March 2021

24 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk March 2021 Energy & Environmental Management Focus on: Drives, Motors & Controls Waste not want not O ver the past 30-plus years, we have been made more aware of the impact of global warming and the consequences it has on our everyday lives. Corporations and individuals alike have a responsibility to reduce waste and strive to be more efficient with the resources we use. Improving the efficiency of electrical equipment reduces the demand on generation plants, allowing renewable sources to produce a greater proportion of the overall requirement. Everyone has the capacity to make their contribution in both their professional and personal lives to improve their ecological footprint. For those working with electrically powered equipment in an industrial setting, there is an opportunity to review electrical consumption rates and assess methods of improvement. The various national and international bodies have encouraged manufacturers of electric motors to develop more efficient designs and at the same time, install legislation that promotes the use of this equipment. However, operators are not compelled to upgrade existing machinery, that is a decision they make for themselves. Those working in the service and repair sector know all too well the benefits of improved efficiency, not least the effect it can have on operating costs. Today, there is also an opportunity to explain the long-term advantages of reducing energy consumption and the benefits for future generations. Improving the future The increasing population of renewable power plants in the UK has meant that in the first quarter of 2020, 47% of the nation’s electricity generation came from renewable sources. Added to that, a new record of more than two months coal-free generation was achieved in June and the signs are that the UK is heading in the right direction. However, The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has concluded that the UK will need to quadruple its low-carbon energy Thomas Marks, AEMT Secretary, looks at how the service and repair sector can help operators of electrical equipment to reduce running costs and their environmental impact at the same time.