Why recover heat? 

All the electrical power used during the compression process is converted to heat. This heat, if not recovered, causes a waste of energy- which contributes to global warming. When heat is recovered, the cost of power is reduced, which, in turn, reduces the overall cost to companies. When heat is not recovered, it is released into the atmosphere, thus causing wastage. 

When the heat recovery system is plugged into an air compressor, the energy recovered can be used to heat water for use in showers and boilers.  

How is the heat generated in the compressor system used? 

In an average compressor, 96 per cent of the heat can be theoretically recovered – this includes heat from the oil cooler, the after cooler, and the drive Motor. The heat released by the oil cooler can be used for the purpose of heating water. On the other hand, the heat generated by the aftercooler and the drive motor are used for supplemental space heating.  

Why choose ELGi’s heat recovery system? 

ELGi’s heat recovery system recovers upto 78 per cent of the heat generated. This eliminates the need for additional equipment that would lead to more energy consumption and CO2 emissions. With ELGi you are also assured of a greater return on investment.  

ELGi’s Heat Recovery System is an accessory that can be plugged into the EG series rotary compressor – owing to its fully enclosed design. This system is crucial to the functioning of various industries- automotive, cement, textiles, and steel making, to name a few.  

In line with ELGi’s efforts towards sustainability, the Heat Recovery System leads to extra savings and reduced carbon emissions 

The HRS from ELGi saves 69% of the fuel and provides faster ROI* 

 A thorough understanding of how your compressed air system works helps in improving its performance. To know more about  the energy management solution or the heat recovery system, please contact our sales team. 

*this may vary as per site conditions and end-use. 

Asset Managers and financial institutions are increasingly relying on ESG ratings to assess, measure and compare companies. At ELGi, our emphasis on Purpose has prompted us to embrace the Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) approach to sustainable business with a primary focus on the environment, our people, and the community. 

As an organization, committed for over 63 years to delivering world-class sustainable compressed air solutions. Our global footprint spans over 120+ countries, with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in India, Italy and the USA and a 400+ strong product portfolio. 

We believe that to help our customers fulfill their ESG objectives, we must be a sustainable organization ourselves. We emphasize innovation to develop products that are energy efficient, aid in heat recovery and help reduce carbon emissions, enabling our customers to achieve lower life-cycle costs. 

Where does compressed air fit in, in the ELGi Sustainability Roadmap? 

Compressed air is so widely used that it is often regarded as the fourth utility, after electricity, natural gas and water. However, compressed air is more expensive than the other three utilities when evaluated on a per unit energy delivered basis –  

• Air Compressors consume more than 10% of power in any Industrial set-up. 
• Lubricated Air Compressors, globally, discharge more than 2Mn liters of oil into the environment each year. 
• If not sized and managed properly, the overall efficiency of a typical compressed air system can be as low as 10%-15%. 
• Leakage in the system contributes to as much as 20-30% of compressor’s output. 

Hence, compressed air systems become an integral part of overall Energy management and in-turn ESG norms for any organization. Additionally, Governments and Customers across the world are becoming more and more energy cautious. 

Further, customers should keep in mind that it is not just about the air compressor, but it is all about compressed air – hence the entire system encompassing Air Compressors – associated accessories, piping arrangement and control systems. 

Type of compressor in operation, treatment of air in downstream side of compressor, condensate management, disposal of compressor oil, type of material used at part level – all of this impact overall system level efficiency and also have environmental impact.   

Supporting customers with our ESG initiatives  

1. Accessories like Oil Water Separators are great solutions for managing compressor condensate onsite. They would also help customers with EHS regulatory compliance.  
2. The compression process generates lot of heat which is generally wasted. Keeping in mind the effects of global warming, it is imperative that customers use Heat Recovery options in their Compressed Air Systems. These systems can recover anywhere from 75-95% of heat generated by the compressor. It can be used for heating water or space heating. This would reduce overall power consumption for the customers.  
3. Air Audit is another powerful tool to access the leakage in compressed air systems and improve overall system efficiency. A comprehensive Air Audit will enable customers to identify ways to improve the performance and energy efficiency of their compressors.  

