Facility Operations
In the context of operations, the facility owner is faced with multiple issues. Some of these concerns are relegated to the issue of costs. Various costs such as of maintenance, energy, personnel,
and equipment replacement can be determined by accounting practices.
These are part of the operating overhead and directly
attributable to the facility profitability. However, some underlying
concerns may be inadvertently omitted when you consider energy saving
projects.
The total cost of operation can have a contributing effect
to the cost of goods produced or stored.
It is evident that a lower
cost per pound of product produced or stored contributes to the overall
profitability and viability of the facility. Therefore it becomes
imperative to understand the relationship between how you use your
facility, your production or storage requirements, and the manner in
which the refrigeration system reacts to these.
Depending on the
process requirements such as temperature, throughput, and installed
equipment, operating cost reductions may be discovered by evaluation.
Some of these requirements may have been determined by experience,
manufacturers recommendations, or perceived need. Ideally, a goal is
to provide the desired temperature which meets the requirements for the
lowest possible cost of operation.
If
your facility is located in a cooler climate it may be possible to
optimize the refrigeration system to take advantage of the weather
conditions available. This can substantially reduce your energy cost by minimizing the demand and energy charges associated with the operation of the refrigeration system.
Effectiveness can be seen as an increase in availability through a reduction in unplanned equipment downtime and energy use. Emergency actions necessary to maintain operations can contribute to large expenditures of time and money. The use of predictive and preventative maintenance methods can contribute to minimizing these events.
Refrigeration system operation is an integral part of the daily processes related to production issues or cold storage. By developing the system and personnel, the refrigeration department can be developed into a profit center, rather than as a cost of doing business. To fully optimize the refrigeration system for minimal energy use, all aspects of the contributing factors should be included. This may require revision to current operating parameters to provide an ideal solution.
