This section compiles a database of more than 200 resource efficiency measures that were identified using the TEST methodology and successfully implemented within several industries across many sectors. The measures are classified by sector and subsector, type (good housekeeping, process control/modification, technology change, etc.), category of resource savings (water, energy and/or materials), scope and applicability (process or utilities). The database enables the use of predefined filters including the possibility to use keywords for an advanced search.
Each measure in the database includes a description of the problem, a technical description of the solution, the economic and environmental benefits quantified for the specific company case, the costs and the expected return on investment, suppliers of equipment as well as other aspects related to safety, maintenance, productivity and technical implementation.
lack of monitoring of key process parameters can lead to sub-optimal quality of products, yet also lead to increase in consumption of water and energy during production processes. Installing flow measuring intruments and adopting a statistical analysis for the performance indicators within a pasta production company resulted in savings in consumption, increase in production and improvement of the quality.
Adjusting the hot air temperature, that is used for drying, to the maximum allowable temperature for maintaining the product quality resulted in reduction of the air flow, and consequently improved the thermal efficiency, and saved on energy.
In tanning process, salting the leather is essential, however is results in increased salinity of the wastewater. Introducing an industrial desallination fuller, that is used to pound the skins helps reduce the amount of salt needed for salting, saving in material and labor force.
A company operates a large ammonia refrigeration plant for production. In operating the refrigeration system, heat is generated which is unutilized as the temperature level is too low (35°C). As a solution an additionalcompression stage with a separate piston compressor shall be integrated directly into the refrigeration circuit to raise the waste heat to a higher and thus usable temperature level. The temperature can then be connected directly to the existing heating system. In doing so total efficiency gains can be achieved.
Typically more than 60% of the energy input to an Arabic bread tunnel oven is wasted as heat in the chimney stack. In this bakery, the temperature of the combustion gases from the oven at the inlet to the chimney has been measured at 600°C. An eco-innovative heat recovery measure was introduced, where the waste heat is utilized to produce saturated steam, which in turn will operate an absorption chiller. This will replace electricity needed to operate the vapor compression type AC during night.
In a tableware glass manufacturing facility, the furnace flue gases are directed to a recuperator type chimney, which serves to preheat the combustion air. Measurements showed that the chimney insulation is detiorated at several locations, and the temerature of flue gases exiting the chimney is relatively high. Maintaining and fixing the chimney insulation serves in increasing the efficiency of the recuperator to preheat the combustion air, leading to increase in the combustion efficiency, saving on energy consumption.
The causes of varnish loss in the company were identified to be related to the type of agitator used to stirr the varnish, which resulted in varnish leftovers in the drums, and low homogenity of the varnish. Changing the agitator type, and adopting goodhouse keeping measures reduced the varnish and solvent losses, and improved the printing quality.
A fruit processing company, cleans its pipes every six hours through a three step Clean In Place (CIP) technique. Water used in the first rinse dilutes the pushed product, forming a blended mixture which is wasted. This represents a loss of 0,17% of the product during each cleaning cycle. Introducing Ice pigging as an eco-innovative product push technique, replaces the first rinse, thus elimiating the dilution and loss of product. The ice pig also serves in cleaning the pipe, thus reducing the chemical use, and the cleaning cycle time. Due to major benefits, the payback period was only 2 years despite the high investment cost of the intervention.
This practice illustrates that through proper information system, energy consumption can be reduced with up to 3% provided that the data is properly analysed and corrective actions are considered accordingly.
The production of breadcrumbs entail the removal of humidity from the bread slices through a dryer. The dryer is operated through a series of electric heaters installed with a fan installed above them,directing ambient air to the heaters. As the flow rate of the hot air coming out of the heaters is low the drying process takes a long time.Installing a variable speed fan at the bottom of the dryer, leads to increasing the hot air circulation within the dryer, and achieving better temperature distribution, reducing the time needed for drying.