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    Steaming Ahead Newsletter
    March/April 2006

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

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    IN THIS EDITION

    $29 Million in Energy Savings Identified So Far By “Save Energy Now”

    DOE BestPractices Steam Tip Sheets Updated To Reflect Current Natural Gas Prices

    “Save Energy Now” National Webcast Lecture Series Begins March 16

    28th Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference to be Held May 9 to 12

    Don’t Ignore Your Process Heating Systems

    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

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

     
    “Save Energy Now” Identifies $29 Million in Annual Energy Savings So Far (top)

    Energy Savings Teams from the Department of Energy (DOE) have completed 24 Energy Savings Assessments (ESAs) of DOE‘s “Save Energy Now” campaign, as of March 7th. Working with plant staff, the first ten ESAs identified $29 million in energy savings. DOE received over 200 applications during the application phase. Throughout 2006, 37 Process Heating and Steam ESA Experts will continue to work with qualifying plants to identify energy savings that may approach $2 billion across all 200 industrial facilities.

    In addition to offering comprehensive energy assessments, each DOE Energy Expert conducts software-oriented training sessions for assessing systems and identifying immediate opportunities for energy-efficiency savings. The energy assessments focus primarily on steam and process heating systems, which consume a significant portion of all energy used in U.S. industry today. View the complete list of participating plants.

    Review the latest BestPractices Steam article “Save Energy Now In Your Steam System”.

    For additional information please visit the “Save Energy Now” website.
    DOE BestPractices Steam Tip Sheets Updated to Reflect Current Natural Gas Prices (top)

    In addition to Energy Savings Assessments, DOE is continuing its work to provide up-to-date technical resources to industry. The DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Information Center recently updated their BestPractices Steam Tip Sheets in order to reflect higher natural gas prices. The Tip Sheets originally included example savings at natural gas prices between $3-5/MMBTU, while the new versions use a baseline of $8/MMBtu. The EERE examples now reflect more accurate payback periods to help energy professionals determine the best methods for increasing efficiency at their plants.

    View the updated BestPractices Steam Tip Sheets.

    Steam Tip Sheet #1 – Inspect and Repair Steam Traps

    The tip sheets provide, in very brief form, technical advice and ideas on a range of steam and boiler-related topics. For example, Steam Tip Sheet #1 is “Inspect and Repair Steam Traps”. This tip sheet provides recommendations on steam trap testing intervals along with a chart of estimated steam loss for a range of pressures and trap orifice diameters.

    For additional articles, visit the BestPractices program technical library.

    In addition to tip sheets, the Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) has recently compiled a Save Energy Now CD that contains the entire catalogue of ITP and BestPractices’ resources, tools, and services. This CD is tailored to industrial energy savings with an emphasis on reducing natural gas consumption. To order a copy of the CD, please contact the EERE Information Center at 1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463).
    “Save Energy Now” National Webcast Lecture Series Begins March 16 (top)

    In support of the “Save Energy Now” campaign, the DOE’s Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) are proud to present the IAC National Webcast Lecture Series for 2006. Internationally recognized experts will present each free one-hour lecture from an IAC university location. The lectures are intended for anyone involved in industrial energy-efficiency projects and will discuss the impacts of energy prices, project cost estimation and energy-efficiency implementation methods. The current calendar of webcasts includes:

    • March 16: Measuring and Improving Boiler Efficiency
    • April 12: Combined Heat and Power
    • May 10: Optimizing Combustion Systems
    • June 14: Steam System Management

    For more information on these lectures, or to register for a session, please visit the IAC website.
    28th Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference to be Held May 9 to 12 (top)

    The Energy Systems Laboratory at Texas A&M University is hosting the 28th annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference May 9 to 12 in New Orleans. The conference is a renowned forum for the exchange of information on industrial energy-efficiency programs and innovations. Session topics include steam systems, gas energy markets, industrial energy modeling, plant emissions reductions, and many other relevant topics. Of particular interest to steam plant managers is the Boilers and Steam Systems Workshop on May 12.

    Additional information is available at the Texas A&M University IETC website.
    Don’t Ignore Your Process Heating Systems (top)

    Staying competitive in the face of rising fuel costs requires looking for every opportunity to save energy. After optimizing boiler and steam systems it may be time to evaluate process heating systems. The DOE has a variety of resources that can help identify process heating systems with potential for efficiency improvements, including training workshops, software tools, tip sheets, and a sourcebook. Each resource is tailored to assist end users to understand their specific process heating systems and identify opportunities for efficient improvements.

    For an overview of DOE resources related to process heating, see the “Save Energy Now in Your Process Heating Systems” fact sheet.

    Access additional DOE process heating resources.
    U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program Solicitations (top)

    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. There are currently no active solicitations. Future solicitations will be listed on 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.

    Upcoming Events and Training (top)

    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.
    U.S. Department of Energy 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
    U.S. Department of Energy Steam Assessment Workshop (top)

    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.