Energy Efficiency Tune-Ups

Similar to an automobile, Industrial facilities require periodic maintenance and adjustments to maintain optimum operating efficiency. Even facilities that are running well in other respects typically have not been optimized for energy efficiency. The automotive expression of "your mileage may vary" can also be applied to industrial facilities, since operational procedures and set-points can have a significant impact on energy efficiency.

Cascade Energy has extensive experience in the area of industrial energy efficiency and has performed energy efficiency "tune-ups" at hundreds of industrial facilities across North America, spanning a wide range of industries. Depending on the customer and program involved, these activities are also referred to as "Kaizen Blitz," "Track and Tune," and "Re-commissioning."

The primary benefit of an energy efficiency tune-up is a reduction in energy consumption and expense. Additional benefits include reduced wear and tear on equipment and enhanced operator knowledge about their specific equipment and factors affecting energy consumption.

What’s Involved?

Energy Efficiency tune-ups involve an intensive effort over a relatively short period of time; usually three to five days. Cascade generally provides a two-person team, consisting of an experienced energy efficiency engineer and a seasoned technician familiar with a variety of industrial systems. Facility tune-ups start with an opening meeting with facility personnel, followed by extensive hands-on review of current equipment condition, functionality, and operational conditions. Facility operations/maintenance personnel are expected to participate in the tune-up so that they can provide insight on how equipment is being operated, can take full advantage of the opportunity to gain knowledge of energy efficiency measures and best practices, and can participate in some low-risk operational or set-point changes over the course of the tune-up process. In some cases, attendance by outside maintenance contractors or other trade allies who are frequently interacting with the systems that impact energy use may be required.

One of the key elements of a tune-up is to identify the systems and processes that account for the majority of energy consumption. The chart below shows what this might look like for a dairy production facility. The development of a detailed breakdown of where energy is used can provide initial insights into the relative efficiency of a facility and help to prioritize tune-up efforts. No two sites are identical and facilities from different industries can have very different energy usage profiles.

Over the course of the tune-up, the majority of the focus will be on the most energy intensive equipment, since this is where the largest reductions in energy usage are likely to be found. Cascade personnel will inventory the equipment, document current control settings and trends (where available) and check calibration of sensors for pressure, temperature and other important parameters. They will compare actual operating parameters with equipment manufacturers' specifications and accepted efficient practices as a means of identifying potential opportunities for improved efficiency.

One common area where efficiencies can be found is optimizing performance of equipment under partial load conditions. In most industrial applications, major systems are designed to handle the maximum load they are likely to encounter. For example, a refrigeration system may be designed to maintain freezing temperatures, even on the hottest day of the year. This means that, on every other day of the year, the system will be operating at partial load. Identifying the proper set-points, cycling equipment and sequencing start-up of multiple pumps, fans, and compressors are some of the strategies that Cascade employs to optimize systems for maximum energy efficiency at partial loads.

Facility tune-ups conclude with a meeting with management and staff where the tune-up process and findings are reviewed. This typically includes a combination of operating procedure and set-point changes made over the course of the tune-up, suggestions for no-cost/low-cost improvements and possible capital projects with major impact and short payback period.

Some items that might fall into the no-cost/low-cost category include:

• Modifying equipment set-points or operating procedures for more efficient operation
• Modifications to cleaning or servicing regimes of specific pieces of equipment that are not operating at peak efficiency
• Turning off lights or pieces of equipment that are not needed
• Adding sensors or timers to automatically turn lights and other equipment on and off
• Replacing valves, switches and gauges that are resulting in increased energy usage
• Adjusting automatic door sensors to avoid unnecessary opening and closing

A Cascade Tune-up also includes a detailed follow-up report. This report summarizes what was found during the tune-up and Cascade's estimate of how much energy can be saved in total and broken out by specific actions required. A Cascade Tune-up report typically includes the following sections:

1. Background - Facility Overview

• Things already done well
• Implemented Action Items and savings achieved to date
• No Cost / Low Cost Action items and Savings Potential
• Total Tune-up Savings Potential
• Next Steps
• Site Management and Tune-up Participants
• Roles and Responsibilities

2. Facility Equipment and Operations Overview

3. Energy Use Profile and Rates

4. Energy Savings Summary and Calculations

5. Action Items: A detailed list of what's required to achieve the potential energy savings identified in the tune-up

6. Capital Projects Identified

7. Appendix

• Equipment
• Photos

What’s The Return?

A facility energy efficiency tune-up is a key element in an energy management program. The results achieved depend on a number of factors including the type, age and condition of plant equipment, baseline operating parameters and willingness of operations personnel to participate and implement action items that are identified. To date, Cascade has never identified less than 7% potential energy savings during a tune-up. Typical results are 10-15% identified savings and we have many examples where 20% or more were identified.

Cost for a tune-up varies with the size and complexity of the facility. Since a tune-up focuses on the "low-hanging fruit," payback is generally one-year or less. When combined with the other elements of a comprehensive Energy Management Program, including energy monitoring, follow-on consulting and some capital projects, energy efficiency improvements in the range of 25 to 35% over a multi-year period are common.

To learn how your company can benefit from an Energy Efficiency Tune-up, please contact Cascade