Education & Training

Energy Management Systems – The Gas Bill

Most plastics processing sites use gas simply for space heating but some processes use gas as part of the process, e.g., rotational molding.  

Where gas is used for hot water only then this is generally relatively constant over the year. For space heating, the gas use load will be related to the weather conditions (how cold it is) and the weather is then a ‘condition’ driver for gas use. 

Where gas use is part of the process then use will be driven by both the activity (production) and the condition (weather). The two drivers will need to be separated either by sub-metering or by statistical analysis – but sub-metering is preferable.  

Action:

  • Plot gas use against time. If it is used for space heating only then you should see peaks in winter and troughs in summer.
  • Plot gas use against the ’heating degree-days’ in the month as a scatter chart. ‘Heating degree days’ is a measure of how cold it is in a specific area. There should be a linear relationship, the Performance Characteristic Line (PCL) for the heating system – if not then find out why.
  • Use the PCL to assess heating system performance.
  • If gas use is part of the process, then recording meters allow gas use to be related to production volume via a PCL – as with electricity use (ESTotM 5).

Dr. Robin Kent is the author of ‘Energy Management in Plastics Processing’, published by Elsevier and Managing Director of Tangram Technology Ltd. (www.tangram.co.uk ), consulting engineers for energy and sustainability management in plastics processing. 

Also read:

You can also learn more about energy management at Robin’s webinar, Energy Management in Plastics Processing, on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

By Robin Kent | April 16, 2024

Recent Posts

  • People

Breaking Barriers: Women in Engineering at PET Technologies

At PET Technologies, women are not only challenging stereotypes. They're driving innovation and shaping the…

17 hours ago
  • Extrusion

Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Polymer Extrusion

Polymer extrusion wastes a significant amount of energy on inefficiencies. Here is how modern technologies…

2 days ago
  • Sports & Recreation

Hydrophilic Coating Gives Golf Balls a Competitive Edge

A new hydrophilic coating could give players an edge, enabling them to maintain control and…

2 days ago
  • Industry

Upcycling Post-Industrial Recycled PP for Injection Molding Applications

As industries strive to integrate recycled materials into mainstream manufacturing, researchers continue to explore ways…

3 days ago
  • Industry

4 Companies Advancing Sustainability with Recycled Content

Companies worldwide are reevaluating their production processes. One major shift is the use of recycled…

4 days ago
  • 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing

Cutting Emissions Using PLA in 3D Printing

On-site 3D printing of single-use consumables can help life science laboratories reduce carbon emissions.

7 days ago