Technical Articles
Industrial energy usage in India is the largest among the end-use sectors. It is projected by International Energy Agency [1] that energy demand in the industry sector will increase rapidly by 4.4% annually to 2040. In addition, industries ranging from chemicals, textiles and food to transport equipment are increasing their production quickly to satisfy the needs of a larger and more prosperous society.
In some industries, energy consumption is a significant component in the cost of manufacturing a product. Therefore, with increasing production, energy consumption will also increase but how do we measure the efficiency of the system? The answer is Specific Energy consumption. This is a common industry wide used benchmark to measure the effectiveness of energy conservation measures.
Specific Energy Consumption is the energy consumed per unit of production.
| Production quantity (in units) [A] | Energy consumed (in units) [B] | SEC [C] = [B] / [A] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feeder 1 | 5000 | 200 | 0.040 |
| Feeder 2 | 3000 | 145 | 0.048 |
| Feeder 3 | 7860 | 256 | 0.033 |
SEC is also used to benchmark a specific feeder itself over a period to understand the impact of various variables that combine to produce one unit of production.
Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical sectors consumption of energy is quite significant. The overall energy usage intensity (EUI) for pharmaceutical plants is approx. 14x higher than other types of manufacturing facilities because of higher standards for environmental conditions.
The distribution of energy use in the pharmaceutical industry generally are as follows:
| Overall | HVAC | Plug loads and processes | Lighting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 100% | 65% | 25% | 10% |
| R&D | 30% | Ventilation for clean rooms and fume hoods. Areas requiring 100% make-up air, Chilled water, Hot water and steam | Microscopes, Centrifuges, Electric mixers, Analysis equipment, Sterilization processes, Incubators, Walk-in/reach-in areas (refrigeration) | Task and overhead lighting |
| Offices | 10% | Space heating (25%), Cooling (9%), Ventilation (5%) | Computers, Fax machines, Photocopiers, Printer, Water heating (9%) | Task, overhead and outdoor lighting |
| Bulk Manufacturing | 35% | Ventilation for clean rooms and fume hoods. Areas requiring 100% make-up air, Chilled water, Hot water and steam | Centrifuges, Sterilization processes, Incubators, Dryer Separation processes | Task and overhead lighting |
| Formulation, Packaging & Filling | 15% | Particle control ventilation | Mixers, Motors | Mostly overhead, some task |
| Warehouses | 5% | Space heating (41%), Refrigeration (4%) | Forklifts, Water heating (5%) | Mostly overhead lighting |
| Miscellaneous | 5% | - | - | Overhead |
Energy management systems enable energy efficiency by providing a central view of the system. The pharma companies can then track performance, identify trends, and highlight potential problem areas. With the ability to see how the energy is distributed and used, companies can budget more appropriately, test cost saving scenarios, and identify and repair trouble quickly.
Using SEC tool, Pharma companies can analyse the SEC trend to understand the cost trend for producing one capsule/tablet.
Pharma companies use some of the following methods to save energy:
Textile sector is considered as one of the largest industrial sectors in India and at the same time it is also one of the oldest sectors in the country. In textile mills, electricity costs are increasing due to capacity additions and increase in tariff rates.
Analysis of per unit cost of production will reveal that electrical energy cost is around 15% - 20% of the production cost and is 2nd in terms of weightage in total product cost after raw material cost. Unlike other major cost components like raw material or labour, electricity consumed is an important leverage factor to reduce per unit production cost as the cost of others are based on market driven factors. A good Energy Management system installed in a plant will help to analyse energy consumption to take actions to reduce electricity consumption.
SmartComm Energy Management System will help in monitoring of energy consumption, give analysis of energy and hence help in taking actions to reduce energy usage thereby leading of cost reduction. It helps in real time energy monitoring and analysis with the mantra what gets measured gets acted upon.
Dashboard for a quick eye view of energy consumption with analytics.
Step 1: Enable SEC report tab under Daily energy report section and feed the unit (eg: kgs, capsules, etc.)
Step 2: Click to enter the production data for the critical feeders for which SEC must be monitored.
Step 3: Enter production data in Total or shift basis.
Step 4: Save the data
Step 5: Generate the report
Step 6: Report is generated in an excel sheet.
In case of Textile plants Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) is also referred as UKG. The user will upload the production data in SmartComm EMS and get details of UKG on shift basis, daily basis and monthly basis.
Daily or weekly benchmarking of SEC can help in taking adequate steps to find the root cause of deviation and thus help in saving energy and money.
SmartComm EMS is the right tool to have a sneak peek into the energy efficiency of the plant from the management perspective.
Divyesh B. Vaghasiya,
Senior Product Management and Marketing professionalDivyesh B. Vaghasiya is a Senior Product Management and Marketing professional focused on Industrial IoT, Energy Management, and Smart Technologies. With 13+ years of experience in the electrical and automation industry, he combines deep technical knowledge with strategic business thinking. He shares perspectives on emerging technologies, product management, sustainability, and digital transformation, helping businesses navigate the evolving energy landscape.
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