May/June 2001

ISSUE FOCUS: 

The Volatile Energy Market

T OF ENERGY

DEPARTMEN

U

E

NITED STAT S OFA

ERICA

M

A BestPractices PUBLICATION ON IMPROVING INDUSTRIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY

OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL 

TECHNOLOGIES • 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

www.oit.doe.gov 

www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices

California’s energy crisis has hit the state’s

businesses hard, especially those in

energy-intensive industries. But Gary

Thornberry, environmental/service manager at California Portland Cement Company’s (CPCC) Colton Cement Plant, says

his company has a plan to combat power

interruptions. This plan includes reactivating a mothballed coal-fired cogeneration

plant that the company built back in the

early 1980s, and reactivating two boilers

that use waste heat from cement kilns.

The Colton Cement Plant has an interruptible power contract with its electricity

provider, Southern California Edison Company. Thornberry says that power interruptions have caused multiple problems at the

Colton plant, including wasted raw materials and unusually low inventories.

The Colton plant normally produces

750,000 tons of cement per year. The company was founded in 1891 and has provided cement for Arizona’s State Capitol,

the Los Angeles Colosseum, and the new

Disney California Adventure theme park,

among many others.

The plant, which under ordinary circumstances would run 24 hours per day

and 7 days per week, requires an average

electricity supply of 14 MW per hour, with

a peak load of about 20 MW per hour.

Rotary kilns heat a mixture containing calcium, silica, iron, and aluminum to nearly

2800°F. Heating up the kilns often takes 8

to 12 hours, so when the power is interrupted, the kilns start to cool and a significant amount of energy is wasted.

Furthermore, the cooling and heating

cycles caused by the interruptions can

result in expansion and contraction of the

kilns and associated equipment, which

shortens equipment life.

So CPCC’s management has decided to

take its cogeneration plant, powered by a

fluidized bed coal-fired boiler, out of mothballs. The cogeneration plant exists

because, in the early 1980s, electricity

California Cement Plant Battles Electricity Interruptions 

with Its Own Cogeneration Plant

Process heating roadmap now 

online, see page 5.

IN THIS ISSUE

California Cement Plant Battles

Electricity Interruptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Industry Showcase to Focus on 

Metals, Mining, and Petroleum . . . . . . . 2

OIT Assists Industries Hard Hit by 

Volatile Energy Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A to Z of Restructuring Terms . . . . . . . . . 4

New Roadmap for Process Heating

Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Steam Workshops Offer Relief from 

High Energy Bills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Efficient Pump System Performance

Begins with Life Cycle Cost Analysis . . 6

OIT Needs You for Steam System

Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Ask the Clearinghouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

EM Extra Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Coming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

(continued on page 2) 

INSERT:

Motor Systems

The Colton Cement Plant’s cogeneration facility is represented by the darker 

structures in this artist’s rendering.
2 Energy Matters, May/June 2001

ENERGY MATTERS

is published bimonthly by the

U.S. Department of Energy’s

(DOE) Office of Industrial 

Technologies. 

Information contained in the

newsletter can be reproduced

without permission provided due

acknowledgement is given (the

U.S. Department of Energy’s 

Energy Matters newsletter) and 

a copy of the publication is 

supplied to the editor.

■

EDITORIAL BOARD

Rob Boteler, representing

National Electrical Manufacturers

Association

Lynda Butek, representing 

Electrical Apparatus Service 

Association

Keith Davidson, Onsite Sycom

Energy

Glenn Hahn, Spirax Sarco

Aimee McKane, representing the

Compressed Air Challenge®

Bill Stafford, Technical Association

of the Pulp and Paper Industry

Arvind Thekdi, CSGI, Inc.

Chuck Whelan, Dupont 

■

DOE STAFF

Chris Cockrill, BestPractices,

Motors

David Crouch, BestPractices

Communications 

Bob Gemmer, BestPractices,

Process Heating

Fred Hart, BestPractices, Steam 

Theo Johnson, BestPractices 

Program Manager

■

COMMENTS? 

Contact: 

Michelle Mallory, 

Energy Matters Editor, at 

303-275-3627, or e-mail 

michelle_sosa-mallory@nrel.gov

1617 Cole Blvd., MS 1609

Golden, CO 80401

For address/subscription changes,

please contact the editor.

costs were projected to rise considerably.

At that time, CPCC built the cogeneration

plant to combat the higher electricity

prices. However, once the plant was built

in 1985, Southern California Edison offered

electricity at a cost low enough to convince CPCC to deactivate and keep the

cogeneration plant in reserve.

