March 5 is World Energy Efficiency Day, and it’s a memorial day that resonates more than most here at ABB Turbocharging. After all, energy efficiency is the raison d’être for turbochargers. It’s also incredibly important for the future of our planet, and we’ve been talking to colleagues to find out more about what energy efficiency means to people as individuals.
“Energy efficiency is a means of measuring the energy-expenditure required to achieve a certain benefit,” explains Konstantinos Apostolopoulos, Sales Account Manager, ABB Turbocharging Greece. “The lower the losses in energy to achieve a specific purpose, the higher the degree of energy efficiency.”
“It means limiting our energy requirements and conserving the planet for the next generation,” adds Kaushal Patel, Hub Division Manager, ABB Turbocharging India. “We need to do this by reducing our carbon footprint wherever possible in the way we operate today.”
For Bep van Rijswijk, Service Coordinator, ABB Turbocharging Benelux, energy efficiency is also about lower costs, resulting in a better or equally good life for future generations. Bep’s colleague in Benelux, Richard Hekkert, Service Coordinator, points out that we need to develop products that are more efficient when it comes to energy in order to carry on doing the same things.
“Energy efficiency is all about using less energy – such as fuel or gas – to get the maximum power output and decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the same time,” says James-Jun Lu, Service manager at ABB Turbocharging China.
Conserving energy in different ways
When it comes to embracing energy efficiency on a personal level, Nishesh Shah, Operation Manager, ABB Turbocharging India, has plenty of suggestions:
“People can use the carpool facility to save energy and reduce pollution, along with using public transport facilities where possible. We can use energy efficient devices in all public places, and it’s important to switch off lights, air conditioning and other electrical appliances when not in use. Devices can also be powered using roof-top solar panels to help conserve conventional sources of energy.”
“We can change driving habits to consume less fuel,” Konstantinos adds. “Buy efficient appliances, turn appliances off standby and wash clothes at a lower temperature. We can also take a smarter approach to water consumption, such as washing in a bowl instead of running tap or using an efficient shower head. We can also monitor energy usage or use a smart meter.”
“I drive an electric car,” says Ron Vlasbloom, Local Division Manager, ABB Turbocharging, Benelux. “I also recently invested in solar panels at home, so we no longer consume any fossil fuels or gas, and our house is insulated to the latest standards.”
“I also have a house which uses the same energy as it produces, thanks to solar panels,” adds Bep, “and I drive my car at more economical speeds where possible.”
How ABB Turbocharging can become more efficient
For ABB Turbocharging as a business, there are plenty of ways we can become more energy efficient, and Konstantinos highlights the following areas for consideration: “We can implement energy efficiency projects, and apply energy-efficient lighting solutions on our premises. We can review processes and invest in new technologies or products, and implement energy savings plans.”
Kaushal Patel, Hub Division Manager, ABB Turbocharging India, adds: “For ABB Turbocharging, by virtue of its technology ecosystem, we can help customers to increase power output, achieve fuel savings and reduce emissions to help reduce our carbon footprint and conserve the planet for future generations.”
« While the turbochargers we produce help to make engines more efficient, our services also contribute to cutting emissions and saving costs »
While the turbochargers we produce help to make engines more efficient, our services also contribute to cutting emissions and saving costs. This can be seen in upgrades such as engine derating, where a speed reduction of 10% might result in a 10-15% decrease in NOx emissions, and ABB’s turbocharger upgrade program, helping to keep equipment running as efficiently as possible.
“ABB Turbocharging’s customized service agreements and upgrade/retrofit solutions are building solutions that are right for our customers,” says Stone-Huanyu Zhang, Business development manager, ABB Turbocharging China. “This helps to achieve fuel cost savings, safer and more reliable operation, along with delivering optimum performance.”
The savings on offer are considerable. Turbochargers enable significant improvements in efficiency, increasing engine output by up to 300 percent and energy efficiency by up to 10 percent*. Conventional engines would be up to four times their size without a turbocharger*. Under ideal conditions, ABB’s turbochargers offer a further 2 percent improvement compared to the industry benchmark, amounting to $1 million in lifetime savings* for a large container vessel.
Ron Vlasbloom flags the turbochargers we make as a large contributor to energy efficiency, adding: “ABB Turbocharging contributes to energy efficiency by producing turbochargers that contribute to achieving the lowest fuel consumption possible out of internal combustion engines.”
Our turbochargers reduce fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions by an average of 405,000 tons per annum* for the shipping industry alone, while also playing a crucial role in balancing power for national grids, power extensions in emerging economies, along with microgrids and back-up power for critical infrastructure including data centers.
“We are a pioneer in developing new products and pushing the boundaries,” concludes Robert Verhagen, Sales Manager, ABB Turbocharging Benelux. “Turbochargers are part of the key mixture when it comes to energy efficiency, although there’s always room for improvement.”
*https://new.abb.com/news/detail/87841/accelleron-the-new-face-of-abb-turbocharging