Production energy recovery
Lohfelden
Using energy from production
Systematic energy management is on the agenda for most companies these days. As it is for Technoform too. The company's energy management has been certified according to DIN ISO 50.001 since 2015. Process engineer Dirk Hochhuth is responsible for this area, as the energy management officer.
The commitment to this is extensive and varied: For example, at Technoform they have been working with waste heat recovery technology for two years now. The waste heat from production is put to use for heating and hot water, so no energy is lost. "It works by means of a heat exchanger, which is coupled to two compressors,” explains Dirk Hochhuth.
Energy efficiency at technoform
The warmth recovered in this way is used to heat around 228 square meters of office space, known as the "office loft" of the company’s building on Otto-Hahn-Strasse in Lohfelden. The waste heat is also used to heat process water for the bathrooms and the social areas. "In the summer," says Dirk Hochhuth, "the energy supply comes entirely from waste heat recovery; in the winter the heating is switched on too." On average two thirds of the waste heat is enough for this energy supply.
Systematic energy management is based on recording energy flows in a company and improving its energy efficiency. They are also working on that at Technoform, with test series running at the moment. For a year they have been testing how much energy is consumed on some of the production lines. This varies, according to Dirk Hochhuth, as the temperatures differ in extrusion, depending on the material used. Electricity consumption is also on the test bench, to see what demand there is and what potential savings are to be found.
Systematic energy management is based on recording energy flows in a company and improving its energy efficiency. They are also working on that at Technoform, with test series running at the moment. For a year they have been testing how much energy is consumed on some of the production lines. This varies, according to Dirk Hochhuth, as the temperatures differ in extrusion, depending on the material used. Electricity consumption is also on the test bench, to see what demand there is and what potential savings are to be found.