These are among the few initiatives and/or recommendations that our customers can implement to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of their business with compressed air.  

At ELGi, we are steadfast in our purpose of remaining #AlwaysBetter for the environment and ensuring our employees, customers, and the community benefit from a healthier, greener ecosystem. 

Going forward, as organizations embark on their journey of ESG, compressor and compressed air systems will be one of the key elements. Customers should wisely choose their compressors and look beyond compressors to Compressed Air Systems. 

Solution: Secondary Aluminium!

The large-scale demand and usage of aluminium, generates massive amounts of scrap. This scrap serves as the source for the secondary aluminium! It comprises around 30% of India’s total aluminium consumption of 3.3 million tons annually. Recycling aluminium is environmentally friendly, as the process consumes 95% less energy than generating primary aluminium. And since the atomic structure of aluminium remains unaltered upon melting, it enables the usage of the molten metal for various applications. It has been observed that the demand for secondary aluminium has grown faster than primary aluminium due to better cost economics, especially in the price-sensitive automotive castings sector. 

Our customer who is India’s largest producer of aluminium and zinc die-casting alloys, has been tapping the potential of India’s aluminium recycling industry.  From setting up its first plant in Tatarpur, near New Delhi, our customer’s expanse has grown to 12 plants across the country. These plants have a combined annual capacity of approximately 310,700 MT, making it the Rank One nationally in aluminium and zinc die-casting alloy production!

The plants have collection, segregation, processing, recycling, and treatment facilities for all types of secondary metal raw materials. The group also has joint ventures with renowned Japanese companies such as Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Nikkei MC Aluminium. Its most recent joint venture is for a plant in Gujarat, where the recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) is conducted through dismantling, shredding, and sorting.

Generating value for customers is the focus of the business, and there is constant attention to improving quality, controlling costs, and streamlining delivery. To ensure compliance with industry norms, the group has acquired ISO 14001, TS16949, 45001, and OHSAS 18001 certifications, along with other research and development certifications.

Our customer has a technology-focused approach in all its processes, making business activities more cost-effective and environmental-friendly.

Following are the steps involved in converting scrap metal into molten metal:

• Manufacturing

Various steps are deployed to improve metal recovery rates while saving fuel costs. High-pressure hot air is used to vaporize ink from the surface, regenerative burners heat the metal, de-coaters remove the scales to reduce dross, and furnace circulation maintains temperature.

• Segregation

Segregation is a critical step that ensures no impurities or contaminants enter the furnace. The process is mechanized using floatation systems, induction-based sorting systems, colour sorters, rotary sieves, eddy current separators, gravimetric separators, and shredders. Combining these pieces of equipment helps maintain the quality of the recycled aluminium.

• Delivery

The molten metal obtained at the end of the process meets industry standards and is ready for delivery. However, specially designed ladles and trucks are used for transportation, as it is necessary to maintain the temperature of the molten metal during transit. Anti-pollution control mechanisms and baghouses are also used to reduce harmful emissions.

The Stumbling Block

Despite the smart energy-saving techniques, our customer’s non-ferrous recycling plants needed high-quality air processors to ensure that each shred of aluminium was free from contaminants and decorations before being added to the furnace. This was critical because the foreign particles could disrupt the quality of the aluminium recycled and would also increase fuel costs.

So, the challenge was to deploy an air system that could provide the highest quality of hot air as it would directly impact the product quality and cost.

Compressed air solution by ELGi

Our customer decided to install EG 22, EG 30, EG 37, EG 55, and EG 110 models of ELGi Screw Compressors across all their plants.

Each compressor was enabled with DCS and SCADA remote monitoring to ease operations. Additionally, every compressor met the highest air purity standards as per ISO regulations, maintaining a constant flow of hot air while ensuring the raw material was contaminant-free. In short, ELGi’s EG Series Screw Air Compressors ensured that the metal recycling plants processed more shreds of aluminium at a much faster pace and that too with least downtime.

