ◽  
S. Ovidio Perez-Baez

This article shows the optimization of the reverse osmosis process in seawater desalination plants, taking the example of the Canary Islands, where there are more than 320 units of different sizes, both private and public. The objective is to improve the energy efficiency of the system in order to save on operation costs as well as reduce the carbon and ecological footprints. Reverse osmosis membranes with higher surface area have lower energy consumption, as well as energy recovery systems to recover the brine pressure and introduce it in the system. Accounting for the operation, maintenance and handling of the membranes is also important in energy savings, in order to improve the energy efficiency. The energy consumption depends on the permeate water quality required and the model of the reverse osmosis membrane installed in the seawater desalination plant, as it is shown in this study.


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