Industrial Utility Efficiency

Bill Mgmt/Demand Control

The purpose of this article is to show there isn’t always a proportionally linear relationship between what happens with flow reductions on the demand side of a compressed air system - and what happens with the energy consumption in the air compressor room. Optimizing an entire compressed air system requires precise knowledge of the supply side, how compressed air is used in the process itself and how those two relate together.  

Atlas Copco Compressors Enables Sustainability-Based Production

The U.S. air compressor market has a compressed air installed base of at least 15 million horsepower. Further, it evaluated various air audits across different customer types, sizes and segments and determined U.S. manufacturers stand to save around 13 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) annually in electricity associated with compressed air. That translates to a savings of $1 billion in energy costs per year, which would remove nine million metric tons of CO2 annually. That equates to more annual energy usage of more than 1 million homes in the United States.

Winpak Reduces Demand by 33% and Switches to Oil-Free Air Compressors

By making changes primarily focused on compressed air uses, Winpak, an international plastics products manufacturer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, increased compressed air production capacity and reduced annual energy consumption by 33%. These benefits have been accomplished while the company was making the switch to lubricant-free compressed air to support product quality goals. This article discusses some of these changes and addresses measures that could be implemented in any compressed air system.

TE Connectivity’s Focus on ROI Drives Sustainability Success and Compressed Air Savings

The company is succeeding with sustainability at many operations, including its manufacturing plant in Lickdale, Pennsylvania. In fall 2019, officials from the Department of Energy’s Better Plants program joined company officials there to celebrate the plant’s energy achievements – including an 11% reduction in compressed air energy costs. Its ability to reduce the cost of compressed air to the tune of \$223,000 per year is a prime example how many TE Connectivity operations have fully embraced sustainability.

EMS Systems for Energy Demand Control and Response

You may be wise to watching the demand meter or shifting heavy loads to off-peak hours, but those are not your only options. With advanced energy management technology, you can automate control of energy from refrigeration compressors, pumps, and other equipment so that your facility runs at optimal efficiency, you pay the lowest possible rates, and you can participate in incentive programs that pay you for unused kilowatts.

Benchmarking Energy Performance

It’s no secret that cost-cutting is now a main focus for many business owners. When times get tough, the first reaction is figure out where it’s possible to spend less in order to maintain the bottom line. Over the last year, there have been countless examples of companies that eliminated programs, slashed entire departments, and sliced into salaries to protect profits.

Electric Demand Management Strategy

This paper presents a discussion on the topic of Electric Demand Management as it relates to electric tariff rates, new power generation, and incentives to curtail peak usage.

Seven Sustainability Projects: Project Implementation

This article reviews the 7th of the key elements for Low Cost – High Value energy savings.  Each of the previous articles reviewed types of projects which are applicable at many facilities.  The projects ranged from simple procedural actions such as turning off equipment when it is not making a product to more complex, like adding a water to air heat exchanger and extracting heat from the coolant loops to provide warmed make-up air.

Sustainability at RR Donnelley

Sustainability at RRD starts with a philosophy. It is then executed through a global policy and objectives. RRD’s philosophy does not see sustainability as making a choice between being cost-effective and improving environmental impacts. On the contrary, sustainability represents integrating these two factors. This philosophy guides our sustainability objectives and strategies.

Seven Sustainability Projects: Metering

Reducing energy costs and pollution emissions involves many areas within an industrial facility.  My studies have found seven (7) key (or common) areas where low cost practical projects can be implemented.  Combined, these projects provide savings exceeding 10% of the annual energy spend with an average payback of less than one year.