Supporting Linamar's comprehensive approach to sustainability

This Linamar corporation case study is based on a project developed in Enel X North America.

 

Linamar Corporation

Linamar Corporation, based in Ontario, Canada, has grown from a small machining company to a global supplier of vehicle, mobility, and industrial equipment with 37 manufacturing facilities worldwide. the company designs and manufactures high-precision metal components for the vehicle and power market worldwide, as well as elevating vehicles and equipment for the industrial sector.

As Linamar has grown, so has its yearly energy usage. This dynamic presented a paradox for the environmentally-conscious company; Linamar was eager to minimize its energy usage as much as possible but did not want to impede its manufacturing operations.

 

Linamar was keen to reduce energy usage wherever possible, but with 25 separate facilities across Ontario, knowing where to begin was an intimidating challenge.

Linamar's plan to reduce plant utilization was based on two requirements: 1) employee safety at all times and 2) no disruption to the manufacturing process.

To solve Linamar's needs and participate in the Demand Response, Enel X worked with each plant manager to determine the appropriate level of commitment for each plant and proposed an energy conservation plan customized for each site. Therefore, when a demand response dispatch occurs, Linamar practices non-operational curtailment measures such as reducing air conditioning in the plants’ front offices, dimming lights, and reducing the air cycle schedule in the plants.

For most manufacturing companies, the financial incentives from Demand Response prompt them to pursue a full or partial shutdown of manufacturing processes, while the crews are deployed to other activities like equipment maintenance. For Linamar, though, Enel X was able to identify substantial energy reductions outside of core manufacturing processes so Linamar enjoys the financial rewards of demand response without disruption to its business.

 

Linamar's facilities can now provide 2.4 MW of energy reduction to earn the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual payments.

 

“A lot of our decision-making processes are green-conscious,” said Tony Luis, Linamar’s Director of Purchasing. The Demand Response “program is just another element of how we do things here. We appreciate the financial benefits but we also learn about our business’ effect on our electricity usage.” Often, individual plants will challenge themselves to continue curtailment even longer than the official dispatch period. “We take certain measures to reduce electricity during curtailment, but now plants are asking themselves, ‘Can we do these things over longer periods?’”

Note: In Japan, Enel X supports global and local customers to help them to save on energy costs, earn a new revenue stream and achieve carbon neutral targets with customized products and services. Contact us to learn more.