Do you want to obtain no-cost, technical services and incentives for your boiler systems, while decreasing your energy costs? Enovity, a sustainability consulting firm, provides cash incentives for boiler efficiency improvements to commercial, industrial and agricultural customers in PG&E's service territory who pay the Public Good Charge or Public Purpose Surcharge and operate hot water or steam boilers.
Through Envoity's Commercial Industrial Boiler Efficiency Program, facilities were able to save over $2.8 million in annual energy costs and receive $2.9 million in cash incentives during the 2006-2008 Program cycle. As a result of Enovity's success, the Program will continue through the next funding period.
Enovity helps its customers identify boiler system energy efficiency opportunities at their facility, perform measurements and analysis to estimate energy savings, assist in the implementation of the energy efficiency upgrades (such as reviewing contractor proposals), verify the installation of measures and the final savings achieved, and provides a financial incentive to help buy down the cost of these projects. Enovotiy has also been instrumental in combining boiler energy efficiency with NOx upgrades in order to improved boiler capacity, improve operations and maintenance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Examples of these measures include burner control upgrades (for 30 ppm NOx), burner combustion fan VFDs, and SCR installation and ULN burner replacement (such as replacing a high excess air, ULN burner with a low excess air 30 ppm NOx burner with a CataStak SCR system).
Benefits of participating in the Program include reduced energy consumption, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced maintenance costs and improved system efficiency What do you have to lose?
Also, read Nationwide Boiler's case study about how a major California food processor was able to receive cash incentives as well as energy and emissions reductions though the installation of a an E2Stak solution (CataStak SCR system and EconoStak economizer) and a condensing stack heat recovery system.
Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.
If there are any problems with the fan, more energy may be introduced into the system, causing decreased efficiency. To help ensure that your equipment is running at its peak performance, please review the common fan problems below.
Fan Capacity/Pressure is Below Rating:
- Dampers or variable inlet vanes are not adjusted properly
- Fan inlet or outlet conditions are impaired
- Multiple air leaks within the system
- Damage sustained to the blower wheel
- Direction of rotation is incorrect
Fan Vibration:
- Worn bearings
- Unstable foundation
- Foreign material in the fan causing an imbalance
- Misalignment of bearings, couplings, wheel or v-belt drive
- Damaged wheel or motor
- Bent shaft
- Worn coupling
- Loose dampers or variable inlet vanes
- Speed too high or incorrect fan rotation
- Vibration to fan transmitted from another source
- Uneven blade wear
- Loose or broken bolts or set screws
Overheated Bearings:
- Improper lubrication
- Poor alignment
- Damaged wheel or driver
- Bent shaft
- Abnormal end thrust
- Dirt in bearings
- Improper belt tension
Overload on Driver:
- Speed too high
- Direction of rotation is incorrect
- Bent shaft
- Poor alignment
- Improper lubrication
- Wheel wedging or binding on fan housing
Thank you to all of our corporate sponsors and donors. We appreciate your generosity and support! More details to follow after the event. See you there!
Advanced Boiler Control Services, , , California Boiler Works, , , , Central Boiler & Industrial Service, Coen Company, Inc., , CRI Environmental Catalyst & Systems, CTi Controltech, In-N-Out Burger, E-tech, Inc., Faber Burner Company, Haldor Topsoe, Hayward Pipe & Supply, John Zink Company, McNulty Mechanical, Inc., Petrochem Insulation, Powerhouse Boiler, Process Heating (Anne Armel), R.F. MacDonald Co., S.T. Johnson Burners, Trailer Transit, Inc., Triple R Heavy Haul, Inc., Valin Corporation, VitalTherm, Wabash Power Equipment Co.
Every week we receive a lot of information on energy efficiency solutions and updates about what the government is doing about climate change. Earlier this week we attended the 18th annual luncheon of the Manufacturers Council of the Central Valley, a group based in Modesto, CA which represents the interests of local manufacturers.
The Keynote speaker, Dorene D'Adamo, a member of the California Air Resource Board, discussed climate change, California's emission reduction goals, and strategies aimed to help meet the state's emission reductions by 2020. One thing mentioned that struck a common chord among others in our industry was the idea of "low hanging fruit" - remedies that are currently being developed and utilized that make a notable difference in reaching energy efficiency and emission goals.
This concept was also recently expressed to us by Sid Abma of Sidel Systems. Sid mentioned that the easiest and most highly promoted action we, as a society, do to help curb greenhouse gas emissions are on the side of electricity reduction and conservation. This includes changing light bulbs, insulating our attics, double panning our windows, and using electric motors.
Sid states that everything we read and hear is about being power smart (electricity). Renewable energy such as solar, wind and tide are also on the fore front, but it always seems to circle back to electricity. Sid argues that emission reduction strategies from natural gas usage are often ignored. Natural gas is widely used in industry (food and beverage, textiles, electricity generation, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, rubber, plastics, etc.) and reductions in its usage need much more attention than it is currently receiving.
We agree with Sid. The mainstream media's focus is often times more focused on "low hanging fruit", however, we have also seen great strides from the government and public utility companies in terms of promoting energy efficiency and offering rebates and incentives for industry users. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) leads the nation in conducting research and development for energy efficient technologies and supports the commercialization of emerging technologies. In addition, the EPA provides guidance and recognition to companies that develop long-term climate change strategies through their "Climate Leaders" program. Locally, many of our users have worked with PG&E and third party vendors to obtain rebate checks from equipment upgrades, which have resulted in substantial energy savings.
Sid's energy savings solution towards natural gas is condensing flue gas heat recovery. The Sidel SRU Series Condensing Flue Gas Heat Recovery Unit can be installed with any natural gas fired power boiler or heating unit. It is designed to reduce operating costs by recovering much of the wasted heat normally lost in the atmosphere into usable heat. Potential applications for the recovered heat include preheating process water or preheating return water for heating systems or boiler make-up feedwater. More specially, schools, universities and hotels could use the recovered energy for swimming pool water or it can be used into the space heating systems of buildings. Sidel System's website includes additional information about this cost savings solution, and if you have not already researched this topic, it is worth a look.
We all know that increased natural gas energy efficiency will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are many ways that this can be achieved and advancements in technology are always evolving. Today, we must open our eyes a little wider and pay attention to all the cost-saving opportunities available at our fingertips that are not always widely recognized. The low hanging fruit is not only the easiest to pick, but it is often times the most ripest.
We would like to know what you are doing to reduce your natural gas usage. Also, are there any emission/energy reduction strategies you feel are not getting the attention they deserve?