In this day of increasing utility costs, energy efficiency and reduced consumption are the goals of every business – especially industrial firms. There are a lot of standalone measures manufacturing companies can take to improve their energy usage – but the greatest gains occur when they have a comprehensive energy efficiency plan. This plan begins with an energy assessment.
In the previous issue of the PCC Journal, we discussed how demand control can help companies lower their utility bills by smoothing out their electrical demand (the kW amount of electricity required for operations). This article looks at six great options for setting up an effective demand control program—and eliminating those costly demand charges!
With today’s focus on reducing the high cost of monthly electric utility charges, most companies automatically assume this means installing new, more energy-efficient fixtures and equipment. These can help, but for many facilities, the place to begin in cutting electric costs is not by installing a new lighting system or high-efficiency motors. Instead, it’s by taking a look at the electric utility bill—more specifically, thedemand charge on that bill.
