Managing energy costs in an unpredictable market
EDITOR’ S CHOICE ENERGY UNDER CONTROL
GEMINI DATA LOGGERS
Managing energy costs in an unpredictable market
Energy has become one of the most volatile and influential cost factors in modern manufacturing. With ongoing geopolitical tensions and instability in global energy markets, electricity and gas prices remain unpredictable and as a result, puts pressure on margins across engineering, process and production environments.
For manufacturers operating in energy-intensive sectors, this is no longer just a cost issue. It is a question of control.
While Net Zero targets and regulatory expectations continue to shape long-term strategy, the immediate challenge is far more practical: how to reduce energy usage without compromising output, quality or uptime.
The problem is that many organisations are still relying on high-level data such as utility bills, aggregated meter readings or estimates to make critical decisions. This provides visibility of total consumption, but not where inefficiencies actually occur.
Energy use within manufacturing is dynamic. Demand fluctuates across shifts, start-up cycles, maintenance windows and varying production loads. Without detailed, time-based insight, energy waste can remain hidden within processes, equipment or infrastructure.
This is where targeted energy monitoring is becoming essential.
By measuring energy consumption at machine, line or departmental level, manufacturers can build a clear picture of how energy is used in real operating conditions. This allows teams to identify abnormal loads, uncover inefficiencies and understand how changes in production impact energy demand.
For engineers and operations managers, this creates immediate, practical value. Decisions around equipment upgrades, process optimisation or scheduling can be based on measured performance rather than assumption.
Energy loggers provide a simple, non-disruptive way to capture this data. Deployed across a site or on specific assets, they enable organisations to monitor voltage, current, power and power factor over time— delivering the granularity needed to take meaningful action.
In an environment where energy costs can fluctuate rapidly, this level of insight offers resilience. It allows manufacturers to respond to changing conditions, control operational expenditure and prioritise improvements where they will deliver the greatest return.
Tinytag Energy Loggers are widely used across manufacturing, process engineering and facilities environments to support this approach. By providing reliable, realworld data, they help organisations move from reactive energy management to proactive control.
As the sector navigates rising costs and increasing regulatory pressure, one thing is clear: the manufacturers best equipped to weather the storm will be those who understand their energy use in detail, and act on it.
For further information, please visit geminidataloggers. com
18 PECM Issue 80