High energy prices, rising cost pressure and a growing awareness of climate protection make energy efficiency an important task for companies. Optimizing energy consumption is particularly important in the manufacturing industry. Compressed air generation and use are often overlooked. Measures such as eliminating leaks and optimizing the pressure level reduce energy costs and increase the overall productivity (OEE) of the systems. Sven Lensdorf, Head of Sales Operations Services at Festo, explains how innovation and consulting reduce the carbon footprint for the environment.
Sven Lensdorf: Primary energy costs are certainly the main driver of rising costs in the manufacturing industry. This is evident, for example, in countries such as Poland, where electricity prices have quadrupled. To offset their CO₂ emissions, companies also have to purchase special certificates, which underlines the importance of CO₂ emissions. In addition, environmental, social and governance issues, known as ESG, require companies to reduce their carbon footprint.
Sven Lensdorf: A key challenge is to raise awareness of energy efficiency, particularly in relation to compressed air. Although compressed air only accounts for a small proportion of energy costs, it offers considerable savings potential. Festo addresses this through targeted consulting and training to increase customer awareness and knowledge. Another challenge is to close the gap between what is technically possible and the current situation in the industry. Many companies are not aware that their compressed air generation, treatment, distribution, and consumption could be improved, which would not only save energy but also increase the service life of their machines and systems.
To maximize efficiency, we encourage our customers to take a holistic approach and look at the entire system. Our aim is to promote a comprehensive understanding of compressed air and electrical automation so that customers can take the best measures. The challenges for companies are complex and include a shortage of resources, capacity problems and, in some cases, a lack of knowledge. Employees are often overloaded with numerous tasks and can only concentrate on one part of them. Gaps in knowledge in specific areas also contribute to necessary measures not being implemented. Festo sees it as its task to make customers aware of these issues and to support them. One part of this is our Festo Energy Saving Services. These enable companies to make significant savings in the area of compressed air systems very quickly.
Sven Lensdorf: Festo is a leader in automation technology, especially in compressed air applications, with a wide range of pneumatic products such as cylinders, valves, service unit components and grippers. However, our approach goes beyond individual components. We have recognized that optimum efficiency can only be achieved by taking a holistic view of the system. We therefore offer comprehensive audits that cover not only our core products, but also the entire compressed air supply, including compressors, treatment and distribution. Despite our specialization in pneumatics and automation, we offer these services. We are convinced that a holistic consulting approach creates the greatest added value for our clients. By identifying potential savings, we offer solutions for more efficient use of compressed air.
Our audits use the latest technical standards to assess the complete cycle of a compressed air system. They record power consumption, air volume and pressure level in the compressor station and in the course of the pneumatic application. This neutral data allows us to provide objective consulting. Regardless of the manufacturer, customers can immediately see where there is potential for savings. This enables them to make informed decisions about their compressed air systems on the basis of the data collected.
Sven Lensdorf: First of all, Festo Energy Saving Services offer transparency about a company's current energy status, whether through comprehensive audits or specific sustainability checks. Customers receive quantified data on CO₂ emissions and financial losses, which is crucial to enable them to plan targeted measures. We then draw up detailed suggestions for improvement that not only identify energy savings but also offer concrete steps for implementation. We also attach great importance to sensitizing and training our customers' employees. Our aim is to promote a sustainable learning process that goes beyond the project and enables long-term improvements in energy efficiency.
Sven Lensdorf: Our Energy Saving Services aim to raise awareness of the responsible use of resources, particularly in the area of compressed air. We make it clear that compressed air systems do contribute to CO₂ emissions if they are not operated with renewable energies. A significant proportion of these CO₂ emissions are caused by the use of compressed air. This underlines the responsibility of operators to minimize their CO₂ emissions through effective resource management. Large companies have a decisive influence on the global CO₂ balance, and in view of the fact that CO₂ is a major factor in climate change, there is a particular responsibility here. We support this by consulting on compliance with environmental protection and energy efficiency standards, in particular in accordance with ISO 50001, with a specific focus on compressed air systems. Our aim is to support customers in fulfilling their environmental responsibility and achieving sustainable improvements.
Svens Lensdorf: Two years ago, a serious leakage problem at a plant led us to a project at a major automotive supplier. After thoroughly inspecting the plant over a period of four weeks and carrying out the necessary repairs, we were able to reduce compressed air consumption by almost 20%. This result was achieved without investing in new compressors or structural changes, but through targeted improvements on site. Our work showed that even in a highly developed production environment such as Germany, significant savings are possible by focusing on so-called “low-hanging fruit,” i.e. measures that can be implemented quickly and easily.
Sven Lensdorf: Awareness and knowledge go hand in hand, even when it comes to efficiency and the use of compressed air and pneumatics. We want to build up this essential knowledge among customers and their employees. Nowadays, less and less is being taught about pneumatics at colleges and universities, so we want to close this knowledge gap, whether through Festo Didactic or through training courses on the basics of automation. We show why pneumatics is the best technology for certain applications. Understanding the correct design of pneumatic systems is crucial for the development of energy-efficient machines and systems. We therefore see it as Didactic's task to create awareness and the necessary knowledge through training in order to enable efficient solutions in the long term.
Sven Lensdorf: Sustainability is an integral part of our production and logistics locations as well as our cooperation with suppliers. We offer a comprehensive catalog of strategies ranging from the reduction and optimization of packaging material to the general reduction of material usage. All with the aim of being arithmetically CO₂-neutral in Scope 1 and 2 by 2024. In doing so, we consistently focus on implementing the sustainability principles and services that we also recommend to our customers. We regularly audit our global production sites ourselves, identify weak points and work with our Energy Saving Services Portal to promote energy efficiency – in other words, we implement what we recommend to others.
To intensify our sustainability efforts, we have joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), an alliance of UNGC, CDP, WWF and WIR. This initiative enables companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions on a scientific basis in such a way that the 1.5 °C target of the Paris Agreement can be achieved. By joining, we commit to regular reviews and transparent reporting of our progress. This commitment also brings significant added value for our customers: We actively support them, for example through Festo Energy Saving Services, in the planning and implementation of energy-efficient solutions. This helps them to significantly reduce their energy consumption and costs, while at the same time pursuing their own sustainability goals more effectively.
Sven Lensdorf: Companies should become aware of their responsibility in the area of sustainability, as it is an essential basis for future action. Many are already sensitized, but there are areas in which the commitment needs to be deepened. Energy-intensive companies in particular can bring about significant positive changes through targeted measures.
Technologies are constantly evolving, opening up opportunities for more sustainable and efficient innovations than ever before. This requires courage and a willingness to abandon tried and tested paths, as well as cooperation with competent partners who can support the path to a more sustainable future. Transparent reporting on sustainable measures and successes is important both externally and within the company. Employees increasingly identify with companies that pursue a clear mission and are characterized by social and ecological commitment. Projects that go beyond pure profit maximization and make a contribution to sustainability strengthen employees' sense of belonging.
Examples such as the reduction of the carbon footprint, the installation of electric charging stations or the use of photovoltaic systems show employees that their company is making a positive contribution to environmental protection and motivate further commitment in this area.
We would like to thank Mr. Sven Lensdorf for this inspiring interview. His insights into the challenges and opportunities surrounding the topic of energy efficiency in the manufacturing industry, particularly in the context of compressed air utilization, are very valuable. His commitment and expertise in promoting sustainable practices reflect Festo's strong desire to create awareness in companies to become more efficient and responsible players in their respective markets.