energy efficiency Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Unitherm Insulation Systems

May 3, 2012 by Kendal White

How to Conduct an Energy Study at your Facility

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

It’s true. We offer a lot of general advice about how manufactures can save energy, and we have a great deal of data showing the results of different energy-saving strategies, but each facility operates differently, and in most cases, energy plans must be tailored to fit the facility. Your measurements govern how you manage and guide your strategic course of action.

That’s why DIY approaches are so beneficial for facility owners and managers—they offer adaptable tools that bring you closer to remedying a problem or operating more efficiently.

We can all agree that energy prices are high and machines consume huge amounts of energy, ergo operating machines is an enormous expense (the third largest, behind materials and labor, to be exact). But let’s take a step back. Before you seek out solutions, it’s important to know exactly how much energy the machines in your facility are consuming.

That’s where the Power Sight PS 2500 comes in to play. Experts at your energy company use this handheld meter to measure and log energy output. But if you don’t want to hire a professional, you can easily do it yourself. Here’s how:

Connect the PS2500 to your computer via Bluetooth. This will allow you connect wirelessly, install Power Sight software, and sync the PS2500 with your computer.
Check the settings in the electrical panel. Identify the relays, the power source supplying them, and the direction of power to ensure accurate measurements.
Connect the PS2500 to the machine using the voltage, amperage, and natural clamps. When all three are attached, the machine will connect to the computer.
Run the test. Initiate the test using the keys on the PS2500. Data logging parameters can be set within the software. The meter will measure and log energy output until you discontinue the study. You can use the Remote Control option and control the meter completely from your computer.
Create a report. Save the data uploaded your computer, and the Power Sight software will generate a report. From there you can compare, summarize or compile the data as you like.

image from summittechnology.com

Armed with facility-specific data about energy consumption, you can take an active approach to managing your energy costs. Like the idea, but bogged down with a countless other to-dos? Click here for a customized energy report from UniTherm.

May 1, 2012 by Kendal White

How to Join the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge

Going green. Saving energy. Encouraging efficiency. Reducing carbon footprints. Promoting eco-friendly practices. Being environmentally conscious. Conserving resources. It goes by many names, but the social movement is undeniable.

I remember seeing for the first time the trendy “Save the Planet” tees cropping up in clothing lines of popular retail stores. Years later, it turns out that going green more than a fashion trend. It is a compilation of personal and political choices that continues to build momentum worldwide.

We can see big impacts, too, when we look at the sum of our efforts. That’s why government and corporate entities promote going green, leading by example and initiating challenges to get others involved.

Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge

Last year, President Obama and former President Clinton issued the Better Buildings Challenge and extended the challenge to industrial plants for an even greater impact. Because buildings consume about 20% of all the energy used in the US, the initiative’s long-term goals include

Updating American buildings to make them 20% more energy efficient
Saving American businesses nearly $40 million in energy costs

With the help of energy efficiency products, services, technologies, and partnerships, several industrial partners have stepped up to the challenge—3M has 78 participating plants, Alcoa has 30, Nissan has 3, and GE has 125 million sq. ft. of plant space (to name a few).

But you don’t have to be a big name with copious plant space to make a difference. Think of it this way—as a little guy, your carbon footprint is already smaller so you don’t have to make such extravagant changes. Every little bit counts.

To join the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge

Assess your building portfolio to determine energy efficiency opportunities and publicly pledge an organization-wide energy savings goal for the next 2-5 years.
Announce and initiate a showcase project on 1 facility (retrofit, retro commissioning) and develop an organization-wide plan to achieve your energy savings goal.
Share your experiences with energy efficiency solutions, your organization-wide energy savings, and the energy performance at individual facilities for recognition.

In return for your commitment, the Department of Energy agrees to support you via expert technical assistance, connect you to a network of allies, and provide you with national recognition. Win-win-win.

What are you doing to green your building? The Better Buildings Challenge is just one way you can contribute to the social movement. Incentives are abundant, and the payoffs reach far and wide. For starters, you can insulate your equipment to conserve energy and maximize efficiency, and when you start seeing the savings, you can move on to other areas like HVAC and lighting for a complete energy-efficient overhaul.

September 9, 2011 by Kendal White

Untapped Energy Savings in Process Heating

Almost all industrial facilities use some form of process heating, but most companies, even those with strong energy management programs, often overlook the huge potential for energy savings in hot industrial processes.

Industrial facilities make up nearly one-third of the nation’s total energy consumption and according to a recent Department of Energy study, plants with hot processes stand to save 5 – 20% on energy costs by implementing process heating system best practices.

Taking proper steps to reduce heat loss from process equipment, tanks hoses or pipes that reach temperatures of 250°F can significantly reduce energy costs in multiple ways. In many processes, temperatures often exceed 500°F requiring significant amounts of energy to maintain process temperatures and cool a facility’s ambient air temperature. For manufacturers that continuously operate production equipment, the potential energy savings increase exponentially.

