Would you like to pay the monthly utility bills for Option A (Blue Columns) or Option B (Red Columns)?
Option A is the monthly bill for a facility that does not have an energy manager or an energy management system. Option B is a facility that has a properly installed, setup and functioning energy management system or an active energy manager. An energy management system or an energy manager can save up to 10 percent of your total energy bill.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Energy management systems can be employed different ways. They can be installed in all types of government and commercial buildings or in a production facility. However, the cost of the system will vary depending on the facility size, operation and the degree of automated control. A system can be as simple as energy management components that are manually set to control the energy usage or a system that automatically controls the components. And, it can control only a few items like the thermostat and the lights or it can control every part of the facility such energizing equipment during start up.
Since an energy management system has many different possibilities as to what it controls, there are a few control schemes. The system may be set up to look at reducing the energy usage, it may be set up to reduce the demand or it may look at both. The system could also take into account comfort levels if it is controlling the HVAC system and the light levels.
ENERGY SAVING TIPS
An active energy manager can do just as good a job as an energy management system in most cases. You do not need to have an energy management system to save energy. There are a few simple things that you can do, or an energy manager can do, that will help you reduce your energy. These suggestions may get you a 10 percent reduction of your total energy bill or may allow you to go beyond 10 percent.
LIGHTING
- Dimmer switches
- Occupancy sensors in all areas that are not occupied 24 hours a day
- Compact fluorescents to replace incandescent lights
- LED exit signs
- Review of lighting technology to ensure appropriate technology usage
THERMOSTATS
- Install programmable thermostats and set them for night and weekend setbacks
CHILLERS
- Adjust chilled water set points to match the chilled water requirement
BOILERS
- Install piping insulation
- Reduce the amount of excess air going up the stack
- Reduce the stack temperature
- Inspect steam traps and replace leaky steam traps
- Consider new energy efficient burners
MOTORS
- Purchase NEMA Premium efficient motors
- Use only quality certified repair shops, no rush jobs
- Determine the facility Horsepower Breakpoint
- Typically, do not rewind motors less than 20 horsepower
PUMPS/FANS
- Optimize pumps / fans to the load or consider an adjustable speed drive
COMPRESSED AIR
- Analyze the compressed air system to determine the maximum pressure needed and reduce the compressed air set point to that pressure.
- Analyze compressed air piping — reduce piping losses by reducing the number of fittings and elbows and make sure you have the necessary pipe diameter (the smaller the pipe diameter, the higher the pipe losses)
DETERMINING SAVINGS
After making changes to your facility, often it is hard to document the actual savings realized unless you are monitoring the energy usage of that equipment. As the facility variables such as temperature, production and operating hours change, the actual savings get mixed with the changes in energy usage caused by these other variables. How can you determine the amount of savings caused by the energy saving modification? If you are only taking a monthly picture of your energy usage, you may not be able to capture and allocate the energy savings. However, if you are looking at your energy usage on a daily or weekly basis and have been tracking the energy usage along with these other variables, you may have a good understanding of how these other variables impact the energy usage. Knowing this information, you can get close in estimating the expected energy usage. The difference between your prediction and the actual will be the energy savings that can be contributed to modifications.
A 10 percent energy reduction is an achievable goal. Make sure you take the time to get an understanding of your energy usage before and after each energy saving modification to document the savings. This will provide you with the necessary information to go after the next modification. For assistance in determining how to make some of these modification or which ones you should go after, please contact your Progress Energy Account Manager.
