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.
Proven Energy Savings
Installing insulation systems on your equipment offers an extremely profitable solution for reducing energy costs. UniVest insulation covers generally pay for themselves within the first year of operation and in some cases as little as six months and can add a considerable amount to a company’s bottom-line year after year.
For example, Prism Plastics, a Wisconsin based plastics manufacturer, turned to UniTherm for insulating their injection molding equipment and invited their electric provider to test the results. St. Croix Electric completed an independent energy study, which proved that UniVest provided 39.24% in energy savings at the machine, covering the cost of insulation in less than 12 months.
In addition to the relatively low-barrier to entry of insulation systems, many energy providers and state governments offer incentives to offset the cost of energy efficiency projects. Given in the form of rebates or tax credits, these incentives cover 30 – 90% of the costs of energy-saving improvements, exponentially increasing project ROI.
Interested in planning energy projects? Learn more about budgeting for energy efficient projects.