Resource Efficiency

Consulting projects are conducted on an ad hoc basis according to a client brief and can involve projects ranging from shop floor investigations through to organisational-level resource management strategy. The scope of consulting projects can also involve a single resource, such as water for example, or multiple resources.

Consulting projects are conducted on a proposal basis according to an agreed budget and timeline. 

Is there an aspect of energy, water, materials and/or waste you need help on?  Make an enquiry.

VWG offers a growing range of resource efficiency services to organisations that wish to ensure that their systems operate at peak efficiency. These services are offered on an ad-hoc basis or through a service agreement. 

Boiler Efficiency Health Check

How efficiently is your boiler operating? What can be done to increase the efficiency of your boiler? Through measurements and analysis, we will determine your boiler’s efficiency level and advise on the steps you can take to increase efficiency where this is below benchmark levels. Available on an ad hoc basis or on an agreed schedule e.g., monthly or quarterly.

Steam and Compressed Air Leak Survey

Steam and compressed air leaks cost your business money, increase emissions and are a health and safety risk. They arise at every facility and require ongoing identification and maintenance. We will identify and catalogue the leaks at your facility, estimate their contribution to costs and emissions and track progress in terms of them being addressed.

Steam Trap Surveys

Passing steam traps lead to slow heating rates and significant energy losses, while blocked traps can affect throughput and product quality. Identifying problematic steam traps and addressing these promptly is essential to routine energy management. The survey assesses all steam traps and identifies which traps are faulty so that these can be addressed.

Insulation Survey

Insulation is essential to prevent heat losses and heat gains, thereby reducing energy consumption. We identify areas that are uninsulated as well as the condition and effectiveness of installed insulation and quantify the energy savings that could be achieved by addressing these areas. We can also manage insulation projects on a turnkey basis, from concept through to implementation.

Energy and/or Water Metering Strategy and Implementation

Managing resources requires knowledge of consumption levels in different areas and for this a comprehensive metering strategy is essential. For this service we evaluate your facility and determine the most suitable locations for the installation of metering, and the most appropriate meters to install. We then engage with suppliers on your behalf and present you with proposals for metering options. The meters can either be installed by the client team or VWG can manage the installation on behalf of the client.

Collaborating with our partners, VWG can also develop and implement online dashboards for metering systems, placing data and performance at your fingertips.

An assessment is a review of the level of efficiency of a system with the development of recommendations to increase this efficiency. Assessments are quantitative, and hence indicate the expected resource savings, financial savings, and emission reductions achievable by following the recommendations made.

Assessments typically involve:

•  A review of historical resource consumption information
•  A review of historical resource pricing information, such as electricity and water bills
• Physical plant walkthroughs to assess the technology installed and how the facility is operated
• Review of plant and process data such as that available from installed instrumentation and laboratory analysis
• Live measurements using a range of measurement tools such as power loggers, flue gas analysers, infra-red cameras, and various other tools
• Analysis of the above to develop a portfolio of quantified resource efficiency opportunities, complete with technical, financial, and environmental viability.

Assessments can be at the facility level or can focus on a specific area of a facility. They can involve water, energy, materials, and waste or any one of these resource-related areas.

Examples of assessments include:

• Site-wide Resource Efficiency Assessments (Energy, Water, Materials and Waste)
• Site-wide Energy Assessments
• Site-wide Water Use Efficiency Assessments
•  Site-wide Material Usage Assessments
• Site-wide Effluent Assessments
•  Site-wide Solid Waste Assessments
• Electricity Tariff Assessments
• Boiler Efficiency Assessments
•  Fuel Switching Assessments
• Steam System Assessments (Boilers, Steam distribution, Steam users and Condensate return systems)
• Pump System Assessments
• Compressed Air System Assessments
• Lighting Assessments
• Refrigeration System Assessments (Compressors, Condensers and Users/evaporators)
• Cooling Water Assessments
• Power Factor Assessments
• Fan System Assessments
• Induction Motor Assessments
• Hot Water System Assessments
• CIP System Assessments
• Raw Material Usage Assessments

The outcome of an assessment would typically be the provision of a report and/or a feedback presentation, together with the supply of all raw data and calculations relevant to the assessment.