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The present thesis explores opportunities for energy conservation in a pharmaceutical industry and a commercial building through energy audit. Energy audit is one of the key tools to explore and find energy conservation opportunities in any existing buildings and manufacturing process plants. Energy savings potentials based on the current energy charges and the cost benefit analysis is made as a part of any energy audit. This helps the management to decide actions such as practice change, training or technology upgradation for energy savings.
This work has been divided into two parts. In the first part of this report, a detailed energy audit of a pharmaceutical industry has been discussed with the outcomes and recommendations for possible energy saving opportunities. Also, the potential GHG emission saving has also been computed.
Recommendations made here are mainly based on practice change, retrofitting and technological change. Some of the recommendations included installation of BLDC motor with plug fan for AHU blowers, installation of VFDs to existing induction motor, installation of solar water heater and practice changes like reducing operating hours of motor through monitoring and minimizing the leakage of water, et cetera.
Some of the highlights of the energy audit and recommendations are as follows: Through these recommendations, the plant can save 33,19,958 kWh of energy which amounts to around Rs 266 lakhs annually, with an investment of Rs 419 lakhs, giving simple payback period of 19 months. In addition, by implementing these recommendations, the plant can reduce its GHG emission by 11 % which is about 2722 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
Second part of this work focuses on energy conservation opportunities for a commercial building. Here also recommendations are based on the practice change, retrofitting and the technology changes. Some of the recommendations like, reduction of contract demand, improvement of power factor, installation of solar rooftop system and replacement of CFL to LED lights.
Some highlights of this building’s energy audit are as follows: There is a potential to save around 1,39,338kWh of energy saving Rs 22.83 Lakhs annually with the investment of Rs 33.35 Lakhs giving simple payback period of 17 months. Also, the building can reduce about 22% of GHG which accounts to 115 tons of CO2 emission by implementing the given recommendation.
Keywords: Energy Audit, Pharmaceutical Industry, Commercial building, GHG Emission, Cost benefit analysis.
