Energy cost management in the food industry
SOLVERA LYNX CASE STUDY
ENERGY COST MANAGEMENT IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY
The company is part of an international group and specializes in the development, production, and distribution of customized flavors and fragrances for the food industry. With multiple production programs – ranging from syrups, flavorings, and spices to distillation – the company delivers high-quality products for beverages, confectionery, dairy products, and other food applications.
With the objective of improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact, the company commissioned a comprehensive energy audit in accordance with the SIST ISO 50002 standard.
The primary goal was clear: to identify opportunities for reducing energy consumption, operational costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.
CURRENT STATUS: CONSUMPTION AND COST ANALYSIS
KEY CONSUMERS
Natural gas
- Drying towers (43%) – 7 towers used for drying production materials
- Steam boiler 1 (33%) – capacity: 3.2 MW
- Steam boiler 2 (14%) – capacity: 4.72 MW
- HVAC systems and other consumption (10%)
Electricity
- Drying towers (29%)
- Production processes (25%) – machinery, pumps, and fans
- Cold storage facility (14%) – 9 compressors
- HVAC systems (11%)
- Compressed air systems (10%)
- Lighting and other consumption (11%)
SOLUTION: COMPREHENSIVE ACTION PLAN
Based on a detailed analysis, a set of organizational and investment measures was identified, enabling annual savings of 118,340 EUR, with a total investment of 88,500 EUR and a payback period of 0.7 years.
BENEFITS
The implementation of the proposed measures delivers multi-dimensional benefits for the company:
KEY FINDINGS
The energy audit demonstrated that, with relatively modest investments and a systematic approach, the company can achieve significant savings. The key to success lies in the combination of technological improvements and organizational changes, supported by an advanced energy management system.
RESULTS
NEXT STEPS
Through the energy audit, the company obtained a clear roadmap for improving energy efficiency. The recommended implementation timeline is as follows:
- 0–3 months: organizational measures, compressed air leak elimination, decommissioning of a metering point
- 3–6 months: installation of a compressed air monitoring system, EMS expansion
- 6–12 months: replacement of the gas burner
- Ongoing: replacement of electric motors upon failure, process optimization
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – GEMALOGIC
By implementing the advanced GemaLogic Energy Management System (EMS), the company took a major step toward optimizing energy efficiency. Fully deployed in March 2025, the system was expanded to 70 metering points and provides a comprehensive real-time overview of energy consumption through a web-based dashboard.
IMPLEMENTATION RESULTS AND SAVINGS
The introduction of the GemaLogic system delivered tangible results within a short timeframe and confirmed its value in managing and optimizing energy costs.
KEY MONITORED PARAMETERS
The GemaLogic system accurately monitors a wide range of energy-related parameters that are essential for process optimization across the company:
- Electricity consumption (kWh)
- Natural gas consumption (m³)
- Water consumption (m³)
- Compressed air pressure (bar)
- Temperature and humidity in critical areas
- Equipment operating hours