The Danish Energy Agency has mapped the energy consumption in Danish businesses to identify potential savings. And especially within the manufacturing industry and the construction sector, there is a great deal of catching up to do.
Construction uses 5.5 per cent of the energy
The mapping shows, among other things, that the building and construction sector accounts for 5.5 per cent of total Danish energy consumption. It is also clear that there has been progress in construction and thus cement production. From the mapping, it appears that Aalborg Portland’s energy consumption alone has increased by 22 per cent since 2015. And precisely here there is a lot to improve on the CO2 account, as it also appears that 75 per cent of Aalborg Portland’s energy consumption comes from burning coal or coke.
Five recommendations
Specifically, five recommendations have emerged from the Energy Agency’s mapping:
- Utilize waste heat and electrify
- Make the heat supply more efficient
- Set a standard for new plants
- Improve automatic control
- Take advantage of new technology
In addition, the Danish Energy Agency also points out that there is still much to be done if you use common sense and switch off equipment that is not in use and seal any leaks.
Facts about potential energy savings and the biggest barriers to realizing the potential:
-
Utilize waste heat & electrify
Waste heat from, for example, compressed air, drying and cooling systems can be used for space heating or heating water for cleaning or process purposes. It is important to think of heat recovery together with electrification because heat pumps can provide much more efficient use of heat.
The biggest barrier: Utilization of waste heat will in many cases interfere with the most central production processes. For many companies, it will be seen as a risky investment and will therefore opt out of doing this.
-
Make the heat supply more efficient
In the industry, there is enormous potential in converting steam supply to hot water supply, as it both reduces losses in boilers and supply networks, makes it easier to utilize waste heat and makes it possible to integrate heat pumps into the heat supply. In agriculture, there is great potential for making straw boilers more efficient, which still have low-efficiency levels.
The biggest barrier: It is often a major planning task to find the optimal technical solutions, especially where steam supply is to be converted to hot water supply. Such a change will in many cases require better financial incentives.
-
Set a standard for new plants
The fact that there are still large savings potentials is partly due to business life’s natural focus on reducing investment costs when building or buying new ones. It provides “scraped” solutions, which in many cases reduce energy efficiency, e.g. by deselecting heat recovery or advanced control. This could be avoided with a fixed design standard that ensures energy-efficient new plants with a good overall economy.
The biggest barrier: Establishing a standard that ensures energy savings without forcing companies to make certain choices.
-
Improve automatic control
For most companies, there is money to be made by having the automation reviewed so that it runs optimally – and at the same time assessing whether operations can be made more efficient by utilizing new technology. Cheaper meter technology holds great efficiency potential in virtually all sectors.
The biggest barrier: Day-to-day operations take up everything in many companies, so you don’t get to prioritize a review, even though by spending a little money you can save a lot of money.
-
Take advantage of new technology
There is considerable potential in all sectors by utilizing new technology such as WGB frequency converters with very low losses for electric motor systems and High Volume Low-Speed fans for, for example, ventilation and fan systems.
The biggest barrier: Lack of knowledge about the possibilities and lack of prioritization of development in a busy everyday life.
-
“Here & now” savings from behavioural changes
The mapping has shown that there is still significant potential for behavioural savings without the major barriers – such as turning off equipment that is not in use, sealing leaks and ensuring efficient operations through better maintenance. It requires some working hours, but not major investments, and the savings can be reaped here and now. In light of the current energy crisis, companies should prioritize quick savings.
Source: Danish Energy Agency
The entire mapping and analysis can be read here.
