GALWAY, IRELAND (INGERSOLL RAND NEWS SERVICE) -- The Energy Team at Thermo King's Galway, Ireland, facility is on target to beat its 2008 energy performance.

In March and April 2009, the facility significantly decreased its energy consumption per unit produced compared with the equivalent period last year. Despite the world recession and the resulting sharp downturn in demand for transport-related products, it now takes less energy to produce Galway's product range than at the same period last year. Thermo King Galway has not only reduced its year-on-year consumption, from 6.8 million kWh in the first four months of 2008 to 2.96 million kWh for the same period in 2009, it has also reduced energy consumption by 67-percent since January of this year. These results are captured in the site's Direct Factory Expense Account and contribute to improved Direct Product Cost figures, with $46,000 saved so far in 2009.

The Galway site uses Resource Kraft monitoring technology that allows facilities personnel to remotely access same-time usage data. The system also allows comprehensive usage profiling to identify and target areas of opportunity and drive improvement.

Some of the 2009 energy actions implemented at Galway include:

• Scaling down the facility's energy use, outside of normal working hours
• Using security personnel to police and control after-hours energy consumption
• Weekly team meetings to review what was achieved over the last seven days in reducing energy consumption, and what is planned for the coming week
• Designating Fridays as Energy Reduction days for company maintenance staff
• Conducting Treasure hunts in which all employees identify, act, implement and sustain energy-reduction measures

Climate Control Technologies European-Served Area (ESA) Environment Health and Safety Manager John Fox has said the ESA operations team will leverage this best practice and share Galway's methodology across all ESA sites over the coming months.

To learn more, contact Tim Folan, Environmental Officer, Thermo King Ireland Limited, at Tim_Folan@irco.com.