Additionally, ELGi provided installation & maintenance services for all compressors. We also provided preventive maintenance along with it. However, given the robustness of the EG series, no breakdowns were reported at any plant thus resulting in minimal downtime.

The ELGi Advantage:

1. Decontamination of raw material: High-quality air helped the brand conform to industry standards and deliver the accurate aluminium composition to its customers.
2. Cost control: Decontaminating raw materials reduced fuel consumption and energy costs. Further energy consumption was also realized by installing or retrofitting the air compressor with a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). Our customer has leveraged this benefit to reduce costs and generate more value for its customers.
3. Minimal downtime: With no maintenance requirement since installation, ELGi’s engineers swiftly performed routine servicing of the compressors, thus allowing our customer to focus on their business and timely delivery.

As an environmentally conscious organization, our customer focused on more innovative and sustainable solutions that met its business needs. And the EG series fulfilled that need by reducing energy loss and operating with minimal sound; hence, controlling the environmental impact.

Since then, they have relied on ELGi air compressors for years, accrediting its operational efficiency to ELGi’s high-performance, energy-efficient, environment-friendly air compressors that help to reduce energy costs.

Customer feedback:

“ELGi’s innovative, high-quality products are helping us embark on our journey to become more energy efficient. Their products are so reliable that they bring peace of mind for all the stakeholders”, says the management at our customer’s organisation.

Conclusion:

Recycling metal scrap to extract secondary aluminium is not only a significant business activity with enormous headroom for growth; but is also a fundamentally important industry in a world battling climate change.

ELGi’s screw air compressors play an enormous part in making this process profitable and sustainable.

Get in touch with our experts for your business needs.

We often undermine the need for adequate water resources, denying women and children basic access to safe water and sanitation.  

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, the water crisis is the #5 global risk in terms of impact to society. Water scarcity limits access to drinking water and water for practicing the bare minimum hygiene at home, in schools and in health-care facilities.  

Scare water is not a pretty picture – stressed water systems, rivers, lakes and aquifers drying up or too polluted for use, disappearance of wetlands, threat of disease, climate change, droughts, floods and at the current consumption rate, the situation will only get worse.

By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world’s population living in water-stressed regions.  

What about the crisis in India? 

Supporting 16% of the world’s population at 1.4 billion, with only 4% of the world’s fresh water India is among the most water stressed countries in the world.  

Severe lack of regulations and neglect has led to a growing water scarcity issue which has also led to regional disputes over access to rivers and water systems.

India’s rivers are open use – from dumping waste – human and industrial, to bathing and washing clothes, contributing to series health concerns exacerbating by the dependence on an erratic monsoon for its water requirements.  

What is the immediate solution? 

A sustainable approach to water scarcity – circularity and water recycling.  

Circularity and water recycling are closely related concepts that can help to address water scarcity and promote sustainable water management practices. 

Circularity refers to a system where resources are used and reused in a closed loop, with waste being reduced, reused, or recycled. Water recycling, also known as water reuse, is a process where treated wastewater is used for non-potable purposes, such as irrigation, industrial processes, or toilet flushing. 

Water recycling is an essential component of a circular economy, where water resources are conserved, and waste is reduced. By reusing wastewater, we can reduce demand on freshwater resources and reduce the amount of wastewater that needs to be treated and discharged into the environment. 

There are several methods for water recycling, including: 

1. Greywater recycling: Reusing water from sources like sinks, showers, and washing machines for non-potable purposes. 
2. Blackwater recycling: Treating and reusing wastewater from toilets and kitchen sinks for non-potable purposes. 
3. Industrial water recycling: Treating and reusing wastewater generated by industrial processes. 
4. Direct potable reuse: Treating and purifying wastewater to meet drinking water standards and reusing it for drinking water. 

