Technology and Equipment Resources
Optimize existing equipment and introduce new energy-efficient technologies...to help you use less energy and SAVE MONEY!
Because of their prevalence and relative energy intensity, IAC focuses on industrial technologies in the following categories: process heating, steam systems, compressed air, lighting, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). Equipment control technologies also play a key role in promoting energy-efficient manufacturing practices.
New Report Available on Efficient Building Technologies from DOE: The U.S. DOE released a report in June 2011 showcasing numerous energy-saving products and technologies for buildings. The report highlights technologies made possible through DOE research and development which are currently available in the market or projected to enter the marketplace in the future. The report, titled Buildings R&D Breakthroughs: Technologies and Products Supported by the Building Technologies Program (BTP), is meant to inform government professionals, architects, designers, manufacturers, and energy efficiency advocates about DOE project successes and next-generation innovations. View the DOE Progress Alert and Download the Report
Process Heating
Process heating is vital to nearly all manufacturing processes, supplying heat needed to produce basic materials and commodities. Process heating systems include devices that generate and supply heat, heat transfer devices to move heat from the source to the product, heat containment devices, such as furnaces, heaters, ovens, and kilns, and heat recovery devices. Process heat may be produced by combustion or other heating processes. Heating processes (not including steam generation) consume about 5.2 quads (quadrillion BTU), which is nearly 17% of all energy used by industry (Source: DOE ITP Program). The potential for energy efficiency improvements is huge, especially in industries that are process-heat intensive and use outdated, inefficient equipment.
DOE's Industrial Technologies Program Process Heating Best Practices
| Rank | Recommendation | # of Times Recommended (approximate) |
|
1 |
Insulate Bare Equipment | 1,978 |
| 2 | Recover Heat from Air Compressor | 714 |
| 3 | Use Waste Heat from Hot Flue Gases to Preheat Combustion Air | 547 |
| 4 | Recover waste Heat from Equipment | 503 |
| 5 | Modify Refrigeration System to Operate at a Lower Pressure | 203 |
| 6 | Use Flue Gas Heat to Preheat Boiler Feedwater | 203 |
| 7 | Install Automatic Stack Damper | 202 |
| 8 | Repair Faulty Insulation in Furnace, Boilers, etc. | 172 |
| 9 | Use Cooling Tower or Economizer to Replace Chiller Cooling | 158 |
| 10 | Recover Heat from Oven Exhaust/Kilns | 152 |
Steam
Over 45% of all the fuel burned by U.S. manufacturers is consumed to raise steam (Source: DOE ITP Program). Steam is used to heat raw materials and treat semi-finished products. It is also a power source for equipment, and may be used for building heat and electricity generation. Many manufacturing facilities can recapture energy through the installation of more efficient steam equipment and processes, such as boilers, controls, valves, piping, and equipment. Regular maintenance, leak checking, insulation, and steam trap upkeep can also improve energy efficiency.
DOE's Industrial Technologies Program Steam Best Practices
| Rank | Recommendation | # of Times Recommended (approximate) |
| 1 | Analyze Flue Gas for Proper Air/Fuel Ratio | 1,335 |
| 2 | Replace Electric Equipment with Fossil Fuel Equipment | 941 |
| 3 | Insulate Steam/Hot Water Lines | 603 |
| 4 | Direct Warmest Air to Combustion Intake | 196 |
| 5 | Repair Leaks in Lines and Valves | 190 |
| 6 | Install/Repair Insulation on Condensate Lines | 171 |
| 7 | Install or Replace Steam Traps | 170 |
| 8 | Repair and Eliminate Steam Leaks | 153 |
| 9 | Increase Amount of Condensate Returned | 129 |
| 10 | Install Turbulators | 116 |
Compressed Air Systems
Many industries use compressed air systems a power source for tools and equipment used for pressurizing, atomizing, agitating, and mixing applications. Energy required to operate a compressed air system can be a significant portion of a facility's total energy costs. Optimization of compressed air systems can provide considerable energy efficiency improvements - in some cases, energy use reductions of 20% to 50% can result (Source: DOE ITP Program).
