Target energy management for sustainable molding companies: Consumption, saving, and enviro-economic investigation

Abstract

The industrial sector is the world's leading energy consumer and CO₂ emitter and yet has not received sufficient focus to reduce its energy consumption and adverse environmental impact. So, this paper addresses this gap by presenting industrial-based research on energy audit and target energy management for a sustainable bulk molding company in Alexandria, Egypt. The management focuses on the hot press hydraulic building section which consumes more than 30 % of the company's total energy. The sources of energy losses within this section are identified and quantified. Energy-saving measures including thermal energy management are proposed, implemented and valorized based on energy savings, cost and environmental impact. The yearly savings on energy consumption, energy bills and CO₂ emission reduction for the molding machines are estimated. The results show that the main sources of molds' energy losses are in the preheat stage and convection and radiation from the hot mold surfaces. The maximum energy saving due to modifying the preheat stage duration is about 51 %. The gained energy reduction due to changing the mold insulation boards is about 17.5 % and 55.3 % during the preheat and production stages, respectively. Moreover, using double layer insulation boards with the mold insulation cage reduces energy consumption by about 69.5 %. The payback period falls between 1.53 and 6.11 months where these techniques for one machine can save 1229.3 $/year and reduce 16,651.598 kg/year CO₂ emission. The study contributes to a broader understanding of how proactive insulation and thermal management can lead to significant energy and cost savings over a long-term period in industrial operations. Besides its contribution to sustainability goals: SDG7, SDG11, and SDG13, the study's approach proves its efficacity and can serve as a precedent for other industrial sites trying to enhance energy efficiency in their most energy-intensive areas.