A group of 71 textile units in coordination with Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF) to implement a comprehensive energy management system (EMS) with an aim to continuously evaluate the machine health and operating practices through the hardware and software installed as part of the EMS to monitor energy consumption round-the-clock.

Karthik Durai, the ITF executive member and the coordinator of EMS implementation, said that the EMS is unique as the usual energy audits, which are occasionally done in a space of a day or two, analyse the total energy consumed vis-a-vis the possible requirement. This conventional method thus cannot locate the micro-level defects that cause energy losses.

Whereas, the EMS ensures that every machine in the said 71 units was fitted with a metre that is capable of reading various parameters like voltage, current, load consumed and other power factors and the data generated been sent to a common server in the unit for monitoring using a software programme, he added.

This methodology would help the units which joined the initiative to identify the defects and factors in individual machines that lead to energy losses and take corrective measures accordingly.

Another interesting aspect in the venture is that the ITF has placed orders for the metres and software solutions that constitute the EMS with two companies in Chennai and Bengaluru based on the monitoring requirements of the units instead of just buying products what those two manufacturers could offer.

Once the EMS becomes operational because of the round-the-clock monitoring facility, almost 10 percent of energy has been assumed will be saved by the units.