Energy efficiency in food production
The food industry is under immense pressure: rising energy prices and stricter regulations collide with the need to ensure quality, availability, and cost-effectiveness at all times. On top of that, industry-specific challenges such as energy-intensive production processes, sensitive cold chains, and strict hygiene standards add further strain to daily operations.
Challenges in day-to-day production
Whether it’s a dairy, bakery, or beverage bottler – companies everywhere face similar challenges:
Growing regulatory requirements
e.g. through EnEfG and ISO 50001, demanding concrete savings measures and transparent documentation.
High energy consumption in individual processes
often without precise allocation.
Load peaks and reactive power
unnecessarily increase electricity costs.
Lack of transparency
as inefficiencies in daily operations often go unnoticed.
Production downtimes
caused by power supply disruptions result in high costs.
Poor integration
due to missing connectivity between energy and production data.
Impact of a production shutdown in a brewery
Losses of up to €2.5 million per day.
A complete 8-hour production stoppage can result in beverage losses of 10,000 to 200,000 litres and financial losses of up to €2.5 million per day.
Example calculation
The direct hourly costs in the event of a production stoppage are as follows:
Unproduced goods: €20,000–€60,000
Personnel: €500–€1,000
Energy: €5,000–€10,000
Total: €25,000–€70,000
In addition, there are indirect costs such as contractual penalties for delivery delays, loss of reputation, additional shifts, and quality losses caused by spoiled fermentation processes or interrupted cold chains.
Conclusion
A complete 8-hour production stoppage can result in beverage losses of ten thousand to two hundred thousand litres, corresponding to financial losses of up to €2.5 million per day.
This demonstrates that implementing a comprehensive energy monitoring system quickly pays off and makes a decisive contribution to availability and cost-efficiency.
Systematic success – energy monitoring and availability as key factors
High-availability production
Every interruption in the production process means downtime, quality risks, and high costs. Continuous monitoring of power quality and system conditions ensures:
- Early detection of faults in the production area before they lead to failures
- Reliable production through a stable power supply and predictive energy management
- Optimised processes: avoiding downtime, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs
- Consistent product quality thanks to smooth, disruption-free operations
Intelligent energy management
A comprehensive energy management system provides the foundation for fact-based decision-making:
- Machine-level measurement – identification of inefficient consumers
- Real-time load management – proactive avoidance of peak loads
- Integration of energy and production data – for genuine process optimisation
- Reports & alerts – for audits, compliance, and fast response times
Greater safety. Less energy loss. Full control – SOLUTIONS with Janitza measurement technology
Janitza solutions support food producers in implementing sustainable and efficient energy management — from the very first measurement point to comprehensive monitoring. Existing systems can also be easily expanded and integrated into your IT infrastructure.
Scalable measurement technology
suitable for individual production lines or entire plants.
Standards-compliant data processing and archiving
Comparison of energy consumption
across different branches or production sites.
Full transparency of energy use
to identify unusual load patterns, e.g. before public holidays or at weekends (especially in bakeries), and to take corrective action.
Documented energy savings
enable access to eligible funding programmes — local and regional funding options should be reviewed accordingly.
Why energy efficiency in the food industry pays off twice
In addition to reduced energy costs, companies benefit from:
- Improved plant availability thanks to early fault detection and analysis
- Reduced CO₂ emissions to meet ESG requirements
- Competitive advantages through sustainable, efficient production and long-term resilience amid rising electricity prices and supply shortages
- Access to funding programmes with documented efficiency improvements
- Future security in times of increasing energy costs and supply constraints
- An Energy Management System (EnMS) in accordance with ISO 50001 is an essential tool for enabling efficient use of valuable resources — and securing tax benefits for your company.
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