The food processing industry is extensive and diverse, with various sectors such as dairy products, meat, oils, fruits, vegetables, fish, packaged foods, bakery products, and beverages. Because of that, a lot of energy goes into these processes! It’s estimated that the food industry accounts for a staggering 30% of global energy consumption and 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. So, needless to say, it’s crucial to find energy efficiencies wherever you can. Let’s explore a few energy-efficient tips for your food processing plant.
Energy Monitoring & Audit
As a food processing plant operator or manager, you play a crucial role in understanding and managing your facility’s energy consumption. Before establishing an energy management plan, it’s essential to understand how your facilities consume energy. Conducting an energy audit can help.
Energy usage in the food processing industry is primarily determined by three main factors: lighting, air conditioning, and refrigeration/ventilation. However, a detailed breakdown of each of these elements can reveal areas for improvement. Is your equipment performing how it’s supposed to? Is lighting using a bigger chunk of energy than expected? If necessary, consider hiring an expert to help interpret this information.
Use Variable Speed Drives (VSD) & Motors
In the food and beverage industry, many applications, such as fans, pumps, compressors, and conveyor belts, operate at partial load. Traditionally, these applications use mechanical control methods like valves, brakes, and throttles to regulate their speed. However, this approach causes the motor to work harder than necessary, leading to wasted energy through mechanical speed control.
Utilizing VSDs for electrically powered equipment can potentially lead to significant cost savings. VSDs provide a more efficient method for operating applications at partial load by directly controlling the speed and torque of an electric motor, eliminating the need for mechanical speed control and oversized motors.
For instance, evaporative fans used in cold storage are typically oversized to ensure maximum cooling, but they continue to run at the same speed even after optimal temperatures are achieved. By using VSDs, you can potentially reduce operating costs by up to 50%, vastly improving your energy bills.
Maximize Refrigeration Efficiency
Refrigeration is a significant energy consumer for food manufacturers. Perishable food items like fruits, vegetables, and meats require precise temperature, humidity, and ventilation conditions before, during, and after processing to ensure they stay fresh and unspoiled. Because of this, refrigeration can account for upwards of 70% of a food processing plant’s energy costs.
Several factors contribute to refrigeration systems’ energy consumption, including the age and efficiency of the equipment. Older refrigeration equipment is often less efficient and consumes more energy than newer, more advanced systems. ENERGY STAR-certified commercial refrigerators and freezers are 20% more energy-efficient than standard models. They’re designed with components such as ECM evaporator and condenser fan motors, hot gas anti-sweat heaters, and high-efficiency compressors, which significantly reduce energy consumption and, thus, utility bills.
Insufficient maintenance can also result in higher energy consumption. Leaks, dirty coils, and other issues can cause a refrigeration system to work harder than necessary, increasing energy usage and costs.
Update Lighting
Depending on the size of your food processing facility, lighting can hugely impact your energy consumption. Older facilities may be equipped with incandescent lighting fixtures, which are notorious for their energy inefficiencies. Approximately just 2% of the energy emitted from an incandescent light is useable light, while the remaining 98% is wasted heat. Because of this, they burn out quickly and must be replaced often.
On the other hand, LEDs are extremely efficient – nearly 100% of the energy emitted from LEDs is useable light. New LEDs can last 50,000 to 100,000 hours or more. In comparison, the typical lifespan for an incandescent bulb is only 1-5% as long, at best (around 1,200 hours). So, upgrading your lighting to LEDs can help you save money, energy, and maintenance in the long run.
Reduce Waste
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 30-40% of total food production is lost before it reaches the market. This not only cuts into your profits but is also harmful to the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that each year, U.S. food loss and waste are responsible for 170 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions – equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants.
Beyond ensuring your refrigeration and ventilation processes are up to par, you should review your plant’s processes to pinpoint where most of your facility’s waste comes from. For example, while quality control is important, overzealous standards may result in perfectly usable ingredients or products being discarded. Or perhaps an overage of ingredients needs to be discarded due to not being used in time. Closely reviewing your facility’s processes can help eliminate unnecessary waste.
Looking for additional energy tips for your food processing plant? Download our Commercial Energy Guide or contact the experts at UGI EnergyLink today!