Tips for Your Industrial Business

Reducing Industrial-sized Energy Use

Industrial buildings encompass a wide variety of building types, including the following building categories—chemical, metal, paper products, rubber and plastics, and food processing.

Unlike other sectors, industrial energy use is frequently determined by the specific industrial process. However, some important energy uses are common across industry types, such as motor drives, steam systems and compressed air. As a result, industrial energy efficiency opportunities exist in both process-specific systems and other energy using systems. 

Industrial energy systems such as motors, steam, compressed air, pumps, fans, process heating, combustion and combined heat and power account for about 80 percent of industrial energy use. Improving the efficiency of these systems can yield large energy and cost savings.

Some Energy-Saving Tips for your Industrial Business Include:

• Insulate steam/hot water lines.  Energy is used to either heat or boil water from the boiler, but when this energy is transferred through uninsulated pipes, it is lost to the atmosphere. Heat transfer through the pipes to undesired places means a larger load is being placed on the boiler, thus consuming more energy. This can be alleviated by simply insulating the pipes, which is rather inexpensive.
  
  
• Use high efficiency electric motors. Electric motors are considered the work horse in many industrial applications, often operating for extended periods of time and consuming significant amounts of energy in the process. Not all motors operate with the same efficiency. When installing new motors, consider using high efficiency motors on all units one horsepower or greater. This is increasingly important for motors that operate for extended periods of time. Installing premium or high efficiency motors can save up to 3 percent in motor-energy consumption.
  
  
• Repair and eliminate steam leaks. Significant savings can be realized by repairing leaks in steam and condensate return lines. Steam line leaks result in higher steam production requirements from the boiler to meet the system needs. Condensate return lines that are leaky return less condensate to the boiler, thus requiring more energy to heat cooler make-up water than hot condensate return water. Leaks most often occur at the fittings in the steam and condensate pipe systems.
  
  
• Insulate pipes and equipment to prevent heat loss.  Insulation is an important part of every manufacturing plant where any transfer of heated fluids or gases takes place. Any surface above 100 degrees Fahrenheit should be insulated. Properly insulated pipes, tanks, and other equipment could save a significant amount in annual energy costs.
  
  
• Reduce the pressure of compressed air to a minimum. Significant energy savings can be realized by reducing the air pressure used in compressed air systems. Often, air is compressed to a higher pressure than the air-driven process equipment actually requires. By adjusting compressor output to the proper air pressure, you can save energy with little or no impact on the air-driven process equipment. For additional savings, make sure that compressed air systems are shut down when not in use, especially at night and on weekends.
  
  
• Eliminate leaks in compressed air lines and valves.  Air leaks around valves and fittings in compressed air lines can represent a significant energy cost in manufacturing facilities. Sometimes up to 20 percent of the work done by the compressor is used to make up for losses from air leaks. Therefore, air leak elimination should be a priority for any industrial facility. Sonic or infrared testing devices can be used as cost-effective tools for determining air leak locations.
  
  
• Recover waste heat from equipment. Consider installing heat recovery systems to make use of heat energy that otherwise would be lost to the surroundings. Heat recovery systems use hot media (typically air or fluids) leaving a process to preheat other, or sometimes the same, media entering the process. Energy that otherwise would be lost does useful work. Waste heat can be recovered from a variety of different types of equipment and processes, such as compressors, furnace and boiler exhaust, and hot liquid blow-downs. Blow-down heat recovery can reduce a boiler's fuel use by 2 to 5 percent.
  
  
• Repair and eliminate steam leaks. Significant savings can be realized by repairing leaks in steam and condensate return lines. Steam line leaks result in higher steam production requirements from the boiler to meet the system needs. Condensate return lines that are leaky return less condensate to the boiler, thus requiring more energy to heat cooler make-up water than hot condensate return water. Leaks most often occur at the fittings in the steam and condensate pipe systems.
  
  
• Insulate pipes and equipment to prevent heat loss.  Insulation is an important part of any manufacturing plant where the transfer of heated fluids or gases takes place. Any surface above 100 degrees Fahrenheit should be insulated. Properly insulated pipes, tanks and other equipment can save a significant amount in energy costs.
  
  
• Install compressor air intakes in the coolest locations.  Where possible, run the intake for air compressors to the outside of the building, preferably on the north, shaded or coolest side. Typically, outdoor air temperatures are usually well below that in the compressor room, so it pays to take in cool air from outside. The energy savings potential in lowering the air intake temperature results from the fact that colder air is denser. Therefore, the compressor does not need to work as hard to obtain the desired pressure.
  
  
• Replace T12 fluorescent lamps with higher efficiency T8 fluorescent lamps and electronic ballasts. Retrofitting ceiling lighting with higher efficiency T8 lamps and electronic ballasts is a cost-effective way to reduce energy consumption. Depending on the ballast used, the T8 lamp often delivers the same lumen output for 20 to 40 percent fewer watts than T12 lamps. The benefits of installing higher efficiency T8 lamps and electronic ballasts include a decrease in energy consumption and costs, an increase in light quality and longer lasting lamps, which means reduced maintenance costs.
  • Before installing higher efficiency lamps or ballasts, measure the light levels at each working height level for each area of the facility to determine whether more or less light is required. Suggested light levels are published by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. Also consider using T8 fluorescent lighting in high-bay applications that may currently use metal halide or high-pressure sodium fixtures for increased energy efficiency.
    
    
• Replace incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). CFLs are a more energy-efficient lighting source than incandescents, typically using 75 percent less energy and lasting 10 times as long while producing 90 percent less heat.
   
• Install ENERGY STAR^®-qualified exit signs to replace signs with incandescent or fluorescent lamps. Exit signs that have earned the ENERGY STAR rating operate on five watts or less per sign compared to standard signs, which can use as much as 40 watts per sign. One ENERGY STAR®-qualified exit sign alone can save about $10 annually on electricity costs and can last up to ten years without a lamp replacement, compared to less than one year for an incandescent.
   
• Install automated lighting systems, controls or sensors to reduce interior and exterior lighting energy costs. Lighting controls such as dimmers, timers and motion sensors may be used in closets, restrooms, offices, storage spaces and other areas that are not in constant use. These relatively inexpensive devices can help ensure that lights are turned off in areas that are not in use. It is recommended that lighting controls be inspected periodically to be sure that they are operating properly.