Water recycling can help to address water scarcity and promote sustainable water management practices, but it requires proper treatment and management to ensure that the recycled water is safe and meets the required standards for its intended use.

It also requires collaboration and cooperation among different stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and communities, to ensure that water recycling infrastructure is in place and effective. 

At ELGi, our approach to efficient water consumption comprises of incorporating technology and systems like sewage treatment plants (STP), rainwater harvesting, etc. to mitigate the environmental impact of our own business.  

What steps has ELGi taken to coordinate their efforts with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 6?   

The World faces growing water scarcity with several areas being water stressed, posing a major challenge to fellow Indians, businesses and the country’s economy. Being highly cognizant of this reality, we prioritize 3 optimal resource management and have put in place water re-use systems that help us manage the resource judiciously and guarantee its availability for communities around our operations. 

Water scarcity issues are expected to impact industrial facilities increasingly in the coming years; this caused us to focus on conserving water and preparing for any future challenges. India, for example, is water-stressed. While it constitutes 16 percent of the world’s population, the country has only four percent of the world’s freshwater resources.

At ELGi, we have been committed to improving and enhancing sustainability development by optimizing water consumption across manufacturing plants. Water is an essential utility in manufacturing operations. Since 2016, more than 30 million liters of rainwater have been collected annually through rainwater harvesting and stored in ponds, which are then used for gardening and maintaining the green zones at our manufacturing plant.  

The water used in CNC machines for coolant usage, washing machines to clean the components, and cooling tower applications to cool compressors under testing is collected in effluent treatment plants. The water used in washrooms and canteen applications like washing vessels is collected in sewage treatment plants. The collected water is then purified, brought back to pristine condition, and used to water the green belts across the manufacturing units. 

Harvesting rainwater is an essential component of efficient water management. ELGi has the capability to collect 220 million litres of rainwater annually. Rainwater is collected in a rain harvesting pond’ which is capable of collecting about 30 million litres of rainwater and allows for use of the collected water for gardening and domestic use like toilet flushing.

In addition to the pond, rainwater is also stored in tanks capable of storing 20 million litres, collected through conduits from surfaces like roads and rooftops. The water used as coolant in CNC machines, washing components and cooling tower applications is collected in Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP). The water used for domestic purposes such as in washrooms and canteen are collected in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The collected water is purified and recycled to be used for landscaping and maintaining the green belt across the facilities.  

As a responsible and environmentally conscious corporate, ELGi will continue to harness the power of technology to mitigate the environmental impacts of our own business. Efficient resource management in terms of water consumption and recyclability will continue to receive high priority as we work to achieve resource-neutral operations. 

We have undertaken initiatives that align with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 & focus on the optimal use of resources across our manufacturing facilities.

What is UN Sustainable Development Goal 12- Responsible Consumption & Production?

The goal strives to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Overview:

· Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

· Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are root cause of triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution

Targets for 2030:

· 12.5 – Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

· 12.6 – Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.

· What steps has ELGi taken to coordinate it’s efforts with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12?

To align with the goal, ELGi practices recycling and re-usage of waste at all of our manufacturing facilities

At ELGi, we generate 36 different types of waste across all our manufacturing processes. Hence, we continue to adopt the waste management techniques of ‘Reduce – Recycle – Reuse’ in waste generation and disposal. Typically, in any manufacturing unit, the waste storage area will be in the backyard. At ELGi, when building our air compressor plant (the ACP), we deliberately planned to have the waste storage area right up front. This helps ensure the waste is visible and minimal and the storage area is always kept clean. This is reflective of the waste management systems and processes in place at the unit.

In 2013, the ELGi Foundry was set up on over ten acres with a built-up area of one hundred thousand square feet in Coimbatore, India, to produce special castings for captive consumption purposes. We took various steps to ensure that our employees work in a clean and healthy environment. Furthermore, we implemented dust collectors, filters, and wet scrubbers across the factory floor to ensure minimal carbon impact.

