What is Specifie Energy Consumption (SEC)?
Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) is a metric used in manufacturing to measure the amount of energy consumed per unit of production output. It provides a quantitative assessment of how efficiently a manufacturing process utilises energy resources to produce goods. In simple terms, SEC helps answer the question: “How much energy does it take to manufacture one unit of a product?”
Why do manufacturers need to measure SEC?
SEC enables manufacturers to balance energy usage and productivity, by measuring SEC manufacturers can:
- Improve competitiveness
- Reduce operational energy costs
- Identify energy intensive processes
- Make data informed capital decisions around new machinery purchases versus and upgrading legacy machinery
- Optimise production scheduling to reduce energy waste during idle times
- Improve job quotation accuracy with actual energy cost overhead data
In summary it enables manufacturers to make better decisions.
How is SEC calculated?
SEC is comprised of two components; total energy consumed (kWh) and total units produced:
- Total energy consumed (KWH)– the total energy consumed by an asset during a given time period
- Total units Produced– the number of product units produced during a given time period
SEC (KWH/unit) = Total energy consumed (KWH) / Total units produced
How is data captured?
Total energy consumed (KWH)– Energy management systems such as the Mavarick platform enables manufacturers to manage and analyse energy consumption across manufacturing plants and assets in real time.
Total units produced – The number of units produced during a manufacturing operation can be obtained through a number of different sources:
- Manual operator target records
- ERP shop floor product tracking systems
- Digital tally sheets
- Machine controllers
- Counter sensors
How to interpret SEC?
Interpreting SEC involves understanding the efficiency of your manufacturing process in terms of energy usage per unit of production output. A lower SEC indicates greater energy efficiency. For example, If a manufacturing plant produces 10,000 screws and consumes 100,000 kWh of energy in a month, the SEC is calculated as:
SEC = 10 kWh/screw
This means that it takes 10 kWh of energy to produce one screw. Comparing this value to industry benchmarks or historical data can reveal whether the manufacturing process is becoming more or less energy-efficient over time and guide improvements.
How can Mavarick help you balance productivity and sustainability?
Mavarick helps manufacturers to become more sustainable while also surpassing their productivity targets. With our intuitive platform, manufacturers can easily collect real-time energy data from their production facility. Our software enables Managers / Directors to make data driven sustainable capital decisions and operations to manage energy usage and productivity. Contact Mavarick today to learn about a free trial.
