Currently, about 44% of the total energy in Indonesia is used by industries; therefore energy efficiency in this sector is extremely important and has a major impact. Although energy efficiency in industrial sector continues to develop and improve in recent years, there are still a lot of potential in energy savings that can be explored.
Industries use large amounts of energy both for unit processes such as processing, manufacturing, packaging and supporting utilities for the unit. Unit processes generally use a large number of machines and require large amounts of heat. Industries mostly use fossil energy such as oil, gas and coal. Because the types industry are very diverse, energy efficiency is highly dependent on the kinds of equipment and technology used for the production process.
Energy efficiency in the industrial sector is focused on two main steps, namely:
1. Use of Energy Efficient Process Technology
One example is to use a system of co-generation or combined heat and power (CHP). CHP system is an approach in the application of technology in which electrical energy and heat are produced in a single integrated system. American Research Council for Energy Efficient Economy found that conventional method which produces heat and energy separately has an integrated efficiency of 45%, while energy efficiency of CHP systems can reach up to 80%.
Industries can also improve the efficiency of their motors.
Increased motor efficiency can be done through improving the motor design and operational system, for instance using variable speed drive to adjust the conversion rate to match the load.
Because motors are used constantly, the slightest improvement in efficiency will be very significant and can bring many benefits through cost savings.
Efficiency of industrial equipments can also be improved through better maintenance
Equipments that are operating poorly or damaged are not only dangerous for employees’ safety but also wasting significant amount of energy. Equipments such as pumps and compressors will be more efficient if they are regularly maintained.
2. Energy Management
Industries must implement energy management to regulate and supervise the amount of energy consumed. The steps that can be done are conducting regular energy audits and implementing energy audit recommendations. Energy audits are done to identify energy saving opportunities and provide recommendations on how to manage energy use more efficiently.