queenschamber.org THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH Energy Conservation is Environmental Conservation By Scott Sine P.E., Director of Engineering & Energy Services For the following column, we thank Scott Sine P.E., Director of Engineering & Energy Services, and Matthew Zanzalari, Account Manager, at H.T. Lyons. A sister Talen Energy affiliate, H.T. Lyons is a full-service mechanical contractor 14 that partners with Trystate to give clients the advantage of energy independence in a competitive marketplace. Energy conservation is an important aspect to environmental preservation from the perspective of electrical generation. Electricity generation attributes to nearly half of carbon emissions in the US. The process produces more pollution than any other industry in the country. The answer may rest with a process called cogeneration. Cogeneration is defined as a process of combined heat and power (CHP). The process uses a fuel source to thermodynamically capture useful waste heat while simultaneously generating electricity. CHP was refined by the invention of the oil-free and low-maintenance Micro Turbine and high-efficiency reciprocating engines. The new twist on CHP systems allows variable speed control over the generation of electricity and thus the production of thermal energy. When demand is low, the system is designed to release excess heat into the atmosphere via condensers or stacks like you’d find at traditional power plants. Capturing the majority of this excess heat or flue gas enables CHP plants to run at efficiencies near or above 80%, and when combined with an absorption chiller to provide cooling, efficiencies can rise above 90%. Traditional power plants, such as nuclear facilities, run at efficiencies around 30%. Former Mayor Bloomberg announced a goal of reducing local greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Because of the high efficiency of CHP systems, more widespread use could help reduce emissions associated with power and thermal energy production. During these years, NYC officials established policy with a target of 800 MWe for local CHP deployment by 2030. Cost is an issue to get some projects off the ground. To drive down costs, some utility companies offer leaseto own and other financial packages, while other units are sold based on an energy payback period coupled with various incentive packages. Another advantage of having CHP on-site is to aid critical buildings in the event of a blackout. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the Northeastern US. One critical site that was hit hard by the storm was a data center on West 17th Street in New York City known as Public Interest. Public Interest has a dual mode Micro Turbine that worked to seamlessly pick up the data center load when the utility power shut down. As the 2030 target date nears for having 800 MWe of local CHP deployment, and as businesses are ignoring the politics and realizing the need to reduce carbon emissions, the biggest payoff is money. The estimated savings of using less utility-generated electricity is a continued benefit and a wise business decision. Manufacturing Eff iciency Delivers Cost Savings Across the Industry Manufacturing in Queens covers a host of makers. We have such diversity in this sector: food makers, printers, window manufacturers, an entire supply chain of automotive and transportation… and on and on. With this diversity comes a wealth of options for a community in Queens to share best practices and ways to increase efficiency and cost savings. Today’s modern manufacturing has seen a lot of change in recent years. Manufacturing issues have only grown more complex while the new technologies to meet these challenges have evolved. Companies find themselves under pressure for more rapid product introductions, adaptation to local market conditions and continuous improvement to optimize costs, quality and efficiency. As a result, manufacturing executives need unprecedented visibility and control over the entire production process. The objective to improving visibility is primarily to gain information faster, which can then be converted into intelligence and better decision support. Our upcoming meeting on April 21 will enhance manufacturers’ decision processes by presenting proven ways to increase efficiency and save money. Short presentations from supply chain, financial, workforce development and energy partners illustrate proven options for Queens’ manufacturers. Each case study presentation will highlight an issue followed by a resolution that illustrates an opportunity to answer today’s complex business world. Please join co-chairs Brian Shube and Geoff Smith with a select panel of specialists that will take a closer look at driving efficiency and cost savings. Food for thought…Top 5 ways to Drive Efficiency and Optimize Cost: 1 2 3 5 4 Process optimization. Before talking about cost, you need to look at your entire process. Focusing on the process rather than on the product or product-related cost might be the initial important departure from your current (usual) practice. This helps to manage the whole and not a part, avoiding partial process optimization or improving a process part but (unintentionally) damaging another (maybe down-stream) part and sometimes making output even much worse. Workforce optimization. Manufacturers can optimize their workforce by looking at product demand versus capacity utilization to quantify a balanced workforce that optimizes labor costs. Reduced overtime expense can be a major source of savings. Energy consumption. For many manufacturers, energy represents the first or second highest (with labor being the highest) cost element. By making demand-driven decisions, companies can choose to run slower to save energy without sacrificing customer service or output. Real-time, accurate visibility into the operating conditions is critical. Business Finance Options. With better access to alternative sources of financing, manufacturers can explore options that can save on capital improvements, hiring employees, expansion, relocation and more. Lower cost of regulatory compliance. As a continuation of improving quality and real-time visibility to how quality processes are executed and managed, it follows that the benefits not only reduce the cost of compliance, but also help to avoid production mistakes in the first place, which can cost a fortune to correct. By calibrating operating cadence to customer demand, companies can avoid “out-of-stock” occurrences without storing excess inventory.
QB042016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above