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According to the International Energy Agency’s 2022 report on CO2 emissions, global emissions rose – but less than originally estimated. This is thanks to the rapid development of clean energy, transport electrification and the adoption of energy efficient technologies.

However, this is just the beginning – there’s a lot more that we need to do to combat climate change. While emissions rose less than expected, they still reached a new peak of over 36.8 gigatons (Gt) in 2022.

As industrial operators are the biggest consumers of energy and emissions, business has a responsibility to decarbonize its operations. Many tactics are available to achieve this, but the challenge is knowing where to target investment. Auditing carbon emissions can help and as part of this, it can be useful to carry out an energy efficiency appraisal. This helps to pinpoint the source of emissions.

What are the sources of carbon emissions in industry and business?

Carbon dioxide emissions in industry arise from three sources. They are defined by scopes 1-3 in the ISO14040 environmental management series of standards.

Scope 1 covers fuels burned directly and scope 2 includes emissions that arise indirectly, such as from electricity generation using fossil fuels. Scope 3 includes the emissions that were released in the upstream processes used to create raw materials.

Carbon emissions audits

A carbon footprint audit covers all sources of emissions under scopes 1, 2 and 3. It involves analysis of the fuels and energy sources used to power buildings and facilities. It also accounts for fuels used for product and employee transport and logistics.

For industrial companies with processing facilities and production lines, the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions is typically the electricity used to power motors. Around 70 percent of electricity used by industrial companies is consumed by electric motors. Many industrial motors work far from their peak efficiency.

This makes motor-driven systems and electric powertrains an important priority for decarbonization. It’s possible to give focus on electric motors with a specialist energy efficiency audit, which is sometimes also known as an energy efficiency appraisal. This evaluates how efficiently electric motors are running.

Using a data-driven approach to decarbonization

Energy efficiency audits such as ABB’s Digital Powertrain Energy Appraisal are an important tactic that can be used individually or as part of wider audits for sustainable operations.

On a one-off basis, efficiency audits can help industrial businesses define a baseline for energy consumption, identify targets for reducing CO2 emissions and develop priorities. However, they are most impactful when used alongside continuous condition monitoring. For example, constant data gathering and regular analysis enable experts to identify seasonal trends. In addition, regular review of energy efficiency ensures that business operators remain informed about how ROI varies with the cost of energy.

How does an energy efficiency audit work?

Today’s digital technology has made it possible to gather data wirelessly from hundreds of motors. An expert in energy efficiency can analyze this data and compare the power consumption with the real work they perform to calculate each motor’s efficiency.

Any motor-driven systems where real work is significantly less than the power used must be reviewed. As part of the audit, the expert will suggest options. For example, they might recommend adding a variable speed drive (VSD) to a motor that does not already have one.

Alternatively, it may be possible to change the operating schedule so that the motor only works when it is efficient to do so. Another option is to upgrade the motor and VSD to a modern high-efficiency alternative.

By comparing the cost of these with the cost of the energy saved, it’s possible to calculate the return on investment (ROI). The industrial operator can then choose to proceed with the actions with the fastest ROI.

How can a business manager go about an energy efficiency audit?

There are six steps to an energy efficiency audit:

  1. Identify and understand the problem
  2. Quantify the energy usage
  3. Establish energy-saving potential
  4. Identify potential solutions
  5. Implement change
  6. Verify and follow-up

It’s said that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” and that is true of carbon dioxide emissions. That makes an energy efficiency audit an essential part of a carbon reduction strategy, as well as being a good way to prioritize energy savings to decarbonize and cut utility bills.

Learn more about data-driven energy efficiency appraisals in this white paper: The future is energy-efficient, the future is data-driven.