DOE's Industrial Technologies Program Compressed Air Best Practices
| Rank | Recommendation | # of Times Recommended (approximate) |
| 1 | Eliminate Leaks in Inter Gas and Compressed Air Lines/Valves | 3,736 |
| 2 | Install Compressor Air Intakes in Coolest Locations | 2,775 |
| 3 | Reduce the Pressure of Compressed Air to Minimum Required | 1,936 |
| 4 | Eliminate or Reduce Compressed Air for Cooling, Agitating Liquids, Moving Product, or Drying | 616 |
| 5 | Use Synthetic Lubricant | 528 |
| 6 | Improve Lubrication Practices | 393 |
| 7 | Use or Replace with Energy Efficient Substitutes | 332 |
| 8 | Use or Purchase Optimum Size Compressor | 232 |
| 9 | Upgrade Controls on Compressors | 231 |
| 10 | Eliminate Permanently use of Compressed Air | 132 |
Lighting
According to the Buildings Energy Data Book, Energy consumption for all lighting in the United States is estimated to be about 18% of the total electricity generated in the country. In industry, lighting frequently coincides with peak electrical demand and contributes to a building's internal heat generation, increasing air-conditioning load. The conversion of electricity into useful light is one of the least efficient energy conversion processes in buildings today. Advanced lighting technologies (such as LEDs and daylighting) can significantly improve the energy efficiency of lighting, and reduce building energy consumption and costs. (Source: DOE Building Technologies Program)
DOE's Building Technologies Program Lighting R&D
| Rank | Recommendation | # of Times Recommended (approximate) |
| 1 | Utilize Higher Efficiency Lamps and/or Ballasts | 5,656 |
| 2 | Install Occupancy Sensors | 1,977 |
| 3 | Use More Efficient Light Source | 1,663 |
| 4 | Reduce Illumination to Minimum Necessary Levels | 1,009 |
| 5 | Make a Practice of Turning Off Lights When Not Needed | 490 |
| 6 | Use Photocell Controls | 466 |
| 7 | Install Spectral Reflectors/Delamp | 324 |
| 8 | Utilize Daylight Whenever Possible in lieu of Artificial Light | 280 |
| 9 | Install Skylights | 247 |
| 10 | Install Timers on Lightswitches in Little-used Areas | 151 |
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning)
Industrial buildings must maintain healthy indoor environments and still use energy very efficiently. Tighter building envelopes and high-efficiency windows make buildings more energy efficient, but they also increase the need for adequate ventilation. This need for increased ventilation often has a related energy penalty; for example, hot air pulled in from the outside for ventilation must be cooled and dehumidified. Additionally, some types of manufacturing processes must operate within specific temperature and humidity ranges; maintaining these process conditions requires a significant energy input. Technologies related to HVAC can help manufacturers use considerably less energy and dramatically transform the efficiency, safety, and comfort of industrial buildings.
DOE's Building Technologies Program Building Envelope R&D
DOE's Building Technologies Program Indoor Air Quality R&D (click for link)
| Rank | Recommendation | # of Times Recommended (approximate) |
| 1 | Install Timers and/or Thermostats | 1,151 |
| 2 | Improve Air Circulation with Destratification Fans or Other Methods | 370 |
| 3 | Reduce Space Conditioning During Non-working Hours | 324 |
| 4 | Lower Temperature During Winter Season (and vice-versa) | 320 |
| 5 | Air Seals Around Truck Loading Dock Doors | 288 |
| 6 | Use Computer Programs to Optimize HVAC Performance | 284 |
| 7 | Use Radiant Heater for Spot Heating | 284 |
| 8 | Replace Existing HVAC Unit with High Efficiency Model | 284 |
| 9 | Install Vinyl Strip/High Speed/Air Curtain Doors | 261 |
| 10 | Install Outside Air Damper/Economizer on HVAC Unit | 199 |
Equipment Control Technologies
Control technologies are vital, yet often unseen, components of virtually every industrial process. Intelligent control systems, interval data, and process automation technologies help energy managers to understand their facility's energy use, improve plant energy efficiency, boost productivity, enhance worker safety, increase production flexibility, and reduce generation of waste products and pollutants.
