Lower Energy Costs While Maintaining Production Levels

There is a $200M+ problem hiding in plain sight in every large mine. Let’s keep the math simple. A typical WA operation runs 100 haul trucks like the Caterpillar 785. Assumptions: - 1,600 gallons/day per truck - 20 hours/day - 350 days/year Pre-war diesel ($3.90/gal): → $218M/year in fuel Today ($5.00/gal): → ~$280M/year in fuel That’s a $60M/year swing…from fuel price alone. --- Now ask yourself this: What if you could cut that by 30%? → ~$84M/year in savings → ~$840K/year per truck And what does it cost to test it? ~$4M for a pilot CAT 785 serial hybrid using TERRAMAX. Let that sink in. You’re risking $4M To validate an $80M+ annual savings lever That’s not a project. That’s an obligation. --- Here’s how the kit actually works: We shrink the diesel. You don’t need peak power from the engine—you need average power. - A right-sized diesel genset runs in its sweet spot - Batteries are added to handle peak demand (grade climbs) - Combined system delivers full continuous power when needed The result: - Smaller engine - Less fuel burned - Lower heat rejection - Simpler, more controllable system And critically… 👉 Weight stays flat or improves Which means: - Same payload per cycle (or better) - No penalty to production --- And it gets better… - Run the diesel where it’s most efficient (10–20% gain right there) - Capture energy on downhill (regen finally matters) - Eliminate hydraulic losses - Extend service life --- This isn’t theoretical. This is matching power demand to energy source across the duty cycle. Mining companies don’t adopt new tech because it’s cool. They adopt it when the math becomes undeniable. We’re there. --- The first truck costs ~$4M to prove it. The next ones cost less. A lot less. --- If you’re running 785/793 class trucks and want to take a serious look at what a 30% fuel reduction actually means for your operation… Let’s talk. We’ll bring the powertrain. We’ll support the integration. You keep your IP. —John

𝟑 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲. $340,000 in annual energy costs. Failing every customer sustainability audit. Losing major contracts to competitors. Best engineers quietly updating their LinkedIn profiles. The owner looked me in the eye and said: “We can’t afford to go green.” I asked him one question that changed everything: “Can you afford NOT to?” We ran the numbers together. Right there. On his factory floor. Turns out, he was already paying for sustainability. He just wasn’t getting any of the benefits. Here’s what we did: 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝟏-𝟑: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 → LED retrofitting across 200,000 sq ft → Compressed air leak detection and repair → Production schedule optimization for off-peak energy rates → Cost: $42,000 → Payback period: 11 months 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝟒-𝟗: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐔𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 → Solar array installation (40% of energy needs) → Heat recovery system from production equipment → Water recirculation system → Smart energy monitoring with real-time alerts 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟖: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡 → ISO 14001 Environmental Management → Documentation and process standardization → Employee training and engagement program → Supplier sustainability requirements 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬? • 42% reduction in energy costs → $142,800 saved annually • ISO 14001 certified → Qualified for RFPs they couldn’t bid on before • Won 3 major contracts worth $2.1M → All required sustainability compliance • Employee retention up 28% → Top talent stopped leaving • Local utility gave them a $35,000 rebate for energy efficiency • Featured in industry publication → Free PR and credibility 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: $𝟑𝟒𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟏 𝐧𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧: $𝟒𝟖𝟕,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟐 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝: $𝟖𝟗𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎+ But here’s what the numbers don’t show: The owner’s face when he realized his “cost center” just became his biggest competitive advantage. The pride in his team when they earned that certification. The moment he stopped defending his business and started winning because of it. Last month, he called me. Not for help. To say thank you. And to tell me he just hired a full-time sustainability manager. Because now he can’t imagine running his business any other way. Sustainable manufacturing isn’t about spending more. It’s about spending smarter. And it’s not about sacrifice. It’s about survival and growth. What’s your biggest hesitation about making the shift? #Manufacturing #Sustainability #BusinessGrowth #SustainableManufacturing #LeadershipLessons #ManufacturingExcellence