In line with our Rethink-Reuse-Upcycle approach and our circular system focus, we installed mechanical and thermal reclamation units that recover and recycle 96% of the sand utilized. Waste sand management at the ELGi Foundry was the third element of our carbon emission reduction efforts in operations. From 2017, dust generated, including fine sand, is collected through custom-made equipment and then converted into solid bricks that can be used to construct buildings without compromising the quality of construction.

About 200,000 bricks have been used to construct our new ELGi School premises, the factory compound wall, and maintenance work across all our manufacturing units in Coimbatore.

How do we manage waste?

To begin with, our manufacturing processes are planned and designed to use fewer natural resources, reduce pollution and waste, and recycle and reuse materials. As discussed earlier, we minimize the solid waste from our foundry via a circular and comprehensive solid waste

management strategy. In a bid to dispose off hazardous waste generated at our manufacturing plants, all waste generated from machining processes is converted into a form of a cake before disposing of it through authorized agencies.

This hazardous waste consists of 2000 Kcal/ Kg of calorific value. Additional additives are added to increase their calorific value. They are then converted into solid blocks, burned in cement kilns, and converted to ash.

ELGi prioritizes transitioning to a circular economy and environmental preservation. For years to come, our priorities will be to reduce waste generated in our processes by implementing the principle of circularity to steadily increase the utility of processed waste and lower the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Although the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency has improved, progress is not fast enough to achieve global climate goals. Total renewable energy consumption increased by a quarter between 2010 and 2019, but the share of renewables in total final energy consumption is only 17.7% (2019).

All sectors—from commerce, healthcare, and education to agriculture, infrastructure, communications, and advanced technology—benefit from an established energy system. It is essential to have access to inexpensive, dependable, and ecological energy.

At ELGi, our commitment to addressing climate change comprises several low carbon initiatives coupled with a longer-term sustainability roadmap. For one, we’ve undertaken initiatives focused on reducing the carbon footprint of our manufacturing facilities and offices, together with a clearly defined dedication to building energy-efficient products that enable companies around the globe to reduce their carbon footprint.

What is UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy?

The goal strives to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Under this – you have 3 things – https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7 – overview, targets, progress till date. All interesting insights and good learning for anyone not conversant. None of it is here. The content is all available – it just needs to be read and processed and the highlights copied and pasted here.

Overview:

· Impressive progress in electrification has slowed due to the challenge of reaching those hardest to reach. Although the number of people without access to electricity has reduced since 2010 (1.2 billion), 679 million people remain without electricity.

· International financial flows to developing countries for renewables declined for the second year in a row

· Progress in energy efficiency needs to speed up to achieve global climate goals

· Till 2020, 2.4 billion people were still using inefficient & polluting cooking systems

· Total renewable energy consumption increased by a quarter between 2010 and 2019, but the share of renewables in total final energy consumption is only 17.7%.

Targets for 2030:

· 7.1 – Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services

· 7.2 – Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

· 7.3 – Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency

· 7. a – Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.

· 7. b – Expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing countries, per their respective programmes of support.

Progress till date:

· In 2020, 69 per cent of the global population had access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. The electricity sector records the largest share of renewables in total final energy consumption (26.2 per cent in 2019) and drives most of the growth in renewable energy use.

· Since 2015, global energy intensity has improved by 1.6 per cent per year on average, which is still short of the 3.2 per cent annual rate now needed to reach Sustainable Development Goal 7.3.

· International financial flows to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy reached $10.9 billion in 2019.

· Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing countries reached a record 245.7 watts per capita in 2020.

· The war in Ukraine is driving up global energy prices and increasing energy insecurity in Europe. As a response, some European countries plan to speed up the transition to renewables and increase investments in renewables and energy efficiency.

· It would take least developed countries and landlocked developing countries almost 40 years to reach the same level of progress by the developing countries on average in 2020.

What steps has ELGi taken to coordinate their efforts with UN Sustainable Development Goal 7?

