Energy analyses show that energy consumption in many industrial companies could be reduced by up to 30 per cent. Analytical tools that identify this type of savings potential are meeting with tremendous success. The costs for these analyses, however, can amount to between CHF 30,000 and 50,000, and the analyses involve a great deal of effort. 

A reliable energy- and cost-savings estimation is the first step required in order to convince industrial companies that such an analysis and the resulting optimisations are worthwhile. Without a reliable estimation, most industrial companies are very reluctant to carry out this type of analysis.

Such a results forecast can be produced using benchmarking with relatively little expenditure. Reliable key performance indicators that can be recorded and compared easily form the basis of the forecast. An anonymous key figures catalogue based on widely-supported in-dustry data is also created and managed in a database. A results forecast can now be created for companies that are considering an energy optimisation by recording the company’s own key perfor-mance indicators and comparing them with the empirical values from the database. All of this enables the company’s position to be determined within the sector.

Implementation and results

The Institute of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering (IEFE) is currently working on such a key figures catalogue. The database is being developed together with the Institute of Applied Information Technology (InIT). The Institute of Data Analysis and Process Design (IDP) is involved in the development of the evaluation.

Close cooperation with industrial companies and industry associa-tions as well as their willingness to make the relevant data available are key to the success of this venture. “That’s why we are grateful for any type of assistance and hope for the indispensable and broad support of the industry and industry associations,” IEFE director Frank Tillenkamp comments. “Any data made available to us will be handled with complete discretion.”

Are you interested in such a project and would like to provide us with data for the key figures catalogue? If so, please contact the institutes.