Air compressor Energy saving tips- Regular Maintenance: Implement a stringent maintenance schedule to ensure your compressor operates at peak efficiency. Regular checks on filters, oil levels, and belts can prevent energy waste. Monitor Pressure Settings: Set the pressure to the lowest acceptable level for your application. A reduction of just 2 psi can result in a 1% energy savings. Leak Detection: Regularly inspect for leaks using ultrasonic leak detectors. A 1 mm leak can cost you thousands annually in energy waste. Use Variable Speed Drives (VSD): Equip your compressor with a VSD to adjust motor speed according to demand, significantly reducing energy consumption during low usage periods. Optimize Piping Design: Ensure that your piping system is efficient. Use larger pipes to minimize pressure drops, and eliminate sharp bends that can cause turbulence. Temperature Control: Keep the compressor in a cool area to reduce energy consumption. High ambient temperatures can lead to overheating and inefficiency. Reduce Air Demand: Evaluate and minimize the demand for compressed air in your processes. Consider alternative methods for tasks that don't require compressed air. Use Dryers Wisely: Maintain and optimize air dryers. Excess moisture can lead to inefficiencies and damage, so ensure they are functioning correctly. Regularly Check for Leaks: Conduct routine leak audits. Use soap solution or ultrasonic leak detection methods to find and repair leaks promptly. Train Employees: Educate your team on the importance of energy efficiency and proper use of compressed air systems. Engaged employees can help identify inefficiencies. Automate Controls: Implement automated control systems to adjust compressor operation based on real-time demand, reducing unnecessary run time. Isolate Unused Equipment: Turn off or isolate compressors and associated equipment that are not in use to prevent unnecessary energy consumption. Idle Time Reduction: Minimize idle running time by scheduling usage and using smart controls to shut down compressors during non-peak hours. Regularly Inspect Valves: Check and maintain valves to ensure they are functioning correctly. Faulty valves can lead to air loss and increased energy consumption. Monitor Energy Consumption: Use energy monitoring systems to track usage patterns. This data can help identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement. Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Models: Consider replacing old compressors with newer, more energy-efficient models that comply with the latest standards. Implement a Compressed Air Audit: Conduct periodic audits to assess the entire compressed air system for efficiency and potential savings. Use Pressure Regulators: Install pressure regulators at points of use to avoid over-pressurizing at use end.

Controlling my building energy usage without sacrificing my occupant's comfort!! To conserve energy in Building Automation Systems (BAS) without compromising occupant comfort, implementing the following control sequences can be highly effective: Optimal Start/Stop: Optimal Start: Automatically starts HVAC equipment at the latest possible time to ensure the desired temperature is reached by the start of occupancy. Optimal Stop: Turns off HVAC equipment earlier than normal if the building's thermal inertia can maintain comfort levels until the end of occupancy. Demand-Controlled Ventilation (DCV): Adjusts ventilation rates based on occupancy levels using CO2 sensors, ensuring fresh air supply meets demand without over-ventilating, thus saving energy. Temperature Setback/Setup: Setback: Reduces heating setpoints during unoccupied periods. Setup: Increases cooling setpoints during unoccupied periods. Ensures that HVAC systems are not running at full capacity when the building is unoccupied. Night Purge: Uses outdoor air to cool the building during night-time when outdoor temperatures are lower, reducing the cooling load for the next day. Economizer Control: Uses outside air for cooling when the outdoor conditions are favorable (cooler than the indoor conditions), minimizing the use of mechanical cooling. Chilled Water Reset: Adjusts the temperature of chilled water based on building load and outdoor temperature, improving chiller efficiency. Heating Water Reset: Adjusts the temperature of heating water based on outdoor temperature, optimizing boiler performance. Variable Air Volume (VAV) Systems: Adjusts the airflow rate to match the actual load in each zone, reducing fan energy and reheat requirements. Lighting Control: Integrates lighting with BAS to use occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, and scheduled control to minimize energy use while maintaining adequate lighting levels. Fan Speed Control: Uses Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) to adjust fan speeds based on actual demand, reducing energy consumption of HVAC fans. Zone-Level Control: Implements more granular control at the zone level to respond more precisely to local temperature and occupancy variations, improving overall system efficiency. Free Cooling (Water-side Economizer): Uses cooling towers to provide cooling when outdoor conditions are suitable, reducing the need for mechanical cooling. Implementing these control sequences can significantly reduce energy consumption while maintaining occupant comfort by ensuring that HVAC and other building systems operate efficiently and only when necessary.