Always Resilient – Processes

ELGi is committed to energy management across its manufacturing locations since energy is a predominant contributor to the organization’s emissions. We harness renewable energy to meet a significant proportion of our energy requirements and are working to enhance the share of green energy in the overall energy mix. We have constantly endeavored to introduce new energy efficiency initiatives to counter rising energy demand and associated emissions.

We began with mapping our carbon dioxide emissions and identifying key energy sources. Over a decade ago, about 85% of the carbon emissions caused by five manufacturing units in India emanated from three sources: Electricity, high-speed diesel (HSD) equipment, and waste sand generation. After identifying the sources, we defined sustainable strategies to both contain and reduce emissions. In 2017, we replaced our traditional energy meters with smart meters, enabling the latter to sense loads

based on amperage (strength of an electric current in amperes), sense whether the load is less, or the machines are idle and distribute the load optimally. This exercise resulted in savings of about 1.5 million units of electricity per year.

In 2018, we introduced an Energy Management System (EnMS) at our Air Compressor Plant (ACP), our state-of-the-art campus at Kinathukadavu, near Coimbatore. The ACP was built over 100 acres with the best practices in manufacturing facilities globally, to manufacture airends. At the ACP, 145 IoT-enabled machines, all connected and sharing data seamlessly, were deployed to analyze the captured data using advanced statistical tools, identify energy-saving opportunities, improve systems, and conserve energy. Since then, our plant operations have achieved over 24% energy efficiency with the implementation of IoT-enabled energy management systems, resulting in power reductions of around 1.02 megawatts per year and significant savings in annual power spending. The Air Compressor Plant (ACP) has been certified by the ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System, an annual certification audit by TUV Nord ensuring energy-efficient improvements year on year.

Diesel generator sets for running special-purpose machines were discontinued and replaced with UPS units that provided power back-ups for 10-15 minutes.

Compressed air supplied from the compressor room was being used to conduct preventive maintenance across our manufacturing units. There was always a gap in demand versus supply of compressed air. This issue was addressed by using small portable piston compressors, which were taken directly to the desired location for preventive maintenance exercises. This way, there was no wastage of compressed air, and we recognized energy savings running into millions of rupees every year.

Unutilized machines were also shut off during lunch breaks, adding to the energy and cost savings. Increasing the share of renewable energy in the total energy pie is a critical element of ‘Green energy-driven manufacturing,’ resulting in lowered dependency on conventional resources of energy. As early as 1994, we initiated a process by which renewable wind energy generated through five 250 kW windmills contributed to approximately 15% of the total power consumed at our manufacturing units. Until 2016, the full power generated through these windmills was consumed by the assembly plant at the headquarters. In 2016, the windmills were allocated for the ELGi Foundry, the ELGi Air Compressor Plant, and the assembly plant at headquarters in the ratio of 2:2:1.

There is immense opportunity to optimize and evaluate individual, energy-intensive processes within operations by monitoring and measuring the process units, lines, and machines consuming energy and then controlling overall consumption, economics and emissions. At ELGi, we’ve taken small but sure steps towards making the change to enable sustainable operational efficiency. We have adopted and continue to remain committed to TQM excellence and a PDCA approach in our energy management initiatives for successful implementations” – Narayan Thiruvengadam, VP – of Quality and Manufacturing.

What is the way forward?

With the aim of reducing our carbon footprint through better use of energy, we will continue to focus on manufacturing energy-efficient compressors and raising the efficiency of our existing products.

Compressors that operate with zero defects, deliver greater energy savings, and lower life cycle costs will be prioritized as we work to support our customers to achieve their ESG objectives.

As a responsible and environment conscious corporate, we will also continue to harness the power of technology to mitigate the environmental impacts of our own business. Efficient resource management in terms of water consumption and recyclability, and waste generated and disposed off will continue to receive high priority as we work to achieve resource neutral operations. The tenets of circularity, already incorporated in our operations, are set to be strengthened as we explore new avenues to convert the waste we generate into resources for other industries.

