Sawmills

Increase productivity and quality with efficient energy metering

Energy metering plays a crucial role in sawmill energy efficiency and process optimization. By monitoring energy consumption in real time, you can identify where energy is wasted, optimize the operation of dryers and machines, and detect faults early. This not only reduces costs, but also improves product quality and makes processes more sustainable.

Sawmill customers

Optimization of the drying process

Drying is often the most energy-intensive part of a sawmill. By measuring and comparing the energy consumption of different dryers, you can see how energy is used during different drying programs and how efficiency varies depending on timber, moisture levels and external factors. This allows you to:

Optimize drying times

Adjust drying programs to reduce energy consumption without compromising quality.

Reduce heat losses

Identify energy leaks and improve the building envelope, reducing energy demand.

Maximize heat recovery

Reuse waste heat to reduce the need for newly produced heat, a simple measure that leads to big savings.

Detect faults

Get real-time insight into what's happening inside your dryer. Discover when ventilation is not working or the temperature is not reaching the desired levels.

Competitiveness and profitability

Energy metering provides a deeper understanding of production costs. By analyzing data from each process step, you can link energy consumption to production volume and calculate accurate costs per unit. This gives you:

Key Performance Indicators for energy efficiency

For example, kWh per dried volume (heat and electricity) and kWh per cubic meter produced.

Improve profitability

Get detailed control of costs for each production step and follow up on efficiency measures in real time.

Cost calculations

Energy metering allows you to accurately calculate costs per production step and ensure profitability. This provides a better basis for decision-making to optimize operations and adjust internal pricing to reflect real production costs.

Areas for Energy Efficiency Improvement

Optimize the sawing process

Saw intake, shredding and raw material sorting are energy intensive. With energy metering, you can, for example, adjust the sawing speed, reduce unnecessary idling and shut down motors and systems during idle periods. This can lead to significant energy savings.

Improve the drying process

The dryer is the biggest energy consumer. Monitor the energy used for fans and heat supply and adjust drying programs based on timber size and moisture content. Detect anomalies early and address them quickly to avoid unnecessary energy consumption.

Making the compressed air system more efficient

Compressed air systems tend to leak over time, which can be a major hidden energy cost. Regular checks and optimized compressor control can save both energy and maintenance costs.

Reduce Reactive Power

With phase compensation, you can reduce reactive power, resulting in more efficient use of the electricity grid and improved power quality. This can result in significant cost savings.

Smart Lighting

Replace older lighting systems with modern LED lamps and implement automatic control depending on production times and daylight. This ensures optimal brightness without wasting energy.

Optimization of Boilers and Heat Production

Through energy metering, boiler operation can be optimized to match actual heat demand, preventing overproduction. Waste heat recovery and adjusted operating hours according to production needs provide significant energy savings and increased efficiency.

Customer case from a sawmill

That's how SenseNode helps Energy Analytics

With SenseNode Energy Analytics, you get access to powerful tools that optimize your energy use:

Real-time monitoring

Get a clear overview of energy consumption at every stage of production and react quickly to deviations.

Smart Alarms

Get notified when energy consumption increases abnormally or when maintenance is required, allowing you to avoid downtime and unnecessary energy use.

Advanced Analysis

Compare the performance of different machines, dryers and plants to find the most efficient solutions.

Sustainability reporting

Get automatic reports on carbon dioxide emissions and energy efficiency improvements

System Integration

Connect energy data with your existing production systems for a holistic view of energy consumption and production performance.

KPIs

Create and track kWh per cubic meter produced.

How can you review the efficiency of your dryers?

With SenseNode Energy Analytics, you can identify the potential for energy savings and make evidence-based decisions to reduce costs, improve profitability and contribute to a more sustainable future.