Whoever is responsible for maintaining devices in a company needs to evaluate their performance and monitor the status of activities. In this way, you will be able to know the energy consumption of equipment and what measures to take to avoid waste.
Saving electricity has positive impacts for the whole organization, not only in financial aspects, but also in sustainability.
Want to understand more about how to and why calculate the expense? Just keep reading and you will find some tips to optimize energy consumption.
Have a nice read!
Why calculate equipment energy consumption?
Understanding how much is being spent on each company's equipment allows management to plan strategies to save energy. In addition, it makes people aware of what is being spent so that there are no bad surprises at the end of the month.
According to the Brazilian organization Firjan, a study showed that 40% of production costs are related to electricity. Many times this is not the real expense, but the excessive use of equipment or the obsolescence of another.
By understanding the values and problematic points, it becomes easier to find alternatives to reduce consumption. Only with this knowledge, from efficient data collection, the company will be able to achieve energy efficiency of the equipment.
How to calculate the energy consumption of equipment?
With the right resources, calculating energy consumption can be a straightforward task. The calculation is based on the power of the equipment (kWh) and the time it is connected for consumption.
Watts (W) × hours (h) ÷ 1000
To exemplify, let's consider 8 hours a day using an air conditioner (10,000 BTU/h), a computer (CPU + Monitor) and a printer (laser). Check out the power consumption table in watts for these common office equipment:
|
Equipment
|
Watts
|
Hours of consumption
|
kWh consumption
|
|
Air conditioning
|
963 W
|
8h
|
7,704 kWh
|
|
Computer
|
300W
|
8h
|
2,4 kWh
|
|
Printer
|
400W
|
8h
|
3,2 kWh
|
The consumption per hour indicated in the table considers the use during 8 hours without switching off. Does the printer have to be on this entire time? What if someone forgets to turn off the air conditioning before leaving?
The electricity bill at the end of the month would be huge, causing damage to the entire organization. That is why it is so important to have someone responsible for monitoring this equipment, who understands what is being accounted for.
With technology it has become much more practical to measure consumption, with the help of installed sensors allowing real-time data collection. Therefore, managers can develop efficient strategies to reduce costs and increase the energy efficiency of the company.
Tips for optimizing equipment energy consumption
The best way to improve energy consumption is by following some basic guidelines, such as:
- Use equipment with a known and trusted energy efficiency certification;
- Monitor the efficiency of appliances;
- Keep maintenance up to date and systems up to date;
- Invest in automation systems.
A standardization of processes and control of devices through automation facilitates this optimization. Check below some details about the tips focused on the conscientious energy consumption of equipment.
Use equipment with a known and trusted energy efficiency certification
In Brazil, equipment bearing the Procel Seal with the letter A, are products that have the lowest energy consumption possible. Thus, it is recommended that all equipment be chosen based on a trusted indication of energy consumption certification.
Older devices end up consuming a greater amount of energy due to the fact that their technology is outdated. Thus, it is important to guide the exchange for more modern equipment.
Buying new devices makes it seem like a lot more is being spent, yet the exact opposite is true. O High investment in state-of-the-art technology and up-to-date features reduces long-term energy costs.
Monitor equipment efficiency
Monitoring machine operation is a responsibility that directly affects energy consumption. When the professional keeps up to date with all the information, he can direct efforts to avoid waste.
Thus, the intelligent use of this data allows the person to:
- Access all equipment activity status in real time;
- Project and simulate the consumption of electricity in the coming months;
- Identify equipment that is consuming in excess and replace them with newer versions or repair the possible error;
- Monitor activities in a segmented way, thus being able to locate which sector the excess is coming from to create specific reduction measures;
- Identify machines with problems, enabling a more agile solution so as not to compromise productivity.
Keep equipment maintenance up to date
Having one preventive maintenance routine increases the durability of equipment and keeps it in good working order. In addition, you will be avoiding unnecessary and high expenses, it is worth remembering, with more serious repairs.
Air conditioning, for example, if there is no frequent maintenance (every six months) it will consume more energy. This happens because he will need to make more effort to climate the environment, overloading the compressor.
Invest in building automation systems
A building automation system encompasses a series of technological tools used to improve the safety, energy, comfort and maintenance of the building. With the use of sensors, control panels and the internet, the equipment is connected on a single platform.
Standardizing processes through automation allows the company to enhance energy efficiency. Here are some benefits of investing in these systems:
- It is possible to program the equipment to turn on and off at predefined times;
- The panel allows for control over room temperatures, lighting and energy consumption;
- Monitoring can be done without the person being on site, as the system allows remote access and control.
In addition to these, other advantages were also presented throughout the article, such as preventive maintenance.
Get to know Squair technology's smart solutions
We hope that by coming to this topic, you have already understood the importance of measuring the energy consumption of equipment. Because now we want to show you the solution that could become a great ally in your work routine.
Automation systems rely on technological resources that are developed day after day, as is the example of Internet of Things. The tool developed by Squair is based on IoT and responsibility for the environment.
Our sensors can be installed on equipment without the need for structural changes, centralizing information on a single platform. Accessible remotely, the digital control panel allows monitoring and control of all consumption areas.
Check out what Squair can do for you:
- Energy consumption: reduce your electricity bill expenses by up to 25% by knowing exactly who is consuming more;
- Thermal comfort: monitor room temperature in real time to provide a good thermal experience for building users;
- CPDS Technical Rooms: the automation of the air conditioning system, the safe control of critical environments, in addition to receiving alerts when there is any risk;
- refrigerated environments: for those who work with food or are going to store it for events, it is possible to avoid waste by maintaining the ideal temperature;
- HVAC system monitoring: Integrate all the company's automation systems to understand the operation and find the best path to energy efficiency.
To learn more about Squair, our mission and our values,visit the website by clicking here. You will discover that it is possible to have operational intelligence without abandoning environmental responsibility!