Energy audit of an industrial facility,Hagby waste management plant

Abstract: In order to answer modern challenges, which come from increasing needs in energy forprivate persons and industries as well as in order to decrease negative environmentalimpacts, caused by the processes of energy generation, it is important to constantly searchfor untapped energy efficiency potential. Moreover, nowadays, energy efficiency hasbecome one of the prerequisites of successful market competitiveness for any type ofindustry on local and global levels.An energy audit is an instrument, which can be used for understanding how the energy isused and identify possible energy-saving opportunities. It can be applied to a facility as awhole, as well as individually to equipment, system(s) or process(es). Moreover, energysaving measures can be both cross-cutting and sector-specific.The purpose of this project was to conduct a detailed energy audit of the Hagby wasterecycling plant and to identify beneficial energy saving opportunities from economic,environmental and social perspectives.In the frames of a preliminary energy audit 10 focus areas for further analysis wereidentified. For every area a baseline assessment of the current energy performance wasconducted, possible energy management opportunities were identified and evaluated aswell as results of each analysis were summarized. According to the results of the study, with the implementation of the suggestions, whichrequire no, low or medium investments it is possible to save 3,2% of the energy per year,which corresponds to 76 846 kWh. Energy consumption can further be decreased byimplementing measures, which need high initial financial investment. In that case totalsavings will be 468 846 kWh or 19,4% of total annual energy consumption. Additionalenergy might be saved just by introducing energy housekeeping measures. Finally,implementation of all the proposed EMO can bring 14,46 tons of 2 CO savings annually.Additional benefits of implementing the energy saving opportunities come from decreasingenvironmental impacts, improving working conditions of the plant employees and higherenergy security at the plant.The results of the energy audit can be a solid base for establishing an energy managementprogram at the plant, which will include performance targets, required resources and aclear procedure of realization of improvements. However, since some of the calculations inthe current study are based on various assumptions, after the company forms the energymanagement program, it is necessary to invite experts from industry in order to giveaccurate calculations for each of the focus areas.