|
Steaming
Ahead Newsletter
September/October 2005
Published by the Alliance to Save Energy and the
U.S. Department of Energy
Printer-Friendly PDF Version
Subscribe
|
IN THIS EDITION |
|
"Save Energy Now": ITP Energy Teams to Visit 200 Plants
Upgraded and Enhanced BestPractices Web Site
DOE Awards $2.6 Million to Boost Combustion Efficiency
3E Plus Insulation Software Upgrade
New IAC Case Studies Highlight Energy Savings at Five Plants
Industrial Assessment Centers: Solicitation for Applicant Schools
Plant-Wide Assessment at Houston Refinery
Former ITP Technology Delivery Lead Named ACEEE 2005 Champion of Energy Efficiency
DOE BestPractices Solicitations
Financing Efficiency with DOE's Financing Toolbook
Events
DOE Steam End-User Training
DOE Steam Specialist Qualification Training
For the full Steaming Ahead events calendar, visit
http://www.steamingahead.org/calendars/ |
| |
|
"Save Energy Now": ITP Energy Teams to Visit 200 Plants (top) |
|
As part of President Bush's national campaign to save energy, the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial
Technologies Program (DOE-ITP) has launched the Save
Energy Now initiative to help U.S. industry during this period of tightening energy supply and rising costs.
Through the initiative, ITP will provide to industry:
- Targeted energy assessments for 200 large energy-consuming plants,
- Industrial Assessment
Center (IAC) energy assessments for over 500 small-to-medium sized plants,
- Training in classroom and webcast formats,
- Mini workshops conducted by IACs to educate small-to-medium sized plant staff on easy ways to save
energy, and
- Web-site recognition of all plants receiving a Targeted Energy Assessment.
Your company can be a part of this initiative by sponsoring/attending DOE training events or webcasts,
identifying plant staff eligible to become DOE
Qualified Specialists
and disseminating Save Energy Now materials and resources to your peers. If you are not part of the 200
initial assessments, you can complete your own assessment and let DOE know the results so they can recognize
your company.
Visit the Save Energy Now web site,
if you are interested in learning more or participating in the initiative. The Save Energy Now web site will
be constantly updated, so check back soon for new information. |
|
Updated and Enhanced BestPractices Web Site (top) |
|
DOE-ITP recently updated and enhanced the BestPractices
web site to help industry better access ITP resources for saving energy and reducing operating costs. Be sure to
update your bookmarks!
The new web site features audience-specific navigation to help corporate executives, plant managers, technical
individuals, and the public find the energy-efficiency information they need with ease. |
|
DOE Awards $2.6 Million to Boost Combustion Efficiency (top) |
|
DOE recently announced the selection of three new combustion technology research and development (R&D) projects that
will receive nearly $2.6 million in total cost-shared funding over the next two years. The selected R&D teams plan to
develop advanced industrial boilers that deliver superior energy and environmental performance. By 2020, these
technologies are expected to reduce energy use in industrial boilers by seven percent, saving industry $2 billion per
year in energy costs.
"Combustion systems use nearly three-quarters of all energy consumed in U.S. manufacturing," said Douglas L. Faulkner,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "These new technologies are expected to help save
energy, increase efficiency, and improve environmental performance throughout the manufacturing sector." More information about the three
R&D projects is available from DOE-ITP.
|
|
3E Plus® Insulation Software Upgrade (top) |
|
The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) recently announced the launch of its updated version
of 3E Plus®, a computer program that calculates the optimal amount of insulation needed to use less energy,
reduce air emissions, and improve process efficiency. The 3E Plus® program, available for free at
http://www.pipeInsulation.org, quantifies energy, environmental and cost
savings yielded by optimizing pipe, duct and vessel insulation levels in commercial buildings and industrial facilities.
Users will find that 3E Plus® version 4.0 is easier to use and more flexible than previous versions. The
new version provides users with more guidance and easier data labeling, and the capability to create and save new default
entries. A key change is the ability to calculate in both metric and inch-pound units. |
|
New IAC Case Studies Highlight Energy Savings at Five Plants (top) |
|
DOE Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) across the country are helping industry save money, reduce waste, and operate
more efficiently through energy assessments. Projects identified in a recent IAC assessment will save Containers
Southwest nearly $680,000 a year through modifications that will pay for themselves in savings within 5 months (calculated
as a simple payback). More information about the Containers Southwest assessment and other recent IAC assessments is
available:
Assessments are performed by local teams of engineering faculty and students from one of the 26 participating universities
across the country. Students gain valuable experience that will benefit them and their future employers. All of the IAC
case studies are available from the IAC Database
|
|
Industrial Assessment Centers: Solicitation for Applicant Schools (top) |
|
The U.S. Department of Energy anticipates issuing a competitive solicitation in October 2005 for colleges and universities
interested in directing Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs). Funding will be awarded for the fall 2006 academic year. Funds
permitting, DOE anticipates selecting approximately 26 centers for up to 5-year terms at an approximate annual budget of
$180,000 per center. More information about the solicitation is available from the
BestPractices Solicitations Page |
|
Plant-Wide Assessment at Houston Refinery (top) |
|
A recent plant-wide energy assessment
at Valero Energy Corporation's refinery in Houston, Texas identified projects that could result in total annual
energy savings of about 1.3 million MMBtu for fuel and more than 5 million kWh for electricity. These reductions in
turn would generate cost savings of about $5 million per year and reduce environmental emissions.
