Steaming Ahead Newsletter
January/February 2006

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

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Energy Savings Teams Begin Assessments For “Save Energy Now”

Pressure Reduction Projects Addressed In New Steam Technical Brief From DOE BestPractices

Ask the Experts at EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse

Steam System Scoping Tool Can Organize Improvements

U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program Solicitations

Upcoming Steam Events and Training

U.S. Department of Energy Steam Specialist Qualification Training
U.S. Department of Energy Steam Assessment Workshop
U.S. Department of Energy “Optimizing Steam System Performance” Workshops

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

The Department of Energy has begun the first Energy Savings Assessments (ESAs) of the “Save Energy Now” campaign, sending DOE Energy Experts to team with plant staff to perform ESAs at:

• 3M plant in Brownwood, TX, on November 7,
• J. R. Simplot plant in Lathrop, CA on November 9,
• Dow plant in Hahnville, LA on November 29,
• Rohm and Haas Plant in Grand Saline, TX on November 29,
• General Motors Plant in Flint, MI December 13, and
• Boise Mill in Jackson, AL on December 19.

The Energy Experts worked with the plant staff to assess energy use and make recommendations for achieving greater energy efficiency and productivity while reducing overall costs.

This work marks the first of 200 free ESAs, provided by the DOE as part of the “Save Energy Now” initiative, a comprehensive national energy-efficiency effort launched by Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman. ESAs are unlike traditional energy audits. Their goal is not to simply identify efficiency projects, but to establish plant staffs’ energy awareness and ability to self-improve. The DOE hopes this unique approach will foster an industrial environment that promotes efficiency as a core value.

Throughout 2006, the Energy Experts with team with plant staff to identify immediate opportunities to save energy and money in industrial facilities, focusing on steam and process heating systems, which consume nearly 80 percent of all the energy used in U.S. industry today. In addition, the DOE EERE will continue to supply BestPractices resources for compressed air, fans, motors and pumps. By improving industry’s ability to implement energy savings opportunities, the DOE helps industry prepare for energy supply shortages and cost uncertainties.

The deadline for applications has been extended until January 17, 2006. 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. Priority for selection for ESAs will be given to plants with the largest consumption of natural gas (excluding feedstocks).

To apply for an Energy Savings Assessment, or to obtain additional energy-efficiency information, please visit the “Save Energy Now” website.

Lowering your steam pressure may be a way to cut down on energy costs. However, plant operators are cautioned to consider the impacts of lower pressure on boiler operations and steam distribution. A recently released DOE BestPractices program article, Steam Pressure Reduction: Opportunities and Issues, discusses the advantages and problems that are typically encountered in pressure reduction projects. Read the full article.

For additional articles, visit the BestPractices program technical library.

If you have questions about making your steam system more efficient, perhaps the experts at EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse can provide an answer. This website, managed by the Washington State University Extension Energy Program and sponsored by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, contains questions and answers by steam system end-users and energy engineers on almost all steam system topics, including components and operations. The site also includes a wealth of information about other technologies, such as motor drives, compressed air, and insulation.

End users in the Pacific Northwest (Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) can also ask specific questions by visiting the main page, clicking on “Ask Our Experts” and then clicking on “Ask a Technical Question”.

Please also visit the WSU Extension Energy Program or the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance websites for more information about energy efficiency in the Northwest.

Are you interested in making your steam system more efficient, but don’t know where to begin? The DOE Steam System Scoping Tool (SSST) provides an easy, self-administered scorecard to help get you started. The SSST poses 26 “yes-no” questions to identify improvement opportunities for your current steam system. The SSST will also suggest best practice methods to make your system and operations as efficient and productive as possible. All information is organized in a spreadsheet that allows you to archive and update results over time.

Access the Steam System Scoping Tool software in the DOE software library.

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.

If your organization is interested in hosting a U.S. Department of Energy Steam Training Session, please contact Ann Deming of Project Performance Corporation at 703-748-7096.

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
  Contact: Angie Funk, 800-251-7676, afunk@spirax.com

This one-day workshop covers operations of typical steam systems and presents methods for improving system efficiency. The workshop will help steam system staff to better identify opportunities for saving energy. For a full course description, please visit the DOE BestPractices Training Calendar.

• February 1, 2006: Houston, Texas
  Contact: Kathy Ferland, 512-232-4823, kferland@mail.utexas.edu

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 Calendar.  To register for a specific workshop, contact the individual associated with the workshop.

• August 28, 2006: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  Contact: Adam Hudson, 202-530-4356, ahudson@ase.org, 202-530-4356