Energy efficiency on offshore assets isn’t just a cost lever, it’s a resilience strategy. In this article, ABB illustrates how running DP3 drillships with closed-bus-ties can safely reduce the number of gensets online (from three to two), improve engine loading (60 - 100%), and lower fuel and maintenance costs all while meeting ABS EHS‑E through evidence‑based verification and fault‑tolerant design. It even enables safer maintenance windows by shutting down an engine room when conditions allow. If you’re evaluating retrofit pathways for 2026 budgets, this is a must‑read. https://lnkd.in/ee-wi6qX #OffshoreEnergy #Decarbonization #DynamicPositioning

Energy costs in injection molding add up over thousands of hours of operation. Small inefficiencies that seem insignificant per cycle become substantial over a year of production. Most shops do not measure energy consumption at the machine level. They see the total utility bill but cannot connect it to specific equipment or processes. That makes it difficult to identify where waste is occurring. Several factors drive unnecessary energy consumption in injection molding. Oversized machines use more energy than properly sized machines, even when running the same mold. The larger hydraulic system, heavier platens, and bigger motors consume power whether you need the capacity or not. Hydraulic systems that run continuously waste energy during idle time. Servo-hydraulic and all-electric machines address this by using power only when motion is required. Barrel heaters maintaining temperature on idle machines consume power without producing parts. Extended lunch breaks or shift gaps with machines sitting hot add cost without adding value. Cooling systems often run at full capacity regardless of actual demand. Variable frequency drives on pumps and chillers can match output to load and reduce consumption. Process inefficiencies extend cycle time, which means more machine-hours per part produced. Energy per part goes up even if energy per hour stays constant. Measuring consumption at the machine level is the starting point. Once you know where energy is going, you can make informed decisions about where to focus improvement efforts. Have you ever measured the energy consumption of individual machines, and do you know which equipment or processes are your biggest energy users?

I've seen capital projects undone in <1 month because 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗽𝘂𝘁. The scale of the problem is huge: ‼️ Compressed air = 10% of all electricity in U.S. manufacturing¹ ‼️ 35% of plants had unplanned shutdowns last year² ‼️ 21% of those lasted 2+ days² The opportunity is bigger: 🚀 15–60% energy savings possible, often with <2-year payback² 🚀 Up to $747M in annual savings nationwide if plants optimized their systems (based on energy prices at the time of the study).¹ With compressed air, efficiency actually drives performance. Projects that focus ONLY on cutting kilowatts usually fail, but when efficiency is tied to effectiveness, ROI shows up fast. Here are some results from our demand-driven 4-step process: 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿: +12% production capacity, 27% energy savings and 11 month ROI³ 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁: 32% energy savings, 1,200 t CO₂ reduction (= 19,842 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 10 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴)⁴, and 10 month ROI³ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿: 30% energy savings and 12 month ROI³ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Even the most seasoned compressed air systems CAN be a strategic asset. Protect uptime, increase output, and let savings follow. 👉 Compressed air doesn’t have to be either/or. It can, and should, be both. To deep dive into the technical side make sure to follow Dr. Elvira Rakova __________________________________ ¹ 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘋𝘖𝘌, 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘖𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵  ² 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘋𝘖𝘌, 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘪𝘳 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴  ³ DIREKTIN Technologies LLC 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘊𝘈𝘚 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴   ⁴ 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘌𝘗𝘈, 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘴 𝘌𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳

