Playmobil Malta is making the most of heat generated as a result of its toy manufacturing process. Through a new heat recovery system, the company is able to warm its offices and shopfloors. Commonly known as waste heat, as no useful application for it is found, it is in great supply in energy-intensive industries such as plastics processing.
- 17 December 2009
Waste can be resourceful - use it !
By exploiting this form of energy, Playmobil Malta is cutting its overall consumption levels and making a positive contribution to environmental sustainability. The small behavioural changes and system adjustments being made are helping Playmobil Malta to cut energy consumption costs in the areas of air conditioning, heating and cooling.
From waste to resource
The Playmobile Malta project saw the development of a heat recovery system. This system was built to cover the heating requirements of the administration department and five shopfloors.
As of February 2008, the temperature of the administration department has been regulated through the use of two pumps with a combined heating/chilling action. The temperature of the five shopfloors has been regulated by 12 air handling units using electric heating elements.
Playmobile Malta has also been running its injection moulding machines - of which there are 220 – using motors capable of converting some of the consumed energy into heat. The excess or waste heat generated from these machines is being dissipated using water which runs through two cooling towers.
Energy efficiency means cost efficiency
As a result of this heat recovery system, electricity consumption at Playmobil Malta from January to April of 2009 was almost two million kWh less than for the same period of 2008 – this amounts to savings of as much as 62% of the total kWh used at the company for air conditioning.