Industrial Technologies Program E-Bulletin: Your Online Connection
Welcome to this edition of the E-Bulletin — your connection to news and resources from DOE's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP). Each monthly edition brings you the latest industrial news highlights, and announcements about new tools and resources, training events, and project opportunities.
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During a Texas Industries of the Future event on April 9, 2008, Texas Secretary of State Phil Wilson acknowledged Dow Chemical Company's plant in Freeport, Texas, for receiving the 500th Save Energy Now assessment. |
Texas Secretary of State Commemorates 500th Save Energy Now Assessment
On March 17-19, 2008, the Dow Chemical Company plant in Freeport, Texas, became the 500th industrial manufacturing facility to participate in a Save Energy Now energy assessment. The plant received special acknowledgement from Leslie Drogin of DOE’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for EERE, as well as Texas Secretary of State Phil Wilson and Texas State Energy Conservation Office Director Dub Taylor, at a Texas Industries of the Future event on April 9, 2008.
“As the nation’s top producer and consumer of energy, there is no question that energy plays an important role in the Texas economy,” stated Secretary Wilson. “As we look to the future, it is important that we take proactive steps in energy efficiency today to ensure that our energy demands will be met tomorrow.”
“Programs like these [Save Energy Now] will reduce the demand for natural gas by industry, which can result in lower demand for natural gas overall, which benefits all consumers,” said Taylor. Visit ITP's participating plants Web page to see a list of companies by state that have received Save Energy Now assessments.
ITP Issues Awards to Industrial Companies for Save Energy Now Accomplishments
During the month of April 2008, 23 plants received DOE Energy Champion and Energy Saver awards for achieving significant energy savings after participating in a Save Energy Now energy assessment. The following companies were recognized at industry events in Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas:
Energy Champion Plants—total energy use savings of more than 15% or 250,000 MMBtu:
- Dow Chemical Company-Power 6
- EMC²
- Empire Die Casting
- The Houston Chronicle-SW Printing Plant
- Jergens, Inc.
- NBGS International.
Energy Saver Plants—total energy use savings of more than 7.5% or 75,000 MMBtu:
- Core Systems, LLC
- Custom Rubber Products, Inc.
- Dow Chemical Company-Midland Operations
- Eaton Corporation-Aurora
- Eaton Corporation-Mantua
- Flexible Foam Products
- Groth Corporation
- Gulf States Paper
- Hampson
- Honeywell
- The Houston Chronicle
- MeadWestvaco
- Osteomed
- Sunoco-Bayport
- Texas Petrochemicals LP-Houston Plant
- Trelleborg CRP
- Tyson Foods, Inc.
In May, DOE will recognize even more companies for their energy savings accomplishments at industry events in Illinois, Louisiana, and Wisconsin. How can your company be recognized? Apply today for a Save Energy Now energy assessment, or if you have already participated in an assessment, be sure to implement the recommendations and complete the assessment report with your DOE Energy Expert.
Industry Input Needed for New ISO Energy Management Standard
ITP is partnering with U.S. industry, Federal agencies, and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop an ANSI-accredited plant certification program that will promote improvements in industrial energy efficiency and management practices. A key element of the voluntary plant certification process will be an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) energy management standard. Recently, the ISO Technical Management Board approved the formation of a new Project Committee, PC 242, tasked with developing a management system standard for energy management (ISO 49001). The success and global relevance of the ISO 49001 depends on full participation of ISO national members and other stakeholders. To facilitate U.S. participation, ANSI has formed a U.S. Technical Advisory Group (U.S. TAG) to support and influence the efforts of PC 242. Industry representatives are invited to join the U.S. TAG and make your voice heard in developing the U.S. position on energy management. To learn more about joining the U.S. TAG, please contact Deann Desai at deann.desai@gatech.edu or 770-605-4474.
