Can energy efficiency be integrated into a lucrative business model?

Measuring the environmental performance of corporates is no longer a new phenomenon. Today value creation by every business is judged against the environmental costs it creates.

Little wonder, then, that energy efficiency—once seen just as an added cost that businesses needed to budget for and monitor—is today at the forefront of many business models. It’s climbed up the corporate agenda firmly, driven by sweeping environmental, social, and business trends. Companies are being held responsible for their actions, and this demand for greater accountability has been at the core of a shift towards energy efficiency.

But the challenge that far too many businesses struggle with is: how to switch to an energy-efficient model? Or can it be one smart energy switch at a time?


Energy-improvement opportunities in industrial operations

But where does the big opportunity to maximize energy gains lie? The industrial sector, in particular, can offer a significant energy-saving potential if the right technologies to ensure seamless operations and higher productivity are employed.

To this end, energy and technology major ExxonMobil has been constantly innovating new-age energy-efficient industrial lubricants with cross-sectoral applications. High-performing lubricants can play an important role in helping industrial operators improve energy efficiency and reduce the total cost of equipment ownership. ExxonMobil’s superior range of synthetic industrial lubricants has a proven track record of extending oil life, reducing downtime, enhancing productivity and, consequently, lowering energy bills.

A smart energy switch is just the right lubricant away!
Here are some examples of energy savings by companies that made the right lubricant switch. In South Korea, Honam Petrochemical that makes polyethylene had a rigorous production schedule for their gearboxes. The company reached out to ExxonMobil to improve plant productivity by identifying an alternative lubricant solution that enhances equipment reliability. Upon detailed analysis, expert ExxonMobil engineers recommended a switch to superior-quality Mobil SHC™ 630 synthetic gear oil and implementation of the Mobil Serv^SM Lubricant Analysis program to monitor equipment and oil condition.

Following this transition, the chemicals plant could significantly enhance its performance and avoid unscheduled downtime. This helped the company reduce its power consumption, ultimately helping lower the overall operating costs and generating company-estimated annual savings of USD 60,000.

Similarly, when a large plastics plant in Greece was looking for the best lubrication solution to improve productivity and reduce its operating costs, it reached out to ExxonMobil. A simple switch to new-gen Mobil DTE™ 10 Excel 46 improved the machine efficiency by 2.3%! For a facility with 40 such machines, this corresponds to potential annual savings of over USD 18,856.

Reducing energy waste with a verified technology

ExxonMobil’s superior lubricant technology has also been formally recognized by the state of Wisconsin, US, which runs an energy-efficiency programme Focus on Energy (FoE). The programme has been designed to identify energy-efficiency products and technologies that benefit the state’s economy. An innovative study conducted by EVCO Plastics, ExxonMobil and FoE verified Mobil DTE™ 10 Excel hydraulic oil, scientifically engineered to reduce power consumption and increase machine output, as an “energy-efficiency technology”.

It is the first lubricant to be studied and incentivized by FoE, which works with Wisconsin businesses and residents to reduce energy waste. The recognition came after the study demonstrated a 3.2% electricity demand reduction in a plastics injection moulding machine used by the state.

Energy intelligence for a smart energy strategy
With carbon emissions becoming a key concern for companies, energy-efficient fuels and technologies are indispensable to a smart energy strategy for any business. Conscious companies know that energy-improvement opportunities are crucial to lowering their carbon emissions.

As much as the right technology matters, every energy-efficiency switch—whether big or small—leads to intelligent energy management, which further paves the way for lowering the costs of operating a business. There is ample evidence to suggest that some easy energy-efficiency measures, such as choosing the right lubrication solution, can transform business operations, as they drive sustainability, improve industrial operations and directly impact the bottom line. The time thus saved allows companies to focus on their research and safety, improve the work environment and attend to other productivity challenges.

Sustainable business operations always need a well-rounded energy strategy—the centerpiece of which are the right energy solutions.