“Summertime, and the living is easy”, says George Gershwin, and who can argue? Especially as we come out of the worst of the COVID lockdowns, everybody feels the need to go out, enjoy, catch up on trips not made and family and friends not visited these last 2+ years. But your facility is still operating, and your equipment and systems still need to work reliably all year round. Even if your facility or office slows down a little in the summer, your equipment and the way they work together (your systems) need to be reviewed and maintained. Summer, with perhaps fewer day-to-day pressures, is a good time to do this. Like going to the doctor for an annual check-up – even if you don’t feel sick – performing an annual review and maintenance can allow your equipment and systems to perform at its best and address problems before they become too serious and risky to operations. And having a good, reliable maintenance program will enable your equipment to last longer, deferring and reducing future big capital expenditures.

Remember, systems operate in a dynamic environment, affected by operators, processes, technologies, even temperatures and humidity, which may not affect its operation openly (it turns on and off at the right time), but may affect it in subtle ways, affecting long-term performance and viability.

Thus, maintaining healthy systems, like the human body, requires careful monitoring and tuning. Here are 3 things to evaluate as you analyze and monitor your systems.

1. Note all changes. Systems usually work based on a set of criteria. For example, the boiler turns on and makes steam when the temperature as measured by the thermostat drops below a certain setpoint and turns off when it is exceeded. Has the program been changed due to the likings of the people in those rooms? Is the feed to the boiler (fuel, air) been changed either by aging equipment or other factors? That’s just one example. I once worked on an air emissions inventory project at a chemical plant and studied the formulas, the exact steps in producing several compounds. Checking with the guys working the floor, they changed some of the procedures out of convenience and never told the engineer or their supervisor. The yields were the same, so nobody noticed. While there was no direct effect on the product, this led to red flags as change had been introduced and a study of their effects on all areas was not done.

Even more basic, who is in charge of operating your different systems? Has a particular person been replaced in the last year and if so, does the new person operate the system as the as competent? Loss of key knowledge can affect long-term equipment performance.

• A holistic approach. Summertime and its slow pace at the plant is a good time to do a total holistic review of your systems. Is this system still the best one to achieve your goals? Are there better approaches to achieve the business goals? Have new laws been promulgated affecting this system (environmental, FDA, etc.)? Is your system able to account and monitor compliance? Are they keeping up with the changes in regulations? And there is workflow. Does the system work within your changing workflow, given the need for product and availability of labor and resources (supply chain, energy, water)? Can changes be implemented to improve yield, work with fewer resources, and/or hasten your results without affecting quality? How do changes in equipment affect the whole system? In other words, is this still the most effective system?
• Look to the future. We all know that technology will change and improve over time. Be aware of technology changes affecting your systems. Read newsletters of technical changes. That does not mean that you should jump at the first change in technology. Replacing your systems with new ones certainly needs careful study to determine whether it is really worth the change to do. But spend some time to be aware of changes and consider upgrades, the benefits and potential effects on hardware, software, operating systems, IT, conveyance, communications, and, of course, the quality and quantity of the ultimate product.

Enjoy the summer and its easier pace. But take some time to assess your systems, ensure they are in good health, head off potential problems, and look ahead to the future. It may not benefit your company greatly right away, but will likely be very beneficial in the long run.

CCES has the experts to help you evaluate and analyze your energy systems and better ensure they are productive for your company at the least cost and greatest reliability. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.