Sustainability

EMaaS in Action: How One Manufacturer Turned Energy Into a Board-Level KPI

Every manufacturer knows energy is a significant operational cost, but understanding where it’s really being used and where it’s being wasted is often much harder.

In this client story, we explore how Farrel Ltd, part of HF Group, used EMaaS to gain greater visibility of its energy use, uncover significant savings opportunities and turn energy from a monthly overhead into a topic regularly discussed at board level.

£200k

Saved over three years

60kW

Weekend baseload reduced by

40+

Energy Insight sensors installed

Farrel’s Challenge

Farrel Ltd, part of HF Group, knew opportunities existed to reduce energy waste, but pinpointing where was a challenge.

Like many manufacturers, they could see what they were spending on energy, but lacked the visibility needed to understand where energy was being used, what was driving consumption and where the biggest opportunities existed.

From Visibility to Action

Rather than treating monitoring as something that happened in the background, following the installation of over 40 sensors, Philip Battersby, Head of Production, embraced the data. Using the EMaaS platform, he began identifying opportunities, tracking progress and reporting energy performance to senior leadership and board members.

The monitoring quickly highlighted opportunities that could be realised with minimal investment. During weekend shutdowns, the site’s baseload was measured at 110kW. By improving shutdown procedures, engaging the workforce and aligning air compressor operating hours with production, Farrel reduced this to a 50kW baseload, delivering annual savings of approximately £42,600.

The data also uncovered another significant opportunity. While the air compressors consumed 27kW during production, they were still drawing 20kW outside production hours due to system leaks. Addressing these leaks represents a further £25,000 of annual savings.

Together, these improvements equate to around £200,000 of savings over three years, uncovering hidden energy waste that would have otherwise remained invisible without the detailed monitoring provided by EMaaS.

“For the first time, energy could be discussed at board level and supported by evidence rather than assumptions.”

Beyond Monitoring

With greater confidence in the data, Farrel began making operational improvements without major capital investment.

EMaaS has helped identify waste, uncover compressor leaks and support changes to internal processes that reduced unnecessary consumption. At the same time, EMaaS is supporting wider business initiatives, including:

  • Compressed air improvement projects

  • Workforce engagement programmes

  • Future solar investment opportunities

  • Exemption relief through data collection and submission management

The Result

Energy performance is now discussed alongside other operational priorities, with opportunities, actions and progress regularly reported to senior stakeholders and board members.

EMaaS has turned energy from a cost to be monitored into a performance metric that can be measured, reviewed and acted upon. The result is not a oneoff saving. It’s an ongoing process of identifying opportunities, making improvements and continuously finding new ways to improve performance.

“EMaaS has given us visibility that we simply didn’t have before. Rather than looking at energy as just another overhead, we can now clearly see where waste exists, prioritise opportunities for improvement and report progress to the board.

What has impressed me most is that the value keeps growing. The more we understand our energy use, the more opportunities we uncover to improve the way we operate.”

Philip Battersby, Head of Production, Farrel Ltd | HF Group

What started as a monitoring project has become part of the way Farrel manages its energy. That’s the real value of EMaaS, it’s not about identifying opportunities once, but continuing to uncover new ones as the business evolves.

What could better visibility uncover in your business?

Whether you’re looking to reduce energy costs, improve operational efficiency or support your wider sustainability goals, EMaaS provides the visibility, insight and expert support to help you make informed decisions.

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