Thursday, 27 January 2011

Meeting environmental and operational challenges.

Proficy® Software Platform Named GE ecomagination sm Product 

GE Intelligent Platforms has announced that its industry-leading software platform, Proficy®, has been named an ecomagination sm product its parent company, GE. ecomagination is GE’s corporate-wide commitment to help customers meet their environmental and operational challenges.

About ecomagination!

GE is driving a global energy transformation with a focus on innovation and R&D investment to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology. Since its inception in 2005, more than 90 ecomagination-approved products have been brought to market with revenues reaching $18 billion in 2009. With $5 billion invested in R&D its first five years, GE committed to doubling its ecomagination investment and collaborate with partners to accelerate a new era of energy innovation. The company will invest $10 billion in R&D over five years and double operational energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. As part of the initiative, GE launched the “GE ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid”, a $200 million financial commitment challenging innovators to join in building the next-generation power grid.
The ecomagination program, which now has 98 approved products in the portfolio, is based on GE’s belief that solving environmental problems is good business around the world. It represents a pledge by the company to continually improve operations and invest in research and development that will produce more innovative ecomagination products. ecomagination is GE's business strategy to address global energy issues through technology and innovation. Through ecomagination, GE is driving a global energy transformation with a focus on innovation and R&D investment to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology.
The Proficy Software Platform is used worldwide for industrial and commercial applications to provide deep insight into process/asset performance and identify ways to reduce costs and take corrective actions, enabling companies to increase productivity and efficiency, optimize production and decrease energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions.
“The ecomagination designation is an affirmation of our commitment to providing products that meet both the ecomagination environmental performance standards, as well as the business needs of customers around the world,” said Maryrose Sylvester, President and CEO of GE Intelligent Platforms. “GE is delivering innovative products that help customers gain a sustainable competitive advantage in both operating performance and environmental performance.”
To earn ecomagination approval, Proficy was evaluated for its ability to significantly and measurably improve customers’ environmental and operating performance. The rigorous, multi-tiered review process concluded with a third-party audit to ensure accuracy and thorough documentation of technological performance. The extensive nature of this process reflects GE’s commitment to the accuracy and rigor of ecomagination, which has brought global recognition of the company’s environmentally advanced products. ecomagination products are re-qualified regularly to help ensure that claims remain accurate.
The Proficy Software Platform is ecomagination approved for improving overall process efficiency, reducing waste and defects, and reducing energy usage. “Proficy Software layered on top of our existing plant infrastructure has provided the tools to manage quality, efficiency, inventory levels, consumption and delivery information,” said Stefan Malmsten, Industrial IT Manager for Eka Chemicals, a business unit in AkzoNobel. The company’s strategy has paid off. Its sustainable business practices have earned AkzoNobel the global leader in the chemical industry ranking from The Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI).
Proficy Software’s integrated capability to collect, organize, analyze, and drive work processes around massive volumes of real-time data provides companies with a sustainable competitive advantage into the future. This was proven by numerous customer proof points including:
  • A wine bottler in the U.S. saved $5 million annually through improved quality; increased production by 5 percent and reduced defects by 25 percent and reduced plant downtime by 25 percent. In addition, the company protected the environment by significantly lowering energy needs to run the glass furnaces, decreasing emissions by 80 percent.
  • A producer of cooling lubricants in Switzerland realized up to 45% reduction in energy costs and reduced CO2 emissions with its Proficy Software solution.
  • A U.S. manufacturer in the steel industry reduced scrap by more than 1,000 tons per year and improved machine uptime by approximately 1%.
  • A water treatment plant in Italy realized a 28% energy efficiency improvement and significantly improved its water improvement process.
  • Polish brewing company decreased the total number of mechanical and electrical downtime events by 39% and increased the availability of resources.
The Proficy Software Platform can improve overall process efficiency by approximately 3% to 15%, and can reduce waste and defects in manufacturing and infrastructure applications by approximately 1% to 10% on average. Many companies may see an even greater reduction. In addition, Proficy can significantly reduce the average energy usage associated with operations.
Proficy is the latest example of how GE’s $4 billion-a-year software and solutions services businesses are helping customers improve productivity.

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