Steaming Ahead Newsletter
November/December 2005

Published by the Alliance to Save Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy

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"Save Energy Now" Energy Savings Assessment Applications Open

Sign Up for "Save Energy Now" Information and Updates

Self-Assessment Resources

Energy Efficiency Offers Relief to Manufacturers Suffering From Run-Up in Natural Gas Prices

Texas Energy Management Forum

Apply Now to Host an Industrial Assessment Center

U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program Solicitations

Events

Chemical Industry Vision2020 Technology Partnership Workshop
U.S. Department of Energy "Optimizing Steam System Performance" Workshops
U.S. Department of Energy Steam Specialist Qualification Training

For the full Steaming Ahead events calendar, visit http://www.steamingahead.org/calendars/

If the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program (DOE-ITP) selects your facility or plant for one of 200 Save Energy Now Energy Savings Assessments (ESAs), DOE-ITP will send a highly trained, energy-efficiency expert to your site to help discover energy-saving opportunities. The expert will work with your staff as a team to assess energy use, make recommendations for achieving greater energy efficiency, and suggest ways for your facility to increase productivity while reducing overall costs.

The team will identify immediate opportunities for you to save energy and money in your facility, focusing on steam and process heating systems, systems that consume nearly 80% of all the energy used in U.S. industry today. In addition, the team will supply BestPractices resources for compressed air, fans, motors and pumps.

Applications for the first round of selections are due December 9, 2005. Eligibility is limited to the largest energy-consuming facilities in the United States and U.S. territories. Companies can combine facilities or collaborate with other companies to increase their energy-consumption profile.

Smaller plants and facilities that apply will be eligible for a customized energy-efficiency consultation provided by the DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Information Center or an assessment through DOE-ITP's university-based, regional Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs). All facilities will receive a portfolio of valuable information and resources to help them save energy and improve their bottom line.

Please visit the Save Energy Now Web site for ESA details and eligibility requirements, and to complete the application.

Please note that your data will be held strictly confidential and will not be available to other parties or released without your company's approval. ESA assessments will be completed by December 2006.

To learn more about the Save Energy Now initiative to help American industry save energy during this time of diminished supply and rising energy costs, visit the Save Energy Now Web site

DOE-ITP will send information to as many as 50,000 plants detailing ways to reduce natural gas and electricity use. You are invited you to take part in this initiative and join the ranks of U.S. industrial manufacturers who are committed to saving energy, money and increasing their productivity.

Sign up for the DOE-ITP E-Bulletin e-mail newsletter to receive energy-saving information and updates about the Save Energy Now initiative. Sample Bulletin

Even if you are not interested in a Save Energy Now Energy Savings assessment or an Industrial Assessment Center assessment, you can still participate in Save Energy Now by performing a self-assessment and submitting your results to the DOE-ITP. Here are some resources to get you started:

• Steam System Survey Guide (U.S. Department of Energy) Provides technical information about opportunities to improve energy efficiency and productivity of industrial steam systems;
• Guide to Industrial Assessments for Pollution Prevention and Energy Efficiency (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Presents an overview of industrial assessments and the general framework for conducting self-assessments; and
• Texas-Size Energy Savings! (Texas Industries of the Future) A step-by-step assessment manual for small- to medium-sized facilities to identify and screen potential energy efficiency projects. The manual comes with a calculator to estimate the impact of potential projects; (registration required).

Today's record-high prices for natural gas and other fuels are encouraging U.S. manufacturers to pursue energy-efficient technologies and practices. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, manufacturers are finding cost-effective ways to cut energy waste as well as energy costs to save energy and money.

In fact, by implementing energy efficiency measures, manufacturers can cut energy waste by almost 21 percent. Until today's high-priced fuels made energy efficiency such an urgent need, many manufacturers simply ignored energy improvements due to perceived risks or reluctance to make the necessary investments.

Examples from the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Assessment Center database demonstrate the financial impact of energy savings

• A surgical instruments manufacturer in Utah could have invested $2,560 in steam trap improvements in 2002, with a payback of 1.2 years. The payback shrinks to 0.8 years at today's energy prices.
• A small, Louisiana food processor's 2002 energy assessment included a $754 investment to insulate process pipes and vessels with a 2.5 year payback. The payback accelerates to 1.7 years for 2005.
• An Illinois manufacturer of corrugated shipping containers could have pursued a $70,000 boiler replacement in 2002 with a payback of 5.4 years. Today, the payback is only 3.7 years.

Read the full Alliance press release.

"From Plant Basics to the Global Perspective" was the topic at a recent industrial energy management forum hosted by Texas Industries of the Future (Texas IOF). Speakers from Texas Petrochemicals, BASF and Fluent Inc. addressed energy strategy during a company turnaround, energy surveying methodologies, and computer simulations for maximizing energy savings.

Presentations are available on the Texas IOF Web site under the heading "Energy Management Forums".

The DOE is seeking applications from colleges and universities interested in hosting an Industrial Assessment Center (IAC). This is an opportunity to participate in a unique educational program. Engineering students will have the opportunity to become industrial energy-efficiency experts. The program offers hands-on assessment experience, technical report writing, and academic coursework. In addition, IAC teams conduct free assessments of small- to mid-size manufacturing facilities, identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency and productivity, and reduce energy costs and waste.

For more information, visit the DOE-ITP Web site Active Solicitations page.

The DOE-ITP provides cost-shared funding for qualified research and development 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. More information about each solicitation is available from the DOE-ITP Solicitations Web page.

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.

Research and development (R&D) collaboration is crucial to ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. chemical industry.  To this end, the Chemical Industry Vision2020 Technology Partnership (Vision2020) and the Council for Chemical Research (CCR) host a series of workshops to explore and develop new R&D partnerships to advance technologies.

Plan to attend the third workshop on December 7, 2005, in Baltimore, Maryland. This workshop focuses on new technologies and processes for increased efficiency of natural gas in industrial applications.  Participants will learn about funding opportunities and identify potential R&D partners.

Information and Registration

Optimizing Steam System Performance workshops are one-day awareness workshops exposing participants to DOE BestPractices Steam software tools and resources, steam-system-optimization opportunities and available industrial assistance programs.

Upcoming courses are listed below.  For more information, visit the Steaming Ahead training and events calendar.  To register for a specific workshop, contact the individual associated with the workshop.

• August 28, 2006: Atlantic City, New Jersey
  Adam Hudson: 202-530-4356, ahudson@ase.org, 202-530-4356

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

• January 24 to 26, 2006: Center Valley, Pennsylvania
  Angie Funk: afunk@spirax.com, 800-251-7676