PLC Industries leads the way for SMEs in energy efficiency

Precision engineering company PLC Industries proves that you don’t need to be big to go green. The local SME was recognised with the Outstanding Small and Medium Enterprise award at this year’s Energy Efficiency National Partnership Awards 2023. This award reflects PLC’s relentless pursuit to integrate energy efficiency into its corporate ethos and operations.

Established in 1995, PLC has carved a niche for itself in high precision machining. With a diverse clientele in the photonics and optics, imaging, and laser sectors, the company has leveraged its technical expertise to also excel in energy management. Through carefully executed projects, PLC has employed technological solutions to lower its energy consumption.

PLC adopted Schneider Electric’s Decarbonisation Programme to achieve its energy transformation goal of reducing electrical consumption by 40 per cent by 2030. This involves installing solar panels, replacing current split unit air conditioners with four- and five-ticks models, and replacing light bulbs with LED bulbs.

The installation of 234 solar panels alone led to savings of 117,510 kWh, and reduced carbon emissions by 476.7 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent). PLC also partnered with the Energy Efficiency Technology Centre (EETC) for energy assessments.

Dione Tan, PLC’s business development manager and sustainability lead, said. “The EETC Energy Assessment has allowed us to understand our energy profile, which as an SME, would be hard to undertake by ourselves.

“The energy profile breakdown has allowed us to identify areas where we can implement projects to reduce energy consumption.”

The company applies a two-fold criteria to prioritise its energy projects: Resource availability and suitability. For instance, its own roof space was ideal for solar panel installations, and data-backed studies justified the switch to variable speed model compressors.

Staff engagement is another cornerstone of PLC’s strategy. Tan stressed the importance of the 3Rs – Reuse, Reduce, Recycle – in the company’s culture.

“Staff involvement has been crucial in meeting our energy efficiency targets through generation of awareness to practice the 3Rs, turning off lights and air conditioning when they are not in use. They are also the main resources behind driving the energy efficiency projects,” said Tan.

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Paving the way towards net zero

One aspect of PLC’s approach to energy efficiency is its monthly monitoring and review of energy consumption. Analysing electricity bills and the solar energy generated allows the company to promptly identify any irregularities, such as spikes in energy use that could point to equipment malfunction. This meticulous monitoring has often led to timely interventions and further optimisation.

PLC serves as a compelling case study for other SMEs looking to contribute positively to environmental sustainability. Their rigorous strategies and effective implementation provide a blueprint for how businesses, regardless of size, can play a meaningful role in combating climate change.