Intel Ireland: Watching the watts and reducing energy consumption

The “Watt Watch” Team was formed to reduce overall Energy consumption and support Intel Ireland’s efforts in reducing its impact on the environment. The goal was to apply lean methodologies to identify and eliminate any energy waste throughout the site. Each team member received basic training in LEAN Manufacturing techniques which included waste identification. The initial waste identified by the team was in the form of excess lighting. There are thousands of light fittings across the Intel Ireland site, each with 4 fluorescent bulbs, so after some pre and post testing, it was determined that 3 bulbs per fitting provided sufficient light. A key step in the process was carrying out the initial pilot to test the logic and impact of the energy consumption proposal. This demonstrated that this initiative supported Intel’s environmental strategy. The Watt Watch Team began to turn off each excess bulb by rotating it 90 degrees and after a 3 month trial period this program was proliferated to across the site.

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