Internal benchmarking: Setting targets

Plants rely on the Performance Characteristic Line (PCL) to assess their energy usage and performance on the basis of an internally generated standard. The PCL relies on a specific equation to assess energy usage of a plant and measure its performance on this criteria. Plant managers have devised a direct and simple method for assessing energy usage and assigning production accountability. They set up a simple spreadsheet or chart to use the PCL to calculate the estimated energy usage for a certain production volume. These managers determine the volume of material processed in a month and calculate the estimated energy usage. The method helps them determine the actual energy use for that month and compare the estimated energy usage to the actual energy usage. This method also reveals that a plant performs better when the actual energy usage is less than the estimated energy usage.