How important is it to save energy if you’re a beverage manufacturer? Very, if BrauBeviale’s thought-provoking Energy lecture is anything to go by.
The event attracted some of the finest minds in energy-conservation and outlined a few of the largest problems this industry needs to face. Dr Winfried Russ of the Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences highlighted the rapid increase of energy consumption from 1950-2014 and stated that our current consumption rates simply cannot be sustained. Dr Russ even suggested that, by 2050, our fossil fuel usage needs to be reduced by around 40-70% and that energy has to be conserved, and used in a far more intelligent manner, as quickly as possible.
ProLeiT’s Michael Sembenotti echoed Dr Russ’ points and said that, with a rising global population on the horizon, beverage manufacturers have to implement energy management procedures. Mr Sembenotti stated that energy usage needs to be displayed, monitored, reported and analysed, before it can be altered, and showcased his brand’s monitoring technology, which gives consumers access to their energy usage in monthly, daily, weekly and even 15 minute increments. These values can also be compared and the system allows users to determine minimum levels of required energy usage.
Mr Sembenotti also expressed that one of the biggest problems in the beverage industry was that businesses have a tendency to talk about fixing problems too much, and nothing ends up getting done as a result. I guess until this institutional attitude changes, the energy-saving push the planet demands will have to wait.
Andreas Exarheas is an editor at FoodBev Media. This is a personal blog and views expressed are his own.
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