When teams chase single-variable tweaks, they find “good enough” settings, not the settings that move energy, yield, and cost together. The price is paid for years.     Consider distillation. North America runs more than 40,000 columns, and they consume about 40 percent of the energy used across refining and bulk chemicals. Better separation choices could avoid roughly 100 million tons of CO2 and save billions in energy each year. Small choices in design and operation scale into giant bills.     Multivariate work is hard because it’s high dimensional and noisy. Gradient-based tuning sticks near today’s setpoints, which risks local optima. Broader search methods explore the full space and surface tradeoffs so you can see the Pareto front, not just one point.     Here’s the cue from real-world practice: pairing smart multivariate exploration with a process flowsheet allowed a polymerization process to be optimized while meeting sustainability targets. Not by guessing. By treating cost, performance, and sustainability as simultaneous objectives and letting the search find globally better settings.     Try this... This week. Write a simple scorecard with three weights: unit economics, energy use, and product performance. Run a broad exploration away from current setpoints, then pressure test the top candidates in your physics-based model. Stop when your Pareto front stabilizes and your choices are explainable.     If you’re wrestling with where to start, message me and we can compare notes. 

We know energy costs are soaring. So what can building owners and managers do to use energy more efficiently? In our experience monitoring countless buildings globally for nearly a decade, analytics software is the common thread that binds together the most effective energy-cutting strategies. Here are some to consider. 🔎 Keep a constant eye on your portfolio Continuous asset monitoring is foundational to identify energy cost-cutting opportunities across a portfolio, helping to avoid the 10-30% of wasted energy that would otherwise be lost to ‘drift’. It offers a high-level view to detect and resolve inefficiencies, a process that becomes scalable with digitisation. Digitising requires an analytics-led automated fault detection and diagnosis (AFDD) platform like PEAK. ⚙️ Improve efficiency through optimised control strategies Optimisation seeks to maximise the operational efficiency of existing plant and equipment, facilitating energy savings of more than 15% while extending equipment life cycle by an average of 2 years. There are a number of tried-and-tested BMS control strategy reviews that will identify and resolve operational inefficiencies. Think: outside air temperature lockouts, economy mode operation, cooling tower temperature control, chiller cooling & boiler heating calls, reviewing of zone temperature setpoints, and night purge. 🛠️ Adopt a data-driven approach to maintenance Data-Driven Maintenance (DDM) is favoured by early-adopting owners. Rather than a contractor regularly checking functional equipment or sensors, they can leverage analytics to organise their maintenance schedules in a far more targeted manner. This has implications for the negotiation of maintenance contract costs which can be reduced by more than 20%. 🔄 Upgrade and electrify While using your existing equipment more intelligently will deliver the best results, there will still be instances where equipment will need to be upgraded. Monitoring and optimisation should generate significant savings which owners can then invest in upgrades to dated equipment or system replacements. Common examples include LED lighting, VSDs, BMS upgrades, window revamps, chiller and boiler upgrades. And, of course, electrification should be considered in any portfolio upgrade. ♻️ Embrace renewable energy sources To become truly sustainable, we must ultimately transition to electrified portfolios powered by zero-carbon electricity. Circumstances permitting, this can be derived onsite via solar, biofuels, photovoltaic systems, solar thermal systems, energy storage systems etc. Where on-site generation isn’t possible, renewables can be procured offsite through PPA’s. But of course, any capex investment should be complemented by a foundational strategy of monitoring and optimisation. What have I missed? Let me know in the comments. #energyefficiency #sustainability #electricityprices #gasprices #operationalefficiency