It’s important for company leadership teams to take time to step back and assess their operations and identify potential areas for improvement. For Krengel Manufacturing, their moment of introspection came following the acquisition of the assets of another business roughly a year ago.
As part of this process, Krengel — an Eastlake, Ohio-based manufacturing company that performs aluminum die casting, tool and die and carbon fiber laminates work — had the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s (GCP) Energy Team perform a comprehensive audit of the facility to identify areas where Krengel might be able to improve its energy efficiency and, in doing so, lower costs.
Thanks to a partnership between GCP — which acts as the Chamber of Commerce for Northeast Ohio — and energy company FirstEnergy, the assessment is free for GCP members and provides a detailed look into how the company uses power, including electric, gas and steam. A representative of GCP’s Energy Team performed an on-site assessment of Krengel’s building, analyzing the HVAC system, building envelope, water heating and distribution, lighting, plug loads and building controls.
“It was a really painless process,” says Kate Krengel, owner. “A lot of good information came out of it.”
The report the Krengel team received from the visit was broken down by area and laid out what changes could be made and what the immediate short-term benefits of the work could be versus the longer-term impacts.
Krengel has already acted on one area of the facility flagged by the assessment. The manufacturer has taken steps to set up a new air compressor at the site, which has had a “big impact” on cost savings for the company. Other areas noted in the report that Krengel might also address in the future include the company’s furnace as well as windows and lighting.
The GCP Energy Team’s work didn’t end with the report recommendations, Krengel says. The team has kept in close touch with the Krengel team during the project period and has also been assisting Krengel in its attempt to secure rebates that would help offset the cost of the new compressor.
Considering the detailed energy assessment, personal level of service received from GCP’s Energy Team and the team’s help in finding ways to lower the cost of the work that needs to be done, working with the GCP Energy Team has been exceedingly positive, Krengel says.
“I definitely recommend doing it,” she says of the assessment. “If you’re a member, it’s free and it’s good information. While you don’t have to do anything with it, it might open your eyes to opportunities.”