ELGi is committed to developing green facilities comprising of green belts and landscaped gardens at all factory locations, using the Miyawaki technique. Aside from planting over more than 100 varieties of native species to promote biodiversity.  

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future. Comprising 17 goals and 169 targets, these are a call for action for global economies, governments, businesses, other organizations, and individuals to work towards mitigating the world’s most pressing challenges.   

Today, we are looking at Goal 15 – Life on land.   

So, what does the goal mean?  

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 15 urges us to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.   

How has ELGi aligned with the goal in the past year?  

 ELGi is committed to developing green facilities:  

1. We developed green belts and landscaped gardens at all factory locations, using the Miyawaki technique.  
2. Planted multiple varieties of native species to promote biodiversity.  

What is the Miyawaki Technique?  

The Miyawaki technique was developed by Japanese Botanist Akira Miyawaki to grow dense forests of native plants. This innovative technique, which involves planting a forest, is utilized to reforest cities globally. This technique produces forests that grow quickly, contain dense vegetation, and over time require little to no management. When growing wood on tiny landholdings, the Miyawaki approach and related strategies are incredibly effective.  

Prerequisites for Afforestation through the Miyawaki Method:   

1. The Miyawaki afforestation technique only needs a very small area—at least 20 square feet. 
2. To save space and encourage dense plant growth, seeds must be planted relatively close together. This will also enable young trees to defend one another and stop sunlight from infiltrating the forest floor, inhibiting the growth of parasitic plants.  
3. This approach must result in vegetation that is 30 times denser and growing 10 times more quickly than usual. 
4. The Miyawaki approach requires that such a forest be maintained for a minimum of three years.   

What is afforestation?  

Afforestation involves planting trees in areas that haven’t recently had any tree cover, in order to create a forest. The type of land planted could include areas that have turned into a desert (through desertification), places that have long been used for grazing, disused agricultural fields, or industrial areas.  

The main goals of afforestation are to serve as a method to reduce atmospheric CO2, increase soil quality, and either avoid or reverse desertification. The forests created through afforestation also provide habitat to local wildlife, create windbreaks, support soil health, and may also help improve water quality. Afforestation is one of the most “natural” and technologically simple ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  

ELGi recognizes the contribution of biodiversity to the reduction of emissions. Carbon emissions can be absorbed by the ground thanks to forests. Since 2016, ELGi has created green belts at all factory locations, using the Miyawaki technique. The ELGi team and their family members have contributed to this program by planting more than 6,000 different tree species so far, with the goal of planting more than 30,000 trees over the next three years.  

With continuous efforts by compressor manufacturers to lead the market on energy efficiency, superior performance, and reliability, it is critically important that the users of air compressors are aware of the advanced product options available in the market. The technological advances in control systems and the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) provide further motivation to upgrade the air compressors at the right time. Typically, Air Compressor Upgrades happen in every 3-4 years by manufacturers to improve energy efficiency, reliability, advanced features, etc., and it is worth the while to evaluate the need for upgrading your compressors.

Five critical factors to consider while upgrading your compressor

Energy Efficiency: Energy costs contribute to over 75% of the total life cycle cost (LCC) of a compressor, and is therefore the key factor in upgrading an air compressor. Once the energy cost of the existing compressor is determined (through air audit or a simpler total input power measurement), the benefits of a new compressor, in terms of energy costs, can be evaluated. In cases where the user’s duty cycle of the air compressor has increased significantly over time due to additional production activities, the savings will be more beneficial with shorter return on investment. Additionally, if the plant needs a higher flow for expansion, it is an opportunity to consolidate the need and evaluate for upgradation. The size of the machine (in kW) should also be considered, as the larger the size of the unit, the higher the savings potential.