The assessment was a two-stage process in which the assessment team first conducted an energy systems review to
identify primary natural gas and refinery fuel gas users, electricity- and steam-producing equipment, and cooling water
systems. Then, they developed an energy optimization and management strategy and identified ways to reduce water use and
emissions.
More than a dozen projects were identified. For example, the team recommended replacing two rented diesel air
compressors with a new, steam-driven compressor. This alone would reduce diesel fuel use by 108 gallons per day and save
the plant $160,000 per year in rental fees. |
|
Former ITP Technology Delivery Lead Named ACEEE 2005 Champion of Energy Efficiency
(top) |
|
Former Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) Technology Delivery Manager,
Peter Salmon-Cox, took a short break from retirement on July 20 to
accept a "Champions of Energy Efficiency" award from the American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) at its Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, in West Point, New York.
Presented to outstanding leaders involved with the industrial sector, the award recognizes accomplishments that move
energy efficiency forward.
In addition, ACEEE honored Fred Schoeneborn and EnSave, Inc. with 2005 Champions of Energy Efficiency awards.
Visit the ACEEE web site for more on the awards. |
|
DOE BestPractices Solicitations (top) |
|
DOE-ITP provides cost-shared funding for qualified BestPractices R&D projects. Awards are based on a competitive
process open to collaborative teams, which may include academia, suppliers, universities, national labs, and others.
The following is a list of active and upcoming solicitations. Visit the
ITP
BestPractices Soliciations Page for more details.
Solicitation Title |
Solicitation Opens |
Proposals Due |
Selections Announced |
Funding |
| Chemicals Industry of the Future |
09/07/05 |
01/11/06 |
TBD |
DOE expects to fund projects at $500,000 for the first 12 months, with a maximum of $10 million for the
remaining years. |
| Laboratory Call for Materials For Energy Efficient Industrial Processing |
07/19/05 |
10/26/05 |
TBD |
DOE expects to fund projects at an award level of $300,000 to $1 million per year per project for
up to 4 years. |
| Materials for Energy Efficient Industrial Processing |
07/11/05 |
10/19/05 |
02/28/06 |
DOE expects to fund projects at an award level of $300,000 to $1.5 million per year per project for up to
4 years. |
| Industrial Assessment Center |
10/10/05 |
TBD |
TBD |
Approximately $26,000,000 |
Note: Official notices of solicitations can be found at http://www.fedbizopps.gov
or in the Federal Register. This list is for information only—it may not be inclusive of all solicitations. Funding
amounts and schedule dates are subject to change. |
|
Financing Efficiency with DOE's Financing Toolbook (top) |
|
Manufacturers face a number of barriers as they seek to modernize and remain competitive. However, they are not alone in
their search for financing and technical assistance. The DOE-ITP
Toolbook for Financing Energy Efficiency and
Pollution Prevention Technologies is designed to help manufacturers work through key issues and alternatives
relating to financing modernization.
Before you say, "we don't have the money to make energy efficiency improvements", consult this toolbook. Some
manufacturers may choose to read the entire document to get a full understanding of the barriers to and opportunities for
financing efficiency and other improvements. Others will want to concentrate on different types of available assistance,
such as loan guarantees or equity capital, in order to learn what resources could best fit their needs. In any situation, the
Toolbook can help manufacturers advance their efforts to become more efficient and more competitive. |
|
Events (top) |
DOE Steam End-User Training (top) |
|
The DOE BestPractices Steam End-User Training course is a one-day training session
covering the operation of typical steam systems and methods of system-efficiency
improvements. The course encompasses steam-generation efficiency, resource-utilization
effectiveness, and steam distribution system losses. The course familiarizes
participants with DOE BestPractices Steam Software Tools for steam system assessment
and optimization. Full Course Description
- November 8, 2005: Birmingham, Alabama
Dana Stone: dstone@atn.org, 205-943-4806
- November 10, 2005: Charleston, West Virginia
Bill Johnson: william.johnson@wvu.edu, 304-293-2867, ext, 5530
- November 15, 2005: Baltimore, Maryland
Angie Funk: afunk@spirax.com, 800-251-7676 |
|
DOE Steam Specialist Qualification Training (top) |
|
The DOE BestPractices Steam Specialist Qualification Training program is a two-and-a-half
day course teaching the effective use of DOE BestPractices Steam software tools. Participants
who pass the final exam are recognized by DOE as Qualified Specialists in the use of the
BestPractices Steam Software Tools. Full
Course Description
|
