CASE11 · Manufacturing · Integrated utilities
Scaling utility optimization from one plant to six factories
A two-year semiconductor/display program first applied utility improvements at a demonstration plant and then expanded real-time performance diagnosis and operating guidance across six factories.
01 · CASE ANALYSIS
Operating challenge
Rising utility costs called for equipment-level intensity management and system-wide supply-demand balancing. Parallel compressors, chillers and boilers differed in efficiency and were sometimes operated at low load or without productive output.
The program aimed to replace one-off diagnosis with operator-facing tools for intensity, load, correlations and abnormal operating conditions.
02 · CASE ANALYSIS
Two-year scope and data
The first year analyzed historical and new measurements for compressed dry air (CDA), chillers, boilers and cleanroom utilities. Fourteen improvement items were identified, of which eleven were applied.
The second year expanded the approach to six factories at two domestic production sites. Five-minute data collection, hourly/daily/monthly statistics, inter-factory comparisons, trends, alarms and diagnostic operating guidance were implemented alongside commissioning and training.
| Boundary | Measured relationships |
|---|---|
| CDA | Power, airflow, pressure, loading/unloading, dryer purge |
| Chillers | kW/RT, load, cooling-water inlet and chilled-water outlet temperature |
| Boilers | Gas per tonne of steam, boiler load and unit comparison |
| Cleanrooms | Temperature, humidity, pressure differential and utility operation |
03 · CASE ANALYSIS
First-year operating measures
Applied measures included efficient-unit priority, low-performance chiller tube cleaning, compressor staging and unloading/purge control, cooling-water temperature and chilled-load balancing.
The source reports CDA intensity improving from 0.12897 to 0.12627 in its original kW/Nm³ notation for an efficient-unit priority example, with about KRW 250 million/year of savings. A boiler switching example improved fuel intensity by approximately 5%, with about KRW 180 million/year reported. These are examples within the program, not extra amounts to add to the eleven-item total.
04 · CASE ANALYSIS
Results and evidence boundaries
Year 1 reports KRW 1.62 billion/year from eleven applied items. Three further items were still expected opportunities worth KRW 350 million/year; together they form a KRW 1.97 billion/year portfolio, combining realized and proposed items.
The year-2 completion report documents system rollout and operational standardization. It does not provide a separate confirmed new annual saving for the expanded factories.
| Phase | Scope | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1: applied | 11 of 14 items | KRW 1.62 billion/year reported |
| Year 1: pending | 3 further items | KRW 350 million/year expected |
| Year 2: rollout | 6 factories at 2 sites; five-minute data | Deployment and operating-guide results; no separate confirmed annual saving |
05 · CASE ANALYSIS
Engineering lesson
Separate demonstration savings from system deployment and subsequent opportunities. A successful multi-site rollout does not justify multiplying first-site savings by the number of factories.
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