Energy Consumption and Renewable Energy in Bread Manufacturing Report

This report examines low-impact manufacturing practices within the bread production industry, focusing on significant energy-using processes such as milling, mixing, baking, cooling, and packaging. It highlights the substantial energy consumption in each stage and explores the potential for integrating renewable energy technologies, including biomass, solar thermal systems, and wind power, to reduce environmental impact and operational costs. The report also details various energy reduction methods, such as creating an energy management team, conducting energy audits, strategically programming machine usage, optimizing air compressors, and implementing scheduled shutdowns. By analyzing energy flow and consumption patterns, the report aims to provide actionable recommendations for manufacturers to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs, and promote sustainability in the bread production process. The report emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to energy management, combining technological solutions with strategic operational adjustments to achieve significant energy savings and contribute to a more sustainable future for the manufacturing sector.

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LOW IMPACT MANUFACTURING
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SIGNIFICANT ENERGY USING PROCESSES IN BREAD PRODUCTION
Introduction
It is widely accepted that the reduction of the energy consumption for the manufacturing
industries is a performance measure which requires a high level of considerations along with the
traditional measures of delivery time, cost and quality [1]. Numerous efforts to reduce energy
consumption have been put in place in different parts of the world to reduce the amount of
energy consumed in the entire manufacturing process. This report focuses on the various energy
processes in the production line of bread and, the suitability of the renewable energy
technologies in the production of bread and the recommendations on how the cost of bread
manufacturing organization’s energy can be reduced.
To ensure a sustainable energy future in the manufacturing facilities, the use of renewable energy
technologies needs to be enhanced not only for electricity generation but also for the end-use
sectors of industry, transport, and buildings. Application of renewable energy in the
manufacturing sector can significantly reduce the amount of energy consumed in the various
processes within the production line [2]. There are some renewable energy technologies that can
be incorporated within the manufacturing facility to aid in the reduction of the overall energy
costs, and they include the use of biomass, solar thermal systems, and Wind power. Various
methods can also be put in place to assist in the overall reduction of energy costs within the
manufacturing facility and for this report some of the, are discussed, and they include; Scheduled
shut-Downs and Start-Ups of machines in the facility, Conducting an Energy Audit of the energy
consumption in the facility, Creation of an energy management team and Strategically
programmed use of machines [3].

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Manufacturing of bread
The history of bread production can be traced back to ancient times. The idea of the operation is
to mix flour with water and other ingredients such as water, salt, and some source or aeration
then baking. The production chain of bread starts from the receipt of flour in the facility to the
arrival of bread at the retail outlet. In the production of bread, the various process is involved
which directly require energy to be carried out [4]. Some of the processes which are involved in
the manufacture of bread include; Scaling, Mixing, Primary fermentation or bulk, Folding,
Dividing and rounding, Shaping and panning the loaves, Baking, Cooling, Packing and storing.
Some of the five significant energy using process are discussed below.
Milling of wheat
In the production of bread, milling has to take place so that the flour can be obtained. Wheat is
among the oldest foods in the world. The milling of wheat to flour is the most energy-intensive
process as far as bread making is concerned. Hence it is essential to control the energy
consumption in the millers. This process involves the extraction of the endosperms from the
grain by passing it through a series of rollers which rotates at different speeds. The system
usually comprises roller millers which runs on the opposite direction at varying speeds. The
primary purpose of that is to separate the endosperm from the rest of the kernel [5]. The amount
of energy consumed in this process can be quantified through the use of a flow diagram which
will include the major operations with very important process tools which have a direct or
indirect has an impact on the energy should be developed. Also, the amount of energy used in
this process can be quantified the use of; Smart meters, Machine monitoring systems, Smart
plugs/outlets, and Smart energy apps.

