Energy Consumption and Conservation Potential at a Georgia Textile Plant

Abstract

Textile manufacturing comprises approximately twenty percent of the industrial employment in Georgia. Because of the importance of this sector to the economy of this state and others in the southeast, efficient production is crucial to its future prosperity. With energy constituting a major component of variable operating costs, an analysis of energy consumption at a typical integrated mill was formulated. Because the process includes knitting, bleaching, dyeing, and compaction and the knitting area is air-conditioned, the plant is an intensive user of electricity, fossil fuel, and water. Following completion of the energy analysis, recommendations to conserve energy and water resources were developed. Potential energy savings of approximately thirty percent were identified.