Thesis (M.Eng.)--Chulalongkorn University, 1986

This thesis investigated the energy utilization in a selected plant and identified the energy conservation opportunities (ECOs) existing throughout the factory system. In the first phase of this study, historical historical data concerning energy and production capacity were collected and analyzed to determine the trend of energy consumption. The current status of energy management was then investigated and it was found that an energy conservation committee, with a full-time “energy manager” responsible for energy matter of the plant, is necessary to handle the energy program. Finally, the energy system was categorized for detatiled study, into two (2) major sections. The electrical section emphasized the load curve, the lighting system, and the air-conditioning system. The thermal section emphasized the combustion efficiency and steam utilization. According to the study, the ECOs were identified for each energy consuming system. The amount of energy savings that can be anticipated by the opportunities that were found could result in a reduction of almost ten (10) percent of the total energy required by the entire plant. The economic analysis indicated that investment for these energy saving measures can be recovered within a short period of time. Additional energy savings is possible for this plant, The challenging ECOs worth studying include reduction of waste material and defective products, elimination of the inefficient obsolete equipment that consumes a great amount of energy, optimization of processing conditions, and investment on modern technology for the manufacturing process.