Welcome to Kaizen Energy Consultancy
COP26 gave us a chilling fact.
To mitigate the impact of global warming the transition to green energy is not enough.
The focus on energy efficiency needs to increase.
Spiralling energy costs are also affecting the bottom line, so it is imperative for businesses to explore new ways to become energy efficient.
It is well documented that a poorly serviced or installed refrigeration system can reduce efficiency by 20% to 50%.
Kaizen Energy focuses on helping your organisation improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC systems and meet the environmental targets which are seen as an important element of good corporate governance.
The retrofit of new technology to existing HVAC systems can improve efficiency, comfort and ultimately your bottom line.
Would your organisation benefit from support in identifying all potential opportunities to reduce your energy use from refrigeration?
Doing nothing is not an option and can have a devastating effect on profitability.
What is Kaizen ?
Kaizen is Japanese word that means “change for the better” or “continuous improvement.”
It is a business philosophy that focuses on eliminating waste, improving productivity, and achieving continuous improvement.
The Kaizen approach involves using a team to solve problems. It is centred around employees but also involves contractors, specialists, consultants and technicians with an interest, responsibility, or insight to help the process.
All businesses are increasingly focused on reducing energy use because of the escalating energy costs.
The process involves collecting data, taking objective measurements, identifying possible savings, and reporting back to the team.
The opportunities may be small changes in setpoints, improved maintenance practices, increased sub-metering or large capital projects.
The aim is to create a substantial list of identified improvements that can be prioritised in a continuous process.
Refrigeration Efficiency
It is well documented that a “poorly serviced or installed refrigeration system can reduce efficiency by between 20% and 50%”.
Historically efficiency has not been questioned if the desired temperature is reached.
Refrigeration is often referred to as the `black art’ with system efficiency difficult to measure. This can be exacerbated by a lack of sub-metering and a limited understanding of how to achieve system efficiency.
Refrigeration efficiency is expressed as a coefficient of performance (COP) and is the cooling capacity (kW) divided by the absorbed power (kW from the compressor).
A COP of 4.1 means for each 1 kW of input power you get 4.1 kW of cooling.
New technology means it is possible to install permanent and temporary performance monitoring which gives valuable data to measure chiller and compressor performance.
This data can help operators improve system performance, energy efficiency, predictive maintenance and avoid catastrophic failures.
Efficiency Standards
According to The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) the indicative life expectancy of a chiller or refrigeration system is 20-25 years.
The energy efficiency standards for new equipment are somewhat confusing. They are based on a series of tests at full load and peak ambient temperatures.
Seldom will a system operate under these conditions – if the equipment is not maintained properly or is installed incorrectly the system will not achieve these standards.
It is mandatory for all buildings with air conditioning systems with an output of over 12 kW to be inspected every five years.
A formal report is lodged with suggested energy efficiency improvements but there is no legal requirement to act on the recommendations in the report.
These inspections do not apply to process cooling used in manufacturing, cold storage and data centres – the biggest users of energy.
Lawrence Leask MInstR
During the last 16 years, I have been delivering projects to improve the efficiency of refrigeration systems, process chillers, Air Handling Units, pumps, and fans.
From site surveys and through detailed forensic examination of service sheets, I can identify opportunities to reduce energy and optimise efficiency.
I have completed many successful projects for companies such as Samworth Brothers, 2 Sisters, Sainsbury’s, Vodafone, Rolls Royce, Deloitte, BT, Karro Foods, Astra Zeneca and many universities and hospitals.
Coming from a strong engineering background I was elected a full member of the Institute of Refrigeration in 2016.
I am technically competent to write reports, produce and present a persuasive business case and can see projects through to delivery.
If required I can use an established network of experts to support potential projects.