Pro Tips on Energy Conservation in the Manufacturing Industry

If there’s one topic that’s gained more attention in 2023 throughout the manufacturing industry, it’s energy conservation.

Some would say it’s the most valuable resource an organization has. At a time when utility costs are skyrocketing along with demand, managers must balance their drive for productivity with a strategic approach to powering their operations.

Not only can a smart approach to energy usage make your organization more environmentally friendly, but it could even save you money in the long run. But what’s the best way to achieve this goal?

5 Helpful Energy-Saving Tips for Manufacturing Managers

No matter what sector of the manufacturing industry you work in, or how large or small your organization is, you need to be mindful of what powers your operations.

Energy usage comes with a cost, but it’s also an investment – when you cut waste and focus usage habits in a strategic way, you can improve your facility’s results. Here are some tips we suggest to help you save energy.

1.    Conduct an Energy Audit

Anyone in the manufacturing industry knows all about the importance of a strong foundation when you’re building a physical structure. The same approach is true when you’re building a plan for a goal like energy conservation.

We can only reduce energy consumption, or tailor it to more strategic outlets, if we know where it stands in the present. An energy audit can provide insight into where energy is going. The more detailed the process, the more it can account for the energy usage of individual:

• Facilities
• Departments
• Machines
• Projects
• Periods

Knowing how, when, and where energy is used gives you a gameplan to start your conservation efforts. It allows you to get specific with your efforts, which leads us to the next step.

2.    Set Specific Goals

Energy usage is such a common and continuous process in the world of business, it’s easy to speak in generalities when discussing it. But saving energy isn’t just a general effort – it’s something companies should be specific about.

Maybe your organization is aiming to be more environmentally friendly as an ESG effort. This could improve your brand or help you qualify for special subsidies and business opportunities.

Speaking of financial perks of saving energy, you may also desire to get your energy bills to a certain level and keep them consistent. Or maybe your goal is to cut down a certain percentage of expenses during specific projects or particular periods?

The more specific you are with your efforts, the more likely you are to accomplish them. Concrete goals that are specific and measurable can motivate you and your team.

3.    Consider Automation

When you analyze your energy usage, you may find that a great deal of your losses come from a few specific sources. But beyond just being a few company-specific processes, the loss can be accounted for in areas that every organization experiences. These include:

• Outdated methods of handling routine tasks
• Manual approaches that waste energy and time
• The time and energy lost between switching from task to task

What’s the solution here? One option is automation. Solutions like the ones we offer can streamline your processes, offering uniform and consistent performance. The result is consistent energy usage, without surprise spikes or losses due to inefficient processes.

Nearly anything can be partially or completely automated in 2023. This includes both company-specific processes as well as manufacturing industry mainstays like material handling. This investment could set you up for strategic energy usage – the type that draws returns without creating waste.

4.    Get the Team Involved

If there’s one thing that the manufacturing process and energy conservation efforts have in common, it’s that they’re team efforts.

Once you’ve got the facts, the plan, and the technology in place, the next step is to get your team in on this worthwhile goal. While some people will assume that automation downplays the importance of your workforce, the opposite can actually be true.

When your workers learn how to leverage, support, and be supported by the automation solutions and other energy-efficient changes you make to the workplace, the results you see could compound and create the increased value you’re looking for.

5.    Make it a Continuous Process

Speaking of compounding value, energy efficiency is one of those processes that fuels itself. Or in other words, the more energy you save, the more you have left over to reinvest and refocus.

Even once you reach your energy goals and meet the metrics you set for yourself and your team, the journey isn’t over. In some ways, it’s only beginning. You open yourself up to more returns as you get more efficient with key steps toward energy conservation – steps such as:

• Analyzing and planning out your energy usage
• Incentivizing teamwork to support your efforts
• Integrating helpful technologies such as automation solutions

After you reach your initial goals, you can set new ones. Who knows – maybe your company will become a leader for energy conservation in the manufacturing industry?

Maybe as you create partnerships and pioneer new methods, you can gain influencer status and lead the way in your field toward a future that balances environmentalism and productivity?

Let Us Help Inspire Your Energy Conservation Efforts

Do you feel inspired to empower your manufacturing operation through energy conservation? Then Inspire Automation is excited to work with you.

We use the latest and most efficient automation technology to improve operations while reducing energy costs in the long run. We keep it simple and focused on the goal of higher productivity in line with your organization’s unique objectives and specific goals.

Want to learn more? Reach out to Inspire Automation today! You can click here to ask a question, or to ask about a product, service, or quote.