3 ways to unlock energy efficiency with Ecodesign

I never tire of emphasizing it: the new possibilities offered by Ecodesign in optimizing machinery and production facilities are truly remarkable and should not be underestimated. Especially when it comes to energy efficiency. According to the European Commission, in 2021 alone, the impact of Ecodesign measures under the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC led to a 10% lower annual energy consumption by the products in scope. What does this mean for us in practice?

A good occasion to remember Ecodesign’s true potential is today's “World Energy Efficiency Day”, marked annually on the 5th of March. Last month, I shared an initial article on the transformative potentials of Ecodesign at Körber. Now I want to use today’s awareness to present a follow-up article that delves specifically into how Ecodesign can serve as a catalyst for energy savings within our customers’ production sites.

In the meetings of our Ecodesign think tank at Körber , I am always impressed by the passion, commitment, and insight of my dedicated colleagues. Let me share this spark and expertise with you and continue the conversation. I would like to narrow our focus to three specific ways in which Ecodesign can enhance energy efficiency within our customers’ production sites.

The holistic way: Energy recovery systems

A key component of Ecodesign to reduce the energy consumption of machines are energy recovery systems. Intermediate energy storages can be an easy possibility to store recuperation energy or to couple drives in order to use break energy for powering another part in the machine. There are many other options like this. You can:

• pair opposite movements
• use counterweights
• use isolation
• use heat exchangers for thermal processes
• use storage solutions like batteries or heat reservoirs to mitigate timing disparities.

Nevertheless, machines in a line often don’t interact. It makes them operate in a system with fixed boundaries. They are often just specified and sold according to data sheets. Within the specification the interactions between machines can be defined, but often there is potential to improve.

If someone is looking at one specific machine, the possibilities for optimization are limited. So, in my opinion, the future of green production lies in holistic system analysis and optimization, treating the entire production site as a single interconnected entity.

The engineering way: Minimizing the delta between process and operating energy

In the realm of machine design, our engineers at Körber face the critical task of optimizing efficiency to meet customer needs while minimizing energy consumption. At the heart of this challenge lies the delicate balance between process energy and operating energy. Process energy represents the raw physical energy required to execute the designated task, while operating energy encompasses the additional energy demanded by the chosen technical solution.

Consider, for instance, the scenario of heating a specific mass of material to a predetermined temperature. Calculating the process energy involves factors such as the material's thermal capacity and the temperature differentials involved. However, the engineer's technical solution, say an inductive heater, introduces further energy demands due to losses in electrical transmission and heat dissipation.

The disparity between process and operating energy serves as a crucial metric for assessing the efficiency of the engineer's solution. At Körber, we are working hard on finding new ways to minimize this disparity. Our key steps entail:

• meticulous requirement specifications
• steering clear of over-engineering
• maintaining uniform throughput across the production line
• ensuring that each machine's functional configuration aligns closely with customer needs.

The modularizing way: Easy upgrades of machines to newest energy standards

Setting up production lines entails significant investment, with machines designed for long-term operation. However, achieving sustainability goals may necessitate earlier upgrades than anticipated to meet energy standards. In my opinion, rather than waiting for entirely new machines, developing upgrade kits to enhance individual modules offers a quicker solution. This approach enables iterative improvements, aligns with our customers' evolving sustainability strategies, and also fits in with our aim to offer more sustainable products, solutions and services.

Moreover, customers' R&D priorities often focus initially on product sustainability, potentially triggering changes in production processes. Therefore, it is essential for us to get involved in customer discussions early on in order to support the development of sustainable products and their production processes.

So, does Ecodesign already offer practicable solutions for saving energy in production facilities?

I think my comments and the insights from the Ecodesign think tank at Körber have made it clear: together we can make huge energy savings by

• implementing energy recovery systems based on a holistic system analysis,
• minimizing the disparity between process and operating energy,
• and embracing modularization for seamless upgrades.

Now, I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your experiences and progress in implementing Ecodesign principles. What challenges have you encountered, and how have you navigated them?

Let's harness the collective wisdom of our community to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.