According to Can Tho Energy Conservation Center, with only three energy efficiency solutions, it has been estimated that each year, Meko Garment Joint Stock Company has the opportunity to save over VND 417 million, equivalent to reducing the consumption of about 338 Kwh and 2800 liters of DO oil. Implementing energy saving solutions, the company will also reduce 219 tons of carbon emissions annually.

Located in Tra Noc Industrial Zone, Can Tho, Meko Garment JSC operates in the field of manufacturing garments for export. In 2009, the revenue of the company was VND 67 billion, energy cost was VND 1.8 billion, mainly for electricity DO and oil.

According to Mr Ma Bac Chi, the manager of power department, the company was established in 1988, but the equipment and production lines have been well equipped and improved to enhance production and product quality.

Currently, the company has installed 80% of electronic sewing machines to help reducing energy costs and increasing productivity. The workshops are equipped with water curtains and sucking fan systems to reduce the temperature.

Using the lighting system effectively

The lighting system at Meko Garment JSC consumes a lot of power with about 4000 light sets which mainly use T10-40W fluorescent lights with electromagnetic ballasts. Through observation, even at the areas close to windows, natural light intensity is high but the lights are still working. Moreover, most bulbs do not have reflectors, which has greatly reduced the lighting efficiency.

The replacement of T10-40W lights with T8-36W lights can help the company save 32% of electricity consumption for lighting, equivalent to 160 thousand kWh or over VND 200 million per year.

The new lighting system not only saves energy but also has many advantages such as reducing power loss across the wire, no noise, not heat radiation, long life, easy to install and maintain.

For locations near windows, taking advantage of natural light will help dramatically reduce the number of bulbs. In addition, the company should consider installing 5-9W compact bulbs for each sewing table, which can bring high lighting efficiency and reduce 50-60% of lights for the whole workshop. This solution will help the company save VND 311 million per year, ie 245 thousand kWh, with a short payback period of only 3.2 months.

Improving the boiler system

In the process of energy audit, experts of Can Tho Energy Conservation Center have noticed that the company's two boilers have been operating with low combustion efficiency (83%), the O2 content in exhaust is high, leading to poor heat utilization and great heat loss.

To deal with that situation, the proposed solution is to install an exhaust heat recovery system to heat the water for boilers. With this solution, the company could save 4% of fuel, equivalent to 2800 liters of oil or over VND 40 million. Investment cost is VND 50 million and can be retrieved after 1.2 years.

Also, if the economic potential is available, experts suggest the company consider replacing boilers using DO oil with boilers using coal which can save 50% of fuel. However, implementing this solution requires large surface area and large investment and the company will have to build more coal ash storages.

Installing energy saving devices

Despite the effort to equip 80% of electronic sewing machine to increase productivity and reduce electricity costs, but with 20% of mechanical sewing machine in operation, no-load operation time accounts for 70%, the amount of wasted electricity is quite large. Installing Powver Eco device for mechanical sewing machines will help the company save 30% of no-load power consumption.

In terms of economic benefits, the above solution has the potential to save nearly 14 thousand kWh per year and reduce energy cost by about VND 17.5 million. This solution requires large investment capital of about VND 77 million, so experts have recommended that the factory should replace broken mechanical sewing machines by electronic sewing machines.

Minh Duc