In 2021, Taiwan experienced a "once-in-a-century" drought caused by a short rainy season, no typhoon landing, and the global anti-El Nino phenomenon. This presented a significant challenge for the major factories that needed cooling water to operate. Jacky Chan, a professional working in the accelerator light source related laboratory, successfully executed and completed an energy-saving implementation plan for the factory by attending the European Energy Manager Training Program (EUREM) and using new concepts learned from it. He established a 12% energy-saving rate for the electromechanical systems and reduced the use of air conditioning cooling water to achieve water-saving goals.
Between 2021 and 2022, it was a critical year for relevant agencies to come up with drought prevention measures. Jacky still remembers the details of thinking about new solutions. He said, "I was very worried that the lack of water would cause irreparable harm to equipment that needs to be cooled all year round, so for us, energy-saving and water-saving are equally important." However, when the electromechanical system was initially planned in the factory, energy-saving, and energy-creating techniques such as motor frequency conversion, heat recovery, solar energy, etc. were already incorporated into the design. Therefore, it was challenging to draw up an energy-saving implementation plan for the factory and even to achieve a 12% energy-saving rate after the factory was established.
"When I was brainstorming solutions, I learned that the German Economic Office was preparing to launch the EUREM training program, which coincided with the energy-saving measures that the factory needed to implement," said Jacky, who was in charge of the energy-saving plan for the facility system of the accelerator light source related laboratory. He had calculated that they consumed about 70 GWh of electricity annually, making them a significant energy consumer. However, by saving 1% per year, they could reduce the carbon dioxide equivalent by 356.3 tons/year. Despite the determination to save energy, understanding various aspects of energy-saving technology, identifying opportunities, and familiarizing oneself with the correct operation of economic and management aspects are necessary to gain the trust and support of top management. Therefore, he saw EUREM as a shortcut to achieving his work goals.
During the EUREM course, the all-English teaching style presented a new challenge for Jacky. He admitted that "listening and expressing myself in the final oral presentation were more challenging for me," so he prepared in advance and practiced diligently to overcome these obstacles. "To overcome the listening barrier, I think listening more will make you accustomed to it. Additionally, previewing the course slides in advance is also a method. As for the oral presentation, it's about preparing a script and practicing it repeatedly to overcome the psychological barrier of the final oral presentation," Jacky shared his experience.
Overcoming language challenges, Jacky's focused personality enabled him to learn the detailed operation of various electromechanical systems and renewable energy, as well as establish project management and economic evaluation capabilities. Finally, through the practical case operation of the "energy concept," he successfully created a new project that saved 12% of water and energy simultaneously.
Since graduation, Jacky has successfully planned specific energy-saving implementation plans for the next three years and used new tools such as machine learning to optimize energy-saving for the next five years. The saved electricity and the amount of renewable energy created have reached 4.9 MWh/year, gained the recognition of high-level executives, and obtained resources for implementation. He has also contributed to the ESG of the enterprise, future carbon tax imposition and national efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
This successful experience has made us realize the importance of energy-saving and green economy. It has also proven that through professional learning and training, we can improve our competitiveness and innovation ability in the workplace.
For further information, please contact Head of Recruitment and Training Services, Ms. Peng Tel: +886-2-7735 7522 / Email: peng.kelly(at)taiwan.ahk.de