energy crisis in manufacturing

How Devtank’s OpenSmartMonitor tackles today’s energy crisis in manufacturing

How Devtank’s OpenSmartMonitor tackles today’s energy crisis in manufacturing

In this blog we’re outlining how our OpenSmartMonitor are designed to map and track energy usage and provide manufacturers information that can be used to tackle their energy usage and costs in what is considered an energy crisis for the industry this year.

The energy challenge UK Manufacturers are facing

UK manufacturers are currently grappling with one of the most acute energy crises in recent memory. With industrial electricity prices in the UK being the highest among major economies; even back in 2023 prices were averaging at around £258/MWh, which is well above other countries like the US (£45/MWh), China, and India

Make UK emphasises that without urgent measures, such as removing levies and introducing a state-backed fixed‑price energy scheme, Britain risks deindustrialisation and a severe loss of competitiveness, especially in sectors like steel, chemicals, ceramics and advanced manufacturing

The British Industry Supercharger scheme and potential subsidies are positive steps, but breadth and simplicity are said to be lacking, leaving many SMEs and mid-tier operations exposed

In this environment, manufacturers must reduce energy costs and improve operational resilience, and they need to do that FAST!

Tracking and mapping energy consumption

When it comes to acting fast and reviewing energy consumption is where Devtank’s Open Source Monitors come in. Offering a plug and play option that enables you to start reviewing energy consumption of you machinery and equipment.

Open Source Monitors provide manufacturers with a toolkit to address energy pain points head-on by providing:

1. Real‑time energy visibility

You can monitor plant / factory wide or machine level consumption with Open Source Monitors enabling you to identify spikes, inefficiencies, or leaks by the minute, hour, or day.

Unlike generic energy reports, this level of monitoring and data generation empowers precise adjustment of production schedules and process optimisation helping you to immediately save energy and money.

2. Data-driven decision making

The system tracks performance against key metrics (e.g., kWh per unit produced), enabling:

  • Smart peak-shifting to avoid expensive high-price periods
  • Load balancing across shifts and machines
  • Predictive maintenance, where abnormal energy use flags potential equipment faults

3. Simple deployment, true flexibility

Our open-source stack works with commonly used industrial meters (e.g., Modbus, CT clamps), as detailed on opensmartmonitor.co.uk.

Manufacturers can start small, monitoring a single line or compressor, and scale up as ROI becomes clear.

Supporting Make UK’s recommendations

Make UK has repeatedly advocated for manufacturers to:

  • Invest in on‑site power generation and sub‑metering to regain control of energy costs
  • Build energy procurement and resilience strategies, moving away from simply reacting to energy shocks

Open Source Monitors align perfectly with these principles enabling:

  • Deployment of site-level sub‑metering,
  • Greenfield or retrofit integration with solar, CHP, battery systems to track onsite production versus grid import.

ROI and sustainability in one platform

Manufacturers implementing our monitor system often see:

Use Case

Benefit

Detecting anomalies

Finds leaks, idle loads or inefficiencies within days

Avoiding peak-tariff penalties

Enables off‑peak scheduling and avoidance of high charges

Justifying energy-related CAPEX

Real data strengthens the case for upgrades or renewables

Supporting carbon reduction

Makes Scope 2 emissions visible which is key for ESG goals

This mirrors results reported by Make UK, such as a carbon-offsetting glass plant that saved £400K and cut 1,000t of CO₂ via digital controls; our monitors provide the data backbone for such transformation.

Our own customers report

WHAT??

Why Open Source matters

  • Ownership and control

No vendor lock-in or hidden fees; your team owns the data, the logic, the stack.

  • Security and privacy

Industrial networks remain segmented; data stays on-premise unless you wish otherwise.

  • Community-driven innovation

New analytics modules (e.g. predictive alerts or carbon tracking) are rapidly shared and improved by other users.

The current energy market crisis is not a temporary storm. Make UK’s warnings are clear: unless businesses invest in monitoring, onsite control, and smart procurement strategies, we risk UK factories shutting down

Devtank’s Open Source Monitors offer a proven, scalable solution. By giving manufacturers visibility, actionable insights, and control, we help industry:

  • Reduce costs and gain resilience,

  • Justify investment in sustainable energy initiatives,

  • Align with national strategy—and support calls for equitable, long-term industrial energy reform.

Ready to pilot? Visit OpenSmartMonitor.co.uk to request a demo and see real factory installations in action. Let’s empower UK manufacturers to meet today’s energy challenge and emerge stronger.