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Mixing
This is a very significant process as the production of bread is concerned; it directly affects the
quality of bread. Majority of the mixing machines which are available currently in the market are
designed to incorporate both the mixing and the kneading processes. Energy in this process is
mainly used by the machines which carry out the mixing, and they include;
The high speed and the twin spiral mixer, whereby a high level of work is inputted to the dough
within a short time
Spiral mixer. In his type of a mixer, a spiral-shaped mixing too rotates on the vertical axis
Low-speed mixer, in this type of a mixing machine the mixing is conducted over an extended
period and it is usually used in slow mixing systems [6].
The amount of energy used in this process can be quantified use of;
 Smart meters
 Machine monitoring systems
 Smart plugs/outlets
 Smart energy apps
Baking
In the production line of bread, the baking involves the use of ovens which is used in the baking
process. Always there is a wide variety of ovens which are used in the facility and they include;

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Convection ovens
These are the most commonly used oven in the majority of the bakeries, some of them are
specialized in a way so that they can be able to boost the steam injection and other features to
improve the quality of the bread [7].
Other types of ovens are;
 Deck Oven
 Roll-in ovens
 Revolving ovens
In this process, the amount of energy used can be quantified through the analysis of the amount
of energy used by a single oven. This can be achieved through the installation of smart meters for
the individual ovens.
Cooling
In the bakeries, the bread is cooled quickly the moment t leaves the oven. The crust temperature
is usually over 200oC, and the internal temperature of the crumb is usually about 980C. The loaf
is full of saturated steam of which it has to be allowed to evaporate. Then the whole loaf is
cooled to a temperature of about 35oC before it is sliced. In the current bread production line
vacuum coolers are mainly used [8]. The vacuum cooling is a relatively new technology in the
market which is characterized by its ability to reduce the difference between the ambient
atmospheric pressure and the water vapor pressure. In most cases, the vacuum cooling system
uses pumps to remove the gases and the water vapor from the cooling chamber; this leads to the
creation of a partial vacuum or the zone of low monomeric pressure [8]. The energy used in this

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process can be quantified through the use of the smart meters and other modern technologies
used in the quantifying energy in the production floor.
Packaging
The main reasons behind the packaging of bread include;
 For easy documentation and traceability
 For the purpose of protecting the quality of bread
 For advertisement and marketing
 For storage [10]
The packaging of bread in most cases is done with the use of machines. In the production
facility, there are some packaging structures that are used, and they include; paper, cardboard,
and plastic [8]. To quantify the amount of energy used the following technologies can be used;
Smart meters, Machine monitoring systems, Smart plugs/outlets, and Smart energy apps.
Sankey diagram for bread manufacturing
In the bread production facility, evaporation consumes a lot of energy which can be
approximated to be 50% of the total energy. The figure below represents energy flow in a
bakery.

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Fig1: energy flow in a bakery
Renewable energy technologies in manufacturing
Globally, manufacturers are increasingly coming up with new ways on how they can use
renewable energy to strengthen clean energy. Some of the renewable energy technologies that
can be used in the production of bread include;
i) Biomass
The flexibility and the substitution potential of biomass makes it to one of the best options to be
used as renewable energy. In the processes involved in bread production, it can be used as a
suitable replacement for the fossil fuels, and it is known as a viable producer of low-, medium-
and high temperatures [9]. In addition to that, the biomass is known to reduce the overall energy
costs and it has a higher energy density for transportation purposes.
ii) Solar thermal systems

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The solar thermal systems have a very important potential for the manufacturing process
heating. The bread production has a very necessary technical and economic potential for
renewable energy through the use of solar thermal systems.
iii) Diversifying manufacturing power sources
The bread production plant can diversify their power sources by implementing alternative
techniques of power generation and hence reduce their overall power consumption. In addition to
the reduction of power consumption, renewable energy sources will play a very vital role in the
slowing down the impact of climate change in the manufacturing industries [10]
iv) Wind power
The bakery can opt to put in place windmills within its environment to tap energy from the wind.
Energy from the wind can be used to pump water or generate electricity which can assist in
carrying out various activities such as baking and mixing. Power tapped from the wind will also
greatly contribute to the efforts put in place in reducing climate change within the manufacturing
sector.
Energy reduction methods in manufacturing
To make the manufacturing facility more energy efficient and less expensive in terms of energy
costs, the facility should adopt the following energy cost reduction methods;
i) Creation of an energy management team
One of the key reasons that can be attributed to the fail of energy and cost-saving initiatives is
the failure of the management team which is tasked to manage the energy within the facility. The
energy management team can be developed by picking a representative from each department.