Advanced features: Significant improvement in controller features, more intelligence through additional sensors, and evolution of IoT capability are further reasons to consider an upgrade. These features result in improved uptime, insights for improvement in energy efficiency, and inputs for optimized operational settings in addition to 24×7 remote monitoring from anywhere in the world. In plants where the failure of a compressed air system can result in heavy losses in productivity, these features are particularly critical. Improvement in consumables’ life and/or reliability is another factor. Recently, ELGi had doubled the life of oil filters used in its oil lubricated rotary screw compressors in several models. All these features not only make the compressors more efficient but also significantly more reliable and advanced.

Breakthrough products: Compressor users must also look out for breakthrough products that will result in superior performance. ELGi has recently launched a product, AB Series with a disruptive oil-free technology that will bring down the life cycle cost of an oil-free compressor significantly. Such breakthrough improvements provide an opportunity to improve overall plant efficiency and performance while meeting the users’ needs effectively. Growing production needs in a plant will also need a different compressor technology such as the transition to centrifugal compressors for larger volumes of compressed air as an example.

Unplanned maintenance costs: As compressors age and when they need frequent attention to keep them running reliably, the unplanned maintenance or repair costs will also increase. If the cost of repairs reaches a certain level (~40-50% of the compressor value), along with the lower energy efficiency of older products, it is an appropriate time to evaluate and upgrade your air compressor.

Return of Investment (RoI): Another important factor to be considered while upgrading the compressor is the RoI. With improv energy costs, the RoI can be evaluated to meet the customer’s target.

Energy costs account for approx. 30% of a production facility’s operating budget. That means nearly a third of all the money organizations invest into their plant, goes straight to the power bill. Power cost is a pivotal determinant of the overall cost to companies. 

Globally, business owners have embraced sustainable techniques to ensure   convenience, and efficiency in their facility, but is it possible to go too green? Absolutely. 

Considering the implications of global warming, ELGi introduced a Heat Recovery System, which enables the reuse of heat energy generated during the compression process for tasks like heating water. 

Refine Your Compressed Air System with ELGi’s Heat Recovery System 

ELGi’s Heat Recovery System can assist in using 78% of the waste heat generated by the compressor for other facility operations, such as heating water. As a result, there is no longer a need to purchase additional equipment to heat water, thus lowering CO2 emissions. The Heat Recovery System is an accessory which can be used with the ELGi EG Series rotary air compressor. Customers can easily plug the HRS into an air compressor to warm water and air for use in showers and boilers by using the heat produced by the air compressor.  

In a typical compression system, the theoretical recoverable heat is 96% of the overall electrical energy consumption. It consists of heat dissipated in the oil cooler (78%), the after cooler (13%) and the heat radiated from the drive motor (5%). The heat dissipated by the oil cooler can be used for heating water and the heat dissipated by the after cooler and drive motor can be used for supplemental space heating. The remaining 4% heat cannot be recovered, since 2% radiates through the canopy and the other 2% vents inside the canopy. 

Robust Operations Across Industries 

The Heat Recovery System finds its operation in industries like automotive, textiles, cement, paper & pulp, machine tool shops, steel making and the food processing industry where there is a need to heat / pre-heat water to a certain temperature ELGi’s HRS can significantly reduce energy costs by eliminating the use of special heating equipment or by offering the initial heat to start the heating process where higher temperatures are required. 

Elgi is a global air compressor manufacturer with an expansive line of innovative and technologically superior compressed air systems. ELGi has consistently ensured that its customers achieve their productivity goals while keeping the environmental impact low. Our product innovation for the Heat Recovery System is driven by the potential for savings and by examining the carbon footprint of an air compressor. ELGi firmly believes that sustainable technology is at the heart of positive environmental change.    

Explore our portfolio of sustainable & efficient solutions here: http://www.elgi.com 

It is the day our Mother Earth gets the spotlight and this spotlight should never be switched off, for it is critical for every stakeholder to embark on a behavioural change for the better.

Why, you may ask.

Essentially, our global health is under pressure!

If healthy people, a healthy society and a healthy planet are to be obtained, it is important to implement the Farm to Fork strategy, which is an integral part of the European Green Deal.