The easiest and lowest-cost method of of eliminating energy waste in hot industrial processes lies in insulating process equipment, hoses and hot air ducting. UniVest systems by UniTherm are custom insulation jackets designed to snugly fit equipment and direct heat where it belongs – inside high temperature equipment. [Read more…]

August 24, 2011 by Kendal White

A Quick Guide to Energy Management Software

If you’ve picked up any industrial trade journal or browsed the business section of the news for energy related topics, you’ve probably read about energy management software of some type. Everyone seems to agree that energy management software is the next big thing, but how will such systems actually help your business?

Energy management software generally provides options for evaluating effectiveness and ROI of efficiency projects or for measuring, tracking and controlling energy consumption to eliminate waste.

Software for Energy Efficiency Projects

With so many options to choose from, determining which energy efficiency projects to implement might seem a difficult task for any industrial facility. Employees tasked with reducing energy costs often have limited budgets and must prioritize new projects and plan for future implementation.

Through the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) division the U.S. Department of Energy offers free calculators and software tools that allow you to analyze opportunities to reduce energy costs and help you calculate possible energy savings gained from energy efficiency projects. These tools help calculate the potential return on investment or paybacks for projects, like high temperature insulation jackets, allowing you to purchase the most cost-effective projects first and achieve the greatest amount of energy savings.

Beyond software tools, the EERE also provides a variety of training courses, seminars and webinars for those interested in reducing energy costs with software. Segmented by industry, these resources offer significant insight into options available for you to reduce energy costs.

Energy Management Systems

Available as basic software that controls lighting systems or more complex systems that measure, analyze and control energy consumption, efficiency software offers many custom options for improving efficiency. Sophisticated software systems monitor every aspect of energy consumption and manufacturing emissions, store data that you can use to pinpoint energy waste and send web or cell phone alerts notifying you of any issues.

With such a large range of software options available, determining which services you need isn’t always easy. According to a recent report by business research leader Verdantix, the best method for choosing appropriate management software lies in implementing readily available, free software, choosing a reputable software provider, and clearly outlining your needs prior to the sales process.

What systems are you currently using to monitor your energy usage?

August 18, 2011 by Kendal White

A Bright Idea: Energy Efficient Lighting

It’s a real pleasure to introduce Greg Canniff and Justin Ferrarello as UniTherm guest bloggers. Greg, a Specification Sales Specialist, and Justin, a Social Media and Marketing Specialist, both work for MH Companies, a leading provider of lighting and integrated controls solutions. We’re excited about the opportunity to share their insight about the latest in energy efficient lighting technology!

Greetings from the world of Lighting! We’re happy to offer you a glimpse into our industry through our friends here at UniTherm.

As we’re all aware, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, has become the driving factor in developing building projects across the globe. We’re asked to consider energy efficiency, environmental friendliness and sustainable methods.

Energy Efficient Lighting Options

The latest projects turning heads are those attempting to set the bar with goals of Net-Zero energy. Net-zero energy buildings operate independently of local energy grids, and some even produce more energy than they consume. We’re approaching those ambitious goals using innovative products with solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies; LED is the most widely known SSL technology.

[Read more…]

July 29, 2011 by Kendal White

Energy Efficiency in Plastics Manufacturing

The US Department of Labor reports that the energy management sector has more than doubled in the last two years, with 75% of all jobs in an industrial setting. While energy managers prove a valuable asset to large corporations, many plastics manufacturers with a slimmer budget are tasking current employees with energy related projects.

So how does a non-energy-expert implement energy saving projects? As with any project, the first task lies in evaluating the current situation, researching potential options for improvements, and calculating the potential results of each option.

What are your true energy costs?

With home energy costs, lighting and temperature control usually come to mind as the biggest portion of energy costs. This isn’t the case in plastics manufacturing, according to a recent study focusing on the balance of energy usage in an average plastic plant. Energy consumption for lighting, temperature control and ventilation equate to just over a third of the energy that machines use in most plastics facilities.

While specific energy consumption of machinery varies slightly from plant to plant, there is virtually no difference between the amount of energy consumed in injection and extrusion molding.

A critical first step in any successful energy management plan for a plastics facility is ensuring that machines, which account for 60% of all energy consumption, operate as efficiently as possible.

Energy-saving Measures for Extrusion and Injection Molding

To reduce energy use in extrusion processes, consult with production managers and plant engineers to optimize equipment performance. In many cases optimization of the extruder speed can significantly lower energy usage without impacting end results.

[Read more…]

April 29, 2011 by Kendal White

Cities and States Take Part in Energy Efficiency Incentives to Help Residents Save Money and Energy

We have devoted a few blog posts to some energy incentive programs available to plastics manufacturers that provide rebates for the purchase of products that aim to increase energy efficiency. We are excited to see a trend in this country – various cities and states “going green” and implementing their own energy efficiency programs. As more and more take notice to the benefits (lower energy bill, for one), the more programs you will begin to see, ultimately resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions.
[Read more…]

April 20, 2011 by Kendal White

Lower Your Home Energy Bill

Here at UniTherm we’re all about helping you save money on your company’s energy bill by providing energy-efficient industrial insulation solutions. Wouldn’t it be great to save some money on your home electric bill as well? We thought so!

Paying bills is inevitable. It’s the one task that many of us dread the most, mainly because of the empty feeling it leaves in our bank accounts. So, what’s a better feeling than knowing, over time, you are saving your family some extra dough every year on your home [Read more…]

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