From gut feeling to data-driven energy efficiency
Prestando was founded in 1959 and is a high-tech supplier to the automotive industry, with customers such as Scania and other major European car manufacturers. The company has an extensive machinery fleet and energy-intensive production. In line with rising energy prices and increasing sustainability requirements, Prestando wanted to gain better control over its electricity consumption – and find concrete ways to reduce it. The company had long had the attitude that “what you measure, you can improve” – but lacked the right tools to measure at a detailed level.
CHALLENGE: LACK OF INSIGHT AND DATA
Before DAZOQ Energy Intelligence (DAZOQ EI) Prestando worked reactively on energy efficiency. Improvements were often based on estimates and experience rather than facts, which made it difficult to justify investments.
“We have long known that our business is resource-intensive, but previously we did not have a clear picture of which machines were using the most energy. We relied heavily on intuition and guesswork, without being able to show what actually had an effect. When you mostly guess, it is difficult to succeed,” says Daniel Jönsson, site manager at Prestando.
Gaining insight into which machines and processes were responsible for the greatest energy losses was crucial to taking the next step.
THE SOLUTION: REAL-TIME DATA AND NEW WAYS OF WORKING
With DAZOQ EI, Prestando began measuring its electricity consumption in real time – across over 90% of its fleet. This made it possible to identify exactly where and when energy was being used.
– “Every day we look at which processes need to be running and which ones we can shut down. It has become a routine,” says Xhemal Gashi, production engineer at Prestando.
Prestando has built an energy group with representatives from production technology, operations management, finance and site management. The group meets regularly to analyze data, discuss improvements and follow up on the effects of each action.
“You don't have time to work on everything yourself, and if you have a group you can analyze the data from different perspectives. But it's important that someone is responsible and drives the work forward.”
By systematically testing one measure at a time and then following up on the results in DAZOQ EI, Prestando has gained a completely new way of working – data-driven, structured and learning over time.
RESULTS: 800,000 KWH IN ANNUAL SAVINGS AND NEW INSIGHTS
Through DAZOQ EI, Prestando has identified and implemented several concrete measures with clear effects:
• Shutting down equipment outside of production hours
By turning off washing machines and other equipment during downtime, the company saves 160,000–230,000 kWh per year.
• Reduced standby consumption
One of the presses previously consumed large amounts of energy in standby mode. After adjustments, Prestando has reduced consumption by approximately 240,000 kWh per year.
• Small contributions can add up...
When DAZOQ EI visualized how much energy was lost when the warehouse doors were open, it became easy to engage staff. Small behavioral changes yielded noticeable results – even if a single action only saves 5,000 kWh per year, the effect is large when you add up all these small savings.
In total, Prestando has achieved a total savings potential of approximately 800,000 kWh per year, which corresponds to around SEK 800,000.
But the biggest gains aren’t just about energy savings – they’re about insight. Prestando can now track energy consumption per machine, shift and even per part number.
– “Now we can see how much energy each item requires and which presses are used. Some items really stood out. It has been invaluable in understanding our costs and being able to price correctly. Now we have facts on which to base our decisions,” says Daniel Jönsson.
NEXT STEP: VENTILATION AND POWER PEAKS
Having taken care of the “low-hanging fruit”, Prestando now focuses on the next step. DAZOQ EI clearly shows which investments will have the greatest impact and which can wait – for example, lighting measures have a payback period of up to ten years, and are therefore given lower priority.
However, the system shows that the ventilation system has a savings potential of
80,000–90,000 kWh per year – which pays for itself quickly and is therefore at the top of the list.
The company also participates in an energy network in southern Sweden, where they collaborate with other industrial companies to reduce power peaks and smooth out the load.
SUMMARY: FROM INTUITION TO EVIDENCE
Before DAZOQ EI:
• Energy efficiency based on estimates
• Difficult to justify investments
• Limited measurement and follow-up
After DAZOQ EI:
• 93% of production is measured in real time
• Concrete energy savings of up to 800,000 kWh/year
• Data-driven decisions and better investment basis
• Committed staff and continuous improvement
– “It has become much easier to justify investments when we can show in black and white how much we are saving. We have gone from gut feeling to facts,” summarizes Daniel Jönsson.
Do you also want to lower your energy costs and make data-driven decisions?
Contact us and we'll tell you more about how DAZOQ can help your company.