Global manufacturer takes real-time control of energy across multiple international sites
23rd September 2026 | 3 min read
The Challenge
A global leader in power distribution set an ambitious goal to achieve a 5% year-on-year energy reduction as part of its wider sustainability strategy.
To accelerate progress the customer installed EI. Energy Control system, integrating it with existing monitoring capabilities across multiple international manufacturing sites to deliver connected, real-time visibility and control of energy consumption.
By moving beyond periodic reporting to real-time energy intelligence, the business gained the insight needed to identify hidden energy waste, optimise performance and take greater control of energy across its global operations.
To accelerate progress towards its sustainability targets, this manufacturing business needed greater control over energy consumption across its global operations. Specifically, the business wanted to:
- Establish a single, trusted source of energy data across eight international sites
- Move from manual reporting to real-time energy intelligence
- Gain live, machine-level visibility to identify inefficiencies and share best practice between sites
- Detect abnormal energy consumption instantly and take action before waste affected cost and performance.
The Solution
Unipart’s Energy Control System was integrated with the manufacturer’s existing monitoring capabilities across multiple international sites, creating a connected, real-time view of energy performance from site level down to individual assets and processes.
Machine-level IoT data, AI-driven analytics and automated alerts enabled teams to identify inefficiencies, benchmark performance, detect abnormal consumption and prioritise improvement opportunities in real time.
This gave the business the insight needed to move from retrospective reporting to proactive energy control across its global manufacturing operations.
The Impact
Energy Control
Using live operational data, the business conducted side-by-side trials on high-consumption plant machinery and identified an optimal operating configuration that reduced energy consumption by over 70%.
Operational Control
The EI. Control System provides a live, consolidated view of energy performance across eight international sites.
For the first time, teams across the business have access to a shared, real-time view of energy performance, enabling faster identification of inefficiencies, benchmarking of site performance, and the replication of best practices across global operations.
This improves decision-making, strengthens operational consistency and embeds a more proactive approach to energy management.
Margin Control
By identifying exactly where energy was being consumed and where avoidable waste existed, the manufacturer was able to prioritise improvement activities and target interventions where they would deliver the greatest value.
Real-time insight enabled the business to reduce avoidable energy spend, improve cost control and support better operational and investment decisions – helping protect margin while progressing its carbon reduction objectives.
Building a foundation for continuous improvement
The implementation of EI. has established a scalable foundation for future smart manufacturing and energy optimisation initiatives across the partner’s global operations.
With real-time operational intelligence now embedded across its international estate, the business is better positioned to standardise best practice, drive continuous improvement and accelerate progress towards its long-term sustainability and Net Zero goals.
Key outcomes
- Over 70% reduction in energy consumption for a key manufacturing process
- Multiple international sites connected through one energy management platform
- Real-time, machine-level visibility across assets and processes
- Clear pathway towards a 5% year-on-year reduction target