How can food processors maximise energy efficiency?
In some ways, it's easier to reduce energy consumption in an office building than in a manufacturing facility.
For example, while you might be able to lower the office thermostat without affecting staff comfort, the food processing industry depends on certain temperatures to maintain consistency and keep the end product safe.
As a result, while there are ways to save energy in production, they are subordinate to production demands and regulatory requirements, says Casey Laughman in an article for Food Engineering Magazine.
"You can't not get the food up to the kill temperature just to save energy," explained Warren Green, vice president and manager of process engineering for Hixson.
To maximise energy efficiency, the first step is to analyse your energy use, asking:
1. Why are we spending this much money on energy?
2. What can we do to reduce the amount we spend?
Rather than just looking at the total cost, this analysis should break down energy usage in detail, looking at each piece of equipment.
That gives you information that you can use to start finding efficiencies, making sure you're meeting the processing requirements in the most efficient manner possible.
"One extra degree in an oven may not seem like a big difference, but start thinking about how much extra energy it requires over an entire production shift, work week, month or year, and it adds up," Laughman says.
The next step is taking a wider look at your processes to see if there's anything you can do to improve their efficiency. Could you shift some of your production to a different time of day, to benefit from cheaper electricity? Are there other ways to cut down your energy usage during peak hours? Variable speed drives and motors could also lower your overall energy use.
Processors that invest time and effort into operating more efficiently will see real results, Laughman concludes.