New Technology in Production Saves Significant Energy and Makes Products More Competitive in the Market

In the Croatian industry, electric motors are mostly induction, which means they cannot control speed and torque. Therefore, energy losses are enormous.

Sustainable development is the main goal of the European Union, which has its roots in the Lisbon Strategy, according to which Europe aims to become the most competitive and dynamic global economy based on knowledge, capable of sustainable economic growth, creating better jobs, and increasing social cohesion.

– These goals have been confirmed in the Union’s Sustainable Development Strategy and the complementary ‘Europe 2020’ strategy, which focuses on low-carbon economy with efficient and sustainable resource utilization, environmental protection, development of new green technologies, and improvement of the business environment.
Other key areas include education, employment, social inclusion, and poverty reduction. Companies play a significant role in achieving sustainable development goals, which the European Union encourages to operate according to sustainability principles, integrating social, environmental, ethical issues, and human rights into their business strategy and daily operations.

Pain Point – Industry

In addition to enabling companies to manage risks more easily, achieve long-term savings, and gain simpler access to capital, sustainable business encourages them to develop innovative products, services, and business models, thus contributing to the creation of a sustainable economy and increasing cohesion in society – explains Ana Smoljo Josić, senior advisor and partner at Hauska&Partner.

These strategies and the belief in better energy efficiency have indeed yielded results. According to the Energy Efficiency Trend Monitor 2015 study at the European Union level, the industrial sector has seen the largest decline in final energy consumption compared to the transport, household, fisheries, and agriculture sectors.

From 2005 to 2012, it reduced energy consumption by 14 percent. Various studies indicate several reasons for such results: strict energy efficiency policies implemented by the EU, economic recession, and new technologies. However, the industrial sector in the EU has significantly increased energy efficiency, by 30 percent from 1990 to 2009. During this period, the most efficient was the chemical industry, which halved its consumption, mechanization, which reduced it by 40 percent, and the steel sector with a 26 percent reduction in consumption. The Energy Efficiency Trend Monitor 2015 study also analyzed countries in our region and obtained interesting results. Bosnia and Herzegovina has the greatest potential for improving the energy efficiency of its industry because the technology is at a very low level, maintenance conditions are poor, and the design is inefficient. Serbia, on the other hand, can save 20 percent of thermal energy. And Croatia? Our greatest potential lies in saving electrical energy. Namely, of the total electricity consumption going to industry, 73 percent is directed towards electric machines and electromechanical drives, and most electric motors used in various industrial plants have significant energy losses.

Energy efficiency is costly and requires investment to ultimately save. In this study, all countries in the region particularly emphasized that optimization costs, or cost reduction, are the main motivation for investing in energy efficiency. In introducing new solutions and technologies, the most important factor, believe it or not – is price. Following that are quality and references. The biggest barriers to investment are the lack of external support and funding sources, as well as the long payback period (ROI).

Where Savings Can Be Made

As already mentioned, Croatia’s greatest potential for savings lies in the industrial sector, specifically in the use of electricity for electric machines and motors. According to available data, about 20 percent of energy consumption is attributed to industry, 33 percent to transport, 31 percent to households, and 16 percent to others. Most electric motors in Croatian industry are asynchronous (induction), which cannot control speed and torque, and energy losses are enormous.

‘Therefore, there is a very large potential for energy savings, at the cost of replacing outdated electric machines with a new generation of machines that will be equipped with a motor control device. In most cases, this refers to a device for regulating the flow of air or water. According to available data, about 30 percent of total electricity consumption in industrial electromechanical drives relates to compressed air systems – compressors, 20 percent to pumps and pumping systems, 13 percent to ventilation systems, and 37 percent to other systems,’ states the research.

In almost every industrial plant, all of the aforementioned types of machines can be found. It is estimated that reconstructing or replacing certain components of compressor systems can save up to 25 percent. Significant energy savings (up to 30 percent) can be achieved in ventilation systems, with a relatively short payback period. Greater savings can be expected in pumps and pumping systems (up to 40 percent) because various imbalances in the system, unnecessary transfer between media, and pumps operating at inappropriate poor points create significant losses. One of the most important opportunities for savings is product design, or alternative manufacturing of machines that will allow maximum efficiency. There is also effective planning of drive production. Companies like Siemens advise the introduction of energy management systems that enable better utilization and ultimately savings. Innovative technology can significantly reduce the costs of every factory and industrial plant. A system can even be introduced that monitors all production units from a single location.

Machines and Drives

Today’s factories and industry have advanced significantly compared to two years ago, not to mention other periods. Investing in a greener and more energy-efficient industry is saving more and more. Industrial plants in the most developed European countries look like national parks, and car factories are as clean as surgical rooms (of course, we are exaggerating a bit, but you get the point). New technology has advanced so much in developed countries that many in Croatia do not even understand how it works. Nevertheless, we are making progress. Solar panels, air and water purifiers are increasingly being used…
Although it may initially seem very expensive to introduce new technology into production, in the long run, it saves a lot of energy, and the final product becomes more competitive in the market. And that is everyone’s goal: to produce a product that is of higher quality, environmentally friendly, and cheaper with as few costs and cleaner energy as possible.