DOE Workshop Facilitates Discussions Between Glass and Solar Industries
Glenn Strahs of ITP, and Jeffrey Mazer of DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Program, co-chaired the first DOE-sponsored “Workshop on Specialty Glass Needs for the U.S. Solar Industry” April 2-3, 2008 in Golden, Colorado. More than 60 business and technical personnel from the glass and solar industries attended the workshop, which focused on the high demand for specialty glass from the Photovoltaic (PV) and Concentrating Solar Power industries, and opportunities for the commercialization of such technologies. The event included presentations by Michael Bruce of the EERE technology commercialization office; Strahs and Mazer, who presented information on the growth of PV and the Solar America Initiative; and Scott Hennessey of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Workshop participants discussed ways to facilitate communication between the glass and solar industries to address glass needs and requirements—both technical and market-related. An optional tour of several National Renewable Energy Laboratory facilities was also offered. Learn more about ITP's R&D efforts with the glass industry.
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ITP-sponsored technologies help U.S. industry save energy, boost productivity, and reduce emissions. Below you will find new technologies to help increase energy efficiency at your company.
Construction is underway on the first SlurryCarb™ facility in Rialto, California, which will convert biosolids waste into renewable fuel. |
Waste Not, Want Not: SlurryCarb™ Turns Sewage Into Renewable Fuel
An innovative process to convert municipal sewage waste into renewable fuel is moving into the commercial market, with help from DOE's Inventions and Innovations (I&I) program, which has funded energy-efficient technology development projects for ITP. EnerTech Environmental, Inc. recently began construction of the first SlurryCarb™ facility in Rialto, California, which will convert biosolids waste into fuel for use in applications such as boilers and cement kilns. The unique SlurryCarb process uses carbonization to remove carbon dioxide from biosolids, then dewaters and dries the residual waste into an energy source called E-Fuel™.
This technology uses two-thirds less energy than traditional drying methods, and produces a clean-burning, renewable fuel with a heating value of 7,000 Btu/lb (between wood and coal). The SlurryCarb process also eliminates costs and use of landfill space associated with waste disposal. Scheduled to open in early 2009, the Rialto plant will receive approximately 683 tons of biosolids per day from municipalities in the Los Angeles area and convert it into 167 tons of E-Fuel to be used in a local cement kiln as an alternative to coal. Customers include the city of Riverside, California, which estimates that its 20-year contract with EnerTech will save $20 million in disposal costs.
"Our Rialto facility represents the culmination of significant development efforts that went into refining and commercializing the SlurryCarb technology. We are grateful to have had the support of the Industrial Technologies Program," said EnerTech President Kevin Bolin.
EnerTech Environmental, Inc. received a 1995 EERE I&I award to refine its SlurryCarb process. The company was also a runner-up for The Wall Street Journal's 2007 Technology Innovation Awards.
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Attend these key events to learn about the latest energy-efficient technologies and practices, and network with industry peers.
The Association for Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition (AISTech) will be held May 5-8, 2008, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AISTech 2008 conference programs will focus on iron making, steelmaking, engineering, finishing processes, technologies, and equipment.
Held in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 6-8, 2008, the Industrial Energy Technology Conference will feature panel discussions, technical Q&A sessions, and workshops to help energy management and waste reduction professionals identify and implement new energy-efficient technologies.
More than 35,000 attendees representing 18,000 East Coast manufacturers will be present at the Atlantic Design & Manufacturing trade show June 3-5, 2008, in New York, NY. The show welcomes senior-level design and manufacturing professionals looking for new suppliers, ideas, and innovations. Exhibitors will offer solutions for industry’s most challenging and routine applications.
In conjunction with the Atlantic Design & Manufacturing trade show June 3-5, 2008, the Green Manufacturing Expo will feature products and services to improve process efficiency, reduce costs, and conserve energy and resources. The expo invites R&D directors, operations and facility managers, manufacturing engineers, environmental engineers, and other industry professionals to learn the benefits of clean technologies.
The Virtual Energy Forum, held June 10-11, 2008, will focus on how companies can implement better energy management practices to cut costs, while at the same time adopting clean energy alternatives. The two-day online conference will connect thousands of corporate executives with sustainability experts and alternative energy services. It will include a keynote by Newt Gingrich, and presentations by Paul Scheihing of ITP and many other energy efficiency experts.
The American Public Power Association National Conference & Public Power Expo will be held June 21-25, 2008, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event attracts more than 1,200 public power industry professionals including utility board members and senior utility executives. More than 30 sessions covering all facets of utility governance and operations will be featured to provide insight on industry trends, changes, and new ideas for developing customer programs.
