Siemens 2012 Annual Report Download - page 52

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, 
Italy’s most advanced brick-making plant, located
in the town of Alfonsine, showcases the potential of
energy-efficient technologies. Thanks to our highly
efficient asynchronous motors, the amount of power
consumed by the factory’s electric drives –  motors
with a total capacity of , kilowatts are in opera-
tion on the drying line alone – has been slashed by
, kilowatt-hours. Investment costs were amor-
tized within a short time. The result? Not only have
costs been cut; the plant’s environmental footprint has
also been reduced.
Saving electricity and using
it more efficiently
, , ..
With more than , stores in North America,
Michaels is the largest supplier of arts and crafts mer-
chandise in the U.S. Energy is the company’s second-
highest line-item expense, after labor costs. With this
in mind, Michaels has equipped nearly all its stores
with our RCS energy management platform. Intelligent
sensors and software operate on a real-time basis
to monitor and regulate heating, cooling, lighting and
humidity – resulting in energy savings of some %.
Balancing supply
and demand
 / ’ ,  
We’re building the first submarine direct-current grid
connection in the Irish Sea. With a voltage of  kilo-
volts, this link will surpass the previous record of
 kilovolts. The low-loss high-voltage direct-current
(HVDC) transmission system will connect Hunterston,
near Glasgow on Scotland’s western coast, with
Connah’s Quay, in northwestern England. The link,
which will have a capacity of , megawatts, is
scheduled to go into operation at the end of .
Building low-loss
power superhighways
Siemens RCS
Energy management
for retailers
Option: adjust consumption
to changing market prices
Perceived improvement
of indoor climate
Electricity bills cut by % - %
Electric motors for a brick factory
, kWh
in annual savings
Cost amortization
after only six months
Connected load of approximately
, kW
Efficiency class I E
Western link HVDC connection