What have you been able to achieve since the company was founded?
Umiker: Our report "The Case for Industrial Energy Efficiency" was definitely a major milestone for us. In summary, this is a 10-point plan with which energy consumption can be reduced by 11% by 2030. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has even included the report in its annual report and described it there. This may not sound like much at first, but it is hugely important in terms of raising awareness of industrial energy efficiency. The fact that we have already achieved this two years after our foundation also confirms how important our work is. We are increasingly becoming a knowledge hub that aims to encourage the exchange of knowledge.
Is this exchange the first step towards greater energy efficiency or what advice would you give companies?
Umiker: Of course, exchanging ideas with other companies is helpful, but in my view an energy audit is always the first step. You need a reliable starting point in order to be able to evaluate the energy efficiency measures that build on this. That's why concrete projects, such as better networking of assets through digitalization, for example, only make sense afterwards.
How big an impact is digitalization actually having on energy efficiency?
Fabian: Digitalization along the value chain is really starting now. That's why, in my view, it is also a key driver of energy efficiency. Cross-manufacturer access to data via the asset administration shell, for example, can increase savings potential. A good example of this is the digital product passport, which can provide the CO2 footprint over the entire life cycle, for example. The digital twin as a whole will also help to save energy, as we have already demonstrated in several consortium projects together with suppliers and users.
Umiker: Especially when it comes to digitalization, we often find that the necessary technologies are already available in the context of energy efficiency. However, they are not always used consistently for various reasons. Just by improving connectivity between assets, for example, we have been able to show in some projects that the energy requirements of individual devices can be reduced by around 30 %.
Which is definitely worthwhile when extrapolated to an entire production plant.
Umiker: Absolutely. Generally speaking, networking in the context of earlier IoT projects means that there are already enough data sources available today to drive energy efficiency forward. In these earlier projects, however, the link between energy, sustainability and CO2 was not yet so much of a priority. It was more about preventive maintenance and the availability of assets, for example, and not necessarily about the question "Is the plant being operated in an energy-efficient manner?" Today, we can answer this question with the same data.
Nevertheless, electric motors account for almost half of global electricity consumption. Can we significantly reduce this enormous hunger for energy through efficiency measures alone?
Fabian: Admittedly, energy efficiency alone may not be enough, but thanks to new designs of electric motors or power semiconductor technologies, for example, modern drives are significantly more efficient than older devices. It is not without reason that state-of-the-art motors achieve much better values and are assigned to higher efficiency classes.
Umiker: However, the savings can be massive. Compared to an electric motor in energy efficiency class 2, an electric drive in the highest energy efficiency class 5 consumes around 50 % less electricity. Even compared to a class 4 motor, the saving is still around 20 %. That is a huge lever.
However, this is associated with enormous investments, as the entire engine has to be replaced.
Umiker: As I said at the beginning, the cost of such measures is a major hurdle. However, the replacement pays for itself quite quickly. For smaller motors in ventilation and air conditioning systems, for example, it usually takes just one year.
Especially as lower energy consumption also goes hand in hand with lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Umiker: That's right. An engine can be in operation for around 20 years without any problems, which means CO2 emissions of around 100 tons, depending on the operating mode. A more efficient drive can also significantly reduce this figure. Especially with electric motors, the effect of frequency converters is underestimated. According to our information, only around a quarter of the drives used are currently equipped with frequency inverters. There is also undreamt-of potential here. Compared to normal alternating current operation, frequency inverters can save an average of 15% more electricity.
Fabian: Another way to achieve greater efficiency, in addition to more economical technologies, is of course increased automation. I can switch and optimize a frequency inverter, for example. This is possible for individual assets, but can also be extended to the entire system. This can save a lot of energy. In addition, given the life cycles of motors of around 20 years, it would not be very sustainable to simply keep upgrading the next generation.
Nevertheless, we need many more electric motors for the All Electric Society and to move away from fossil fuels. ABB has calculated that the number of electric motors will double by 2040. Isn't energy efficiency then just a drop in the ocean?
Umiker: No, the basic prerequisite for the successful electrification of industry is energy-efficient systems. After all, we cannot generate as much electricity as would otherwise be necessary, especially not from renewable sources. This is why energy efficiency must be the first fuel for electrification, as the IEA has declared. In concrete terms, this means that new additional energy generation capacities should only be considered once all optimization options have been exhausted. It is not without reason that 132 nations committed to doubling energy efficiency and even tripling the amount of renewable energy generated at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai at the end of 2023.
In your view, is it realistic that we can satisfy industry's hunger for energy in the long term?
Umiker: I personally think that the net-zero scenario propagated by the IEA can be achieved. The forecasts indicate this. However, everyone involved will have to pull together. According to the IEA, around 42 % less energy will be available by 2050 alone without fossil fuels. This means that we need to become more energy efficient at all points along the entire value chain. It simply won't work without massive savings.
Energy efficiency will therefore become the decisive factor in electrification and therefore also in climate neutrality.
Fabian: That's right, and that's precisely why it will be so important to always think cradle-to-cradle in the future and continue to drive forward the circular economy. Everything that we can recycle at the end of a product's life cycle does not have to be produced again and therefore not only saves energy, but logically also greenhouse gases. In our partnership with a recycling company, we have discovered that ten tons of recycled engines can save around 30 tons of CO2 emissions.
Umiker: One thing is certain: if we rely solely on substituting fossil fuels with renewable energy, we won't get very far. We won't succeed with climate-friendly energy alone unless all consumers are also energy-efficient. The common denominator of electrification and climate neutrality is energy efficiency.
So there is no way around it?
Umiker: Energy efficiency is a must!
