$315,477

in financial assistance

Recurrent energy savings of $42,000/year

Document vidéo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PorpjsTra6g
Duration: 1 minute, 22 seconds

The project

IPL North America Inc. is a manufacturer of injection-molded plastic products. For some time, the company had been experiencing equipment failures and cycle variations due to fluctuations in air flow when the presses and injection cells were in operation. What’s more, the installation was too energy intensive and the compressors weren’t in a suitable location. The issues slowed production and affected the company’s performance.

In search of innovative ideas, Keith Carbonneau, Senior Director of Technical Services, and Simon Morin, Buildings and Infrastructure Manager, turned to the Hydro-Québec team. Commercial delegate Manon Boulianne and commercial engineer Marcel Fortier visited the plant to assess the situation. The meeting was a success: not only did they propose the right solutions but also the financial assistance to implement them!

The key: energy efficiency

Under the Customized Option of the Efficient Solutions Program, IPL North America Inc. received $315,477 in financial assistance to replace three compressors that had been in operation for more than 30 years with a variable-speed compressor and two fixed-speed compressors and to install two air dryers. With a more reliable system and compressed air of a higher quality, the manufacturer reduced both its production and energy losses.

In addition to providing IPL with financial and technical assistance, the Hydro-Québec team made several recommendations for even greater energy savings, particularly with respect to heating the cold storage facility.

“Hydro-Québec guided us and suggested projects to change the machines and robots.”

— Simon Morin, Buildings and Infrastructure Manager, IPL North America Inc.

IPL North America Inc. decreased its annual energy use by 38% (1,051,590 kWh) to achieve recurring savings of around $42,000.

A successful business partnership

By calling on Hydro-Québec before launching the modernization project, Keith Carbonneau and Simon Morin hit two targets as they were able to benefit from financial assistance and implement tailored energy efficiency measures. The support provided under the Customized Option of the Efficient Solutions Program led to a systems review in cooperation with industrial compressed air specialists. The Hydro-Québec team then helped them understand the scenarios presented to them, submit the applications for financial assistance and follow up on the measures that were implemented.

“I’ve been working with IPL for the past 15 years. Thanks to the trust relationship we’ve built, we can make recommendations that are in line with the company’s growth, so IPL can benefit from our programs to improve the energy efficiency of its plant.”

— Marcel Fortier, Commercial Engineer, Hydro-Québec

With the financial assistance from Hydro-Québec, which covers 75% of eligible project costs, IPL’s leadership greenlighted the modernization project that was selected, helping other business leaders to see the value of the energy efficiency initiative.

About IPL Plastics

Located in Saint-Damien-de-Buckland, IPL North America Inc. is a leading North American manufacturer of injection-molded plastic products for the food and bulk packaging, environment and material handling sectors.

The company manufactures products including residential waste and recycling containers. It attaches considerable importance to the environmental impacts of its activities and has remained focused on innovation since it was founded in 1939. All of its products are recyclable and multipurpose, and 100% of the production waste is recovered. For IPL North America Inc., it made perfect sense to call upon Hydro-Québec’s expertise to carry out the sustainable optimization of its processes and, by the same token, contribute to regional development.

Just like IPL North America Inc., you too could receive financial assistance to undertake your energy efficiency projects.

Enroll in the Efficient Solutions Program

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