DOE's Industrial Technologies Program Sensors & Automation Success Stories
| Rank | Recommendation | # of Times Recommended (approximate) |
| 1 | Turn Off Equipment when Not in Use | 655 |
| 2 | Install Set-back Timers | 581 |
| 3 | Turn Off Equipment During Breaks, Reduce Operating Time | 503 |
| 4 | Use Controls to Operate Equipment Only When Needed | 270 |
| 5 | Reduce Hot Water Temperature to Minimum Required | 188 |
| 6 | Use Most Efficient Equipment at Max. Capacity, and Less Efficient Equipment Only When Necessary | 118 |
| 7 | Conserve Energy by Efficient Use of Vending Machines | 78 |
| 8 | Shut Off Pilots in Standby Equipment | 62 |
| 9 | Minimize Operation of Equipment Maintained in Standby Condition | 46 |
| 10 | Establish Equipment Maintenance Schedule | 39 |
Additional Resources
EERE: Industrial Technologies Program Home Page - DOE's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) helps industry save energy and money. If you're not familiar with the program, this is a good place to start. From this point you can learn more about Research & Development efforts, News and Events, and Features and Resources.
Industrial Technologies Program: Energy Intensive Industries - Part of the ITP program; provides extensive information on specific industries, energy savings opportunity by industry, and best practices.
Industrial Technologies Program: Information Resources - Part of the ITP program; access DOE's databases of energy assessment results and incentives programs, free online periodicals and news update e-mails, and technology videos.
Energy Innovation Portal - Linking energy technologies with market opportunities. Find information on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies available for licensing developed by U.S. Department of Energy laboratories and participating research institutions.
Industrial Assessment Centers Database - searchable database of industrial energy assessments done at manufacturing facilities nationwide through the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program. Includes an index of recommendations and the ability to search by industry, state, recommendation type, implementation cost, and savings.
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Industrial Sector Pages - ACEEE is a non-profit dedicated to advancing energy efficiency. Their Industrial Sector webpage includes information on Manufacturing Energy Policy and Programs, specific industrial technologies such as CHP and fuel cells, relevant publications, and news about research in the area of industrial energy efficiency.
Compressed Air Challenge - Provides resources related to optimizing compressed air systems in industry.
Department of Energy Building Technologies Program - program dedicated to improving the efficiency of buildings and the equipment, components, and systems within them. Advanced Technologies section includes details on equipment, lighting, daylighting, and windows, in conjunction with advances in passive solar, photovoltaic, fuel cells, advanced sensors and controls and combined heating, cooling, and power.
DOE Building Technologies Program: Resources for Commercial Buildings - more information resources to help you learn more about energy efficient commercial and industrial buildings. Includes helpful databases, key publications, and more useful links. Publications include information on benchmarking facility energy use, design guides for commercial buildings, and information on HVAC and lighting.
Electric Power Research Institute: Industry Technology Demonstrations - interesting information on industry technology demonstration projects that EPRI is involved in. Project themes include solar thermal hybrid technologies, post-combustion carbon capture and storage, and end-use industrial energy efficiency.
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance - MEEA is the leading source and champion for advancing sound energy efficiency policies, programs, and priorities to stretch our existing energy resources and reduce the need for imported energy solutions.
Bringing Energy Efficiency to Standard Industrial Processes
Standard technologies and equipment can be found across industry sectors and used in a wide variety of applications. Some of these crosscutting technologies are highly energy-intensive, so improving their efficiency and optimizing performance can yield large energy and cost savings for individual manufacturers.
Other technologies, like sensors, metering, and automation, enable manufacturers to better understand and control their facility's energy usage, making substantial energy and cost savings possible. Due the widespread application of these crosscutting industrial technologies, even small efficiency improvements can mean big reductions in a facility's overall industrial energy use.