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ITP offers technical publications, software tools, and other resources to help you address your company's industrial energy needs. Here are the latest products from ITP.
New ITP Process Heating Software Tool Available in Metric
ITP has released a new version of the popular Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST) that supports inputs in both English and metric units of measurements. The online software tool is used to identify opportunities for thermal efficiency of heating equipment, and survey the most energy-intensive process heating equipment that consumes fuel, steam, or electricity. Version 2.0 includes local currency options for energy cost and savings calculations, as well as enhanced features that will help you assess furnace equipment such as ovens, heaters, melters, and boilers. PHAST 2.0 is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista operating systems, and replaces Version 1.1.2. Previously collected plant data using PHAST 1.1.2 cannot be directly transferred to PHAST 2.0; however a patch is available at the software tool download site, which allows for parallel use of both versions. Learn more about ITP’s suite of software tools for analyzing industrial process systems.
Direct immersion high-efficiency heaters are a key energy-saving feature of the Isothermal Melting process. |
Spring Issue of Energy Matters Highlights ITP Resources, Utility Partnerships, Isothermal Melting Technology, and More
Be sure to check out the Spring 2008 issue of Energy Matters, which features articles on:
- ITP resources that industrial companies can utilize to assess their energy use and identify cost savings, such as the participating plants and Industrial Assessment Center databases, which contain data on how other companies have implemented energy savings measures.
- How utility companies are teaming up with ITP to deliver energy efficiency resources to industrial customers
- The Isothermal Melting process, which is saving energy for the aluminum industry
- Save Energy Now case studies that reveal how three companies optimized their plants' steam systems through an energy assessment
- Tips for saving energy in process heating systems from Dr. Arvind Thekdi.
Also, ITP needs your feedback to help improve content and delivery of Energy Matters. Please complete the Energy Matters survey!
Visit the ITP Web site for more BestPractices technical publications, software tools, and case studies to help you improve efficiency, productivity, and the bottom line.
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ITP awards cost-shared funding for R&D and plant assessment projects through a competitive merit review process.
Applications Due May 7, 2008 for Transformational Technologies Funding Opportunity
ITP is seeking industry applications on transformational technologies for the Industries of the Future and energy-intensive processes. Applications are due May 7, 2008, for the "Collaborative Energy Efficiency and Carbon Footprint Research and Demonstration for U.S. Manufacturing Industry" Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The areas of interest are transformational iron and steel technologies; alternative chemical process technologies; forest product technologies; and energy-intensive processes. Learn more.
Research Lab Call for Nanomanufacturing for Energy Efficiency
ITP has announced a new Research Lab Call for DOE National Laboratories titled "Nanomanufacturing for Energy Efficiency 2008." Approximately $10 million in total funding is available over three years for development of nanotechnologies that will reduce energy and carbon intensity in manufacturing applications. Individual awards will range from $150,000 to $2 million. Although the solicitation is restricted to DOE National Laboratories as prime awardees, industry collaboration is critical in bringing the R&D projects to the commercial market in three to five years. Proposals should address one of the following technology categories: catalysts, coatings and thin-films, separations media, nanocomposites, and other nano-developments that yield energy and carbon benefits. The deadline for proposals is May 30, 2008. Read the full Program Announcement (PDF 137 KB) to learn more.
Energy Expert Selection Process Approaching
A solicitation has been issued for Qualified Specialists interested in becoming DOE Energy Experts. The solicitation will be in effect for one year, and applications will be reviewed for selection on a quarterly basis. The first review and selection period will begin June 29, 2008. Through ITP's Save Energy Now effort, Energy Experts conduct energy assessments at major U.S. industrial plants to help improve the efficiency of industrial steam, process heating, fan, pump, or compressed air systems. To qualify to become an Energy Expert, individuals must first be Qualified Specialists. These are highly experienced professionals who have passed a rigorous exam and are skilled in the use of ITP BestPractices assessment and analysis software tools. Those selected from this solicitation will attend training provided by DOE for certification as Energy Experts. Once certified, DOE will place the Energy Experts on a Qualified Bidders List for future procurement opportunities in 2008 and 2009. Learn more.
To learn more about project opportunities, visit ITP's solicitation page.
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