Downtime Energy Consumption: 5 Ways It Impacts Your KPIs and Costs
Introduction
Downtime energy consumption is one of the most overlooked costs in industrial maintenance.
When a machine goes down, production halts—but energy often keeps flowing. Unplanned downtime doesn’t just reduce output; it increases energy consumption per unit, spikes utility bills, and silently chips away at your efficiency goals.
In this article, we explore how downtime energy consumption affects your performance metrics, why it matters to maintenance managers, and how CMMS tools like MaintBoard can help you track and reduce this hidden loss.
1. What Is Downtime Energy Consumption?
Downtime energy consumption refers to the electricity or utility use that continues while equipment is idle or non-productive due to breakdowns, changeovers, or delays.
Even when production stops, motors may keep running, heaters stay on, and control systems continue drawing power. This results in wasted energy that isn’t linked to productive output.
2. Why Downtime Increases Energy Cost Per Unit
Energy costs don’t scale down with production.
If a machine produces 1,000 units using 500 kWh, that’s 0.5 kWh/unit. But if the same machine experiences 2 hours of downtime while still consuming 100 kWh, the new energy per unit increases to 0.6 kWh/unit or more.
“Downtime distorts your energy efficiency KPIs, making your plant look less efficient than it actually is.”
This not only affects your energy metrics but also inflates your per-unit production costs and reduces your profit margins.
3. Types of Energy Wasted During Downtime
- Standby Loads: VFDs, HMIs, and controls remain powered
- Thermal Systems: Ovens and chillers consume energy maintaining temperature
- Pneumatic/Compressed Air: Systems continue running at low loads or with leaks
- Lighting and HVAC: Remain active in idle production areas
In many cases, these sources operate unnoticed, draining energy budgets even when no output is being generated.
4. Downtime Energy Consumption Impacts Maintenance KPIs
Downtime energy consumption doesn’t just affect your electricity bill—it skews key maintenance metrics:
- MTTR (Mean Time to Repair): Longer repairs = higher idle energy use
- OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness): Unaccounted downtime inflates energy losses per product
- Energy KPI (kWh/Unit): Increases even when nothing is produced
“Ignoring downtime energy loss means underestimating your true cost of failure.”
These distorted metrics can make it harder to justify investments in condition-based or predictive maintenance.
5. How to Detect and Reduce Downtime Energy Consumption
- Compare energy usage during normal production vs. downtime
- Use energy meters linked to asset status in your CMMS
- Identify assets that consume above-baseline energy while idle
- Monitor startup surges post-downtime for hidden spikes
- Automate shutdowns after X minutes of idle time
- Add soft start/stop settings to reduce post-repair surges
- Improve MTTR with better documentation and spare parts tracking
Proactive data collection and automation can reduce unnecessary energy loss significantly.
How MaintBoard Helps You Track and Reduce Downtime Energy Loss
- Link real-time energy data to asset uptime/downtime logs
- Visualize energy spikes during idle periods on dashboards
- Auto-generate work orders when baseline thresholds are exceeded
- Correlate energy KPIs with downtime events and root causes
MaintBoard makes downtime visible not just in minutes, but in kWh.
FAQ: Downtime and Energy Efficiency
Do all machines consume energy during downtime?
Most do—especially those with standby systems, thermal controls, or safety loops.
Can CMMS help reduce this loss?
Yes. When energy meters are integrated, CMMS can trigger alerts and auto-shutdowns.
Is this relevant for low-power assets?
Yes. Cumulative waste across many low-load assets adds up over time.
Should we include downtime energy loss in our ROI calculations?
Absolutely. Failing to include this hidden cost leads to underestimating the true cost of equipment failure.
How do we justify the cost of energy meters?
Start with your most energy-intensive assets. The ROI often becomes visible within months when tied to downtime reduction.
Can we track downtime-related carbon emissions?
Yes. With kWh and emission factor data, CMMS can help track Scope 2 emissions linked to downtime.
Conclusion: Turn Downtime Into Insight
Downtime is expensive—but it’s even more costly when you factor in wasted energy.
By monitoring downtime energy consumption, you shift from reacting to breakdowns to preventing invisible losses. With tools like MaintBoard, you can reduce idle consumption, improve energy KPIs, and reclaim control over your plant’s true efficiency.
Talk to our team to see how MaintBoard helps you connect energy and uptime like never before.