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ii) Conducting an Energy Audit
An energy audit can be carried out in the facility by the use of an energy audit guidebook and
through the assistance from the energy experts within the facility. Nevertheless, we recommend
facilities to seek personal assistance from an energy expert. A very useful energy audit will be
able to quantify the amount of energy each process in the facility is consuming, and it will be
able to assist in identifying the peak consumption periods throughout the year. The audit will
also be able to give recommendations on which energy efficiency upgrade will bring the most
appropriate results on the investment [11].
iii) Strategically programmed use of machines
Applying the knowledge collected from the energy audit, it should be considered which machine
is energy intensive. With that if possible, programming the operation of this kind of machines
outside the peak hours. From the research that has been carried out the peak hours are known to
constitute up to 30% of the monthly facility bill.
iv) Optimize air compressor
The facility air compressor contributes to a huge amount of energy wastes and consumption in
the facility. Some of the air compressors are poorly designed, while others are poorly maintained
.in the situations where there are multiple leaks in the air compressor, the facility is likely to be
losing a lot of resource through that [6].
v) Carrying out an HVAC system audit
All the HVAC are responsible for maintaining air quality and the comfort of the production
facility. For the purpose of ensuring that the facility is getting best from its HVAC system, the

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facility managers should carry out an HVAC audit. Based on those findings, they should take
time and invest sufficient resources to carry out maintenance or upgrade of the system [12].
vi) Schedule shut-Downs and Start-Ups
The scheduled production floor shutdowns where all machinery is powered off for a longer
period i.e., during the weekends or off-shifts periods. This can greatly lower industrial energy
costs. To know when to schedule these shutdowns. The facility will need visibility into the peak
operational hours.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the manufacturing sector is made up of all facilities and equipment used for
processing, producing or assembling products. The food processing industries are the fifth largest
energy consumer in the industrial sector [2]. Processes such as heating, refrigeration/ cooling and
the boiler losses are among the most energy consuming process in the industry. There are a
number of renewable technologies that can be adopted in the manufacturing industry and they
assist in reducing the amount of energy consumed and they include; the use of biomass, Solar
thermal systems and wind power [11]. Also there are different energy reduction methods that
can be utilized to reduce the energy consumption in the manufacturing sector and they include;
Creation of an energy management team in the facility, conducting an Energy Audit and
strategically programming use of machines

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References
[1] W. Li, Efficiency of Manufacturing Processes, Chicago: Springer, 2017.
[2] W. Zhang, Intelligent Energy Field Manufacturing, Texas: CRC Press, 2018.
[3] L. Earle, Unit Operations in Food Processing, Chicago: Elsevier, 2013.
[4] O. Ameringer, Bread Or Lead: Production for Use Or Production for Destruction, London:
Cooperative books, 2017.
[5] B. Belderok, Bread-making quality of wheat: A Century of Breeding in Europe, Paris:
Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
[6] Capstone, From Wheat to Bread, London: Kristin Thoennes Keller, 2014.
[7] R. Calvel, The Taste of Bread: A translation of Le Goût du Pain, comment le préserver,
comment le retrouver, Chicago: Springer Science & Business Media, 2010.
[8] J. Qarooni, Flat Bread Technology, Kiev: Springer Science & Business Media, 2016.
[9] T. Daim, Research and Technology Management in the Electricity Industry: Methods,
Tools and Case Studies, Paris: Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.
[10] K. Ahmed, Renewable Energy Technologies: A Review of the Status and Costs of Selected
Technologie, New York: World Bank Publications, 2015.
[11] John W. Sutherland, Energy Efficient Manufacturing: Theory and Applications, Chicago:
Wiley, 2016.

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[12] M. Kutz, Handbook of Measurement in Science and Engineering, Auckland: John Wiley &
Sons,, 2011.
Appendices

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Sankey diagram for bread manufacturing

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