Energy Solutions for California Industry: Ways to Improve Operations and Profitability

The evaluation of Inland Empire Utilities Agency wastewater treatment plant resulted in the replacement of inefficient eddy-current clutches with more efficient direct drive motors. The increased flow requirements over time caused many pumps to operate at full speed leading to the deterioration of wear rings on the eddy-current clutches. The upgrade reduced the plant’s energy consumption by 10%, yielding an annual savings of $57,000. Maintenance costs declined by $14,000 per year.

Source: California Energy Commission and Dept. of Energy

Variable Frequency Drive Produces Savings for Manufacturing Plant

An industrial manufacturing plant replaces an electromagnetic eddy-current clutch with a variable frequency drive to power an extruder. The drive saves the customer over $40,000 per year in utility bills and improves extruder operations for the entire plant. It further results in an additional $15,000 per savings in power factor bills. Clean up requirements are also reduced, lowering labor costs.

Source: MidAmerican Energy

Motor System Upgrades Smooth the Way to Savings of $700,000 at Chevron Refinery

Chevron completed a motor system efficiency project at its Richmond, California refinery. By installing variable speed drives and performing pump upgrades, energy consumption was reduced by 1 million kWh per month, resulting in a cost savings of over $700,000 annually.

Source: DOE Industrial Technologies, Program

New Water Booster Pump System Reduces Energy Consumption by 80% and Increases Reliability

Due to GM plant renovations, the city water booster pumping system needed to be relocated. The relocation provided an opportunity to replace the current pump system with a more energy-efficient one. Tying the system directly to city water, relocating closer to the primary water demand area, and varying the motor speed to match the pumping requirements to flow demands produced optimal results. The energy savings were $11,255 per year.

Source: DOE Industrial Technologies Program

Four Equipment Upgrade Projects Reduce System Energy Losses at Augusta Newsprint

The Augusta Newsprint Company performed a plant-wide energy assessment identifying four inefficient systems experiencing excess pumping capacity. To improve pump operations the plant resized the primary fan pump motor, installed a smart pump controller, purchased side-optimized pump impellers, and installed a variable speed drive (VSD) for controlled flow rate. The corrective measures resulted in fuel cost savings, reduced energy losses, and reductions in maintenance.

Source: DOE Industrial Technologies Program

Optimizing Pump Systems at a Chemical Plant

Kodak improved system performance based on recommendations from the DOE Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT) & Flowserve Corporation, resulting in $100,000 in annual energy savings for its two lake-water pumping stations. The inefficiencies were identified and optimized by reducing the number of pumps used, but improving their combined flow rates. Additional corrective measures included selecting efficient pump combinations, reconfiguring pumps, and retrofitting motors for additional energy savings.

Source: DOE

Improving the Efficiency of a Brewery's Cooling System

In an effort to reduce energy consumption and improve the performance of its beer cooling process, the Stroh Brewery Company analyzed the glycol circulation system. Focusing on the pumping system, it was determined that trimming the diameter of the pump impeller resulted in 50% energy reduction and an annual savings of $19,000.

Source: DOE Industrial Technologies Program

Boise Paper Mill Saves Money by Making Its Pumping System More Energy-Efficient

A Boise paper mill evaluates its 150-horsepower pump using the DOE Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT). The efficiency recommendations resulted in energy cost savings of $15,000 per year, as well as a reduction in maintenance costs and production losses.

Source: DOE Industrial Technologies Program