Unlocking cost-effective energy

WHETHER YOU'RE managing factory floor operations, or you’re looking at how to reduce production costs, chances are, energy consumption is on your radar.

Rising energy prices, combined with mounting environmental responsibilities, mean that every kilowatt-hour your operation saves translates directly into lower costs and a smaller carbon footprint. While a 2019 Government report estimated energy accounted for four per cent of total operating costs, this figure is now estimated to be much higher at 15%.

This increase is unsurprising given industrial electricity prices in the UK are 46% above the International Energy Agency member countries’ median. Consequently, it means the competitiveness of British manufacturers is being seriously undermined, as other countries benefit from the luxury of further investment in productivity whilst UK firms absorb rising overheads.

So, how can UK industry rival its worldwide counterparts? It often begins with tackling an overreliance on inefficient, ageing gear units that quietly drain power and drive up energy costs.

Legacy systems are more vulnerable to wear, alignment issues and unexpected failure. This leads to more frequent maintenance, an increased reliance on spare parts sand growing pressure on already stretched operating budgets. At the same time, underperforming gear units can restrict production efficiency, creating bottlenecks that slow output, and your ability to respond quickly to changes in demand, stock availability or new customer requirements. But operational inefficiencies in a plant are not always obvious, even to a trained eye. Misaligned components, oversized motors, or equipment running at unnecessarily high speeds can all create hidden energy losses that erode your competitiveness. Without real-time insight into your equipment, identifying and tackling these issues is difficult.

Smart, connected drives can change this however, using advanced sensors and connectivity to give you continuous visibility into your energy usage, equipment performance, and motor health. With greater insight, you can identify underperforming units, friction losses, or deviations from expected energy patterns. This allows you to take targeted action, whether it’s replacing or upgrading components, adjusting operational settings, or reconfiguring production layouts.

Where factory floor data is most valuable

Connected drives are especially important in operational areas with fluctuating demand, where overpowered equipment could waste significant amounts of energy during idle periods. While it can be tempting to install larger, more powerful motors to ensure peak performance during high demand, these units often operate inefficiently when demand drops, unnecessarily eating away at your electricity bill.

Modern drive systems, which integrate smart motors and Variable Frequency Drives or Variable Speed Drives (VFDs / VSDs), solve this problem by adjusting the motor’s speed and torque to match the exact demand of the task, reducing energy consumption when you’re operating at partial load.

The impact is tangible results for your production line. Energy costs drop, and operational efficiency rises. In variable load systems, using VSDs can save anywhere between 15 and 40% of energy according to the Energy Institute3. This is further supported by figures from International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2024 motor system digitalisation survey, which estimates energy savings of between six and 20% when advanced technologies like sensors are implemented.

Beyond cost-cutting, high-quality data across your production line gives you another major advantage: the ability to predict and tackle machinery failures before they happen. By monitoring parameters like vibration, temperature, and power consumption, factory floor teams can identify anomalies and schedule repairs before small issues spiral into emergency shutdowns, saying goodbye to unplanned downtime.

With real-time data flowing from your production lines, you can react quickly to supply chain changes, adjust schedules, and allocate resources more effectively, making your factory more flexible and responsive.

Taking the next step

Still not convinced about making the switch? While the cost of investing in new technologies can feel significant, the long-term cost of standing still is far greater. Rising maintenance demands, ongoing inefficiencies and decreased profit margins can quickly outweigh initial capital spend.

If upskilling feels like a barrier, consider phased trials, upgrading your factory floor one step at a time and training your team along the way. When operational engineers and managers are aligned with a smarter operations strategy from the outset, buy-in across your production line will be much easier and the benefits are realised much faster.

Ultimately, smart drive technology isn’t a fad or a temporary trend. It marks a permanent evolution in factory operations, and manufacturers who embrace it will gain a critical competitive edge in a challenging global marketplace.

Stuart Swarbrick is electronics sales expert at SEW-EURODRIVE UK

www.sew-eurodrive.co.uk