CPCC plans to have the coal-fired plant

up and running in late June of 2001. At the

same time, CPCC hopes to reactivate two

waste heat boilers that produce 5 to 6 MW

per hour. The boilers use waste heat from

the cement kilns.

Burning coal does produce emissions,

but, Thornberry says, “The low operating

temperature keeps the NOx down and the

limestone injection system controls the SOx

emissions. We are also in the process of

installing an ammonia injection system to

further reduce NOx emissions.”

The cogeneration plant is expected to

provide 20 MW per hour and CPCC plans

to sell unused power, though a buyer has

not been determined. At this point, Thornberry says, it hasn’t been decided if CPCC

will stay on the grid after the cogeneration

plant is operating. Regardless, like many

industrial sites in the region, CPCC must

now seriously consider which power alternatives will ensure smooth and efficient

operations. ●

California Cement Plant

continued from page 1

INDUSTRY SHOWCASE TO FOCUS ON THE LATEST IN METALS, MINING, 

AND PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES

The State of Utah and OIT will present The Utah 2001 Industry Showcase August 27-29,

2001, in Salt Lake City. The event is being held to support, promote, and highlight the

use of advanced technologies in aluminum manufacturing, petroleum refining, metalcasting, and mining. Participants will be able to:

■ Tour plants in which the newest technologies are operating

■ Learn about new opportunities for funding plant improvements

■ Hear the latest news on cost- and energy-saving methods

■ Network with industry and government leaders

■ Attend a Congressional Forum on the future of aluminum, mining, and petroleum

For details, log on to www.oit.doe.gov/news.shtml, or call OIT toll free at 877-648-7967.

The power source of the Colton Cement Plant’s cogeneration facility is the fluidized

bed coal-fired boiler, which is depicted near the top of this schematic. 

Colton Cement Plant Arrangement

Turbine generator bldg.

Cooling tower

Coal unloading

station

Coal-fired boiler

Crusher

Existing conveyor

Control room

Existing baghouse

Treated water

New conveyor

Coal storage

Cyclones Kiln

Waste heat boiler

Pipe

Transformer yard

New installations
Energy Matters, May/June 2001 3

The high cost of energy is taking a toll on

U.S. industry—but industry is fighting

back, and OIT and BestPractices are helping. Here we present some brief observations of how three industries have been

affected by, and are coping with, the

volatile energy market. Plus, we provide

examples of how OIT has helped companies in those industries improve energy

efficiency and productivity, thus giving participants a competitive advantage. Your

company might similarly benefit from OIT

and BestPractices assistance. Read on to

learn more.

Aluminum Industry

Energy accounts for at least one-third of

the cost of primary aluminum construction.

It’s no surprise then, that the aluminum

industry has been one of the hardest hit by

high energy prices and shortages, especially in the Pacific Northwest. California’s

demand for power and the Pacific Northwest’s low water levels in hydroelectric

project reservoirs have severely stressed

the region’s power supply, escalating prices

to record levels. Robin King, vice president

of public affairs at the Aluminum Association, says that of the 10 aluminum plants in

the Northwest, only two are still operating,

and minimally at that.

In the mean time, BestPractices has

continued to work with the aluminum

industry, offering tools to improve plant

energy efficiency, enhance environmental

performance, and increase productivity.

OIT, for example, has worked in partnership with Alcoa on a demonstration project 

at an aluminum

extrusion plant in

Lafayette, Indiana.

Alcoa had already

implemented a strategy that included

improvements to the

compressed air system, furnace tuning

and repair, pump

optimization, and

improved heat

recovery. Encouraged by OIT, Alcoa

performed a plantwide energy efficiency assessment

that identified eight

areas for further

analysis. These

included energyand cost-saving

opportunities associated with high-pressure extrusion press pumps, an extrusion

unit’s billet heaters, an ingot plant water recirculation system, a compressed air system, plant lighting, plant steam boilers,

melting furnaces, and energy monitoring.

By addressing these issues, Alcoa is expecting to see annual savings of $1.9 million

from an initial capital investment of $2.3

million, with a payback period of 1.2 years.

Read about the Alcoa case study and

others on the BestPractices Web site at

www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices/explore_

library.

Forest Products

Industry

High energy prices

have also dealt the

forest products industry some severe

blows. Mill closings

have plagued the

Northwest, and energy prices have

been a significant

factor, according to

Bill Nicholson, chair

of the Energy Council, American Forest 

Paper Association (AF&PA) and director of

Corporate Energy and Environmental Services for Potlatch Corporation. However,

he says, the forest products industry can

generate some of its own electricity. In fact,

there are some forest product companies

that sell electricity to the grid. Potlatch,

Nicholson says, is one of those. 

Potlatch owns two facilities with small

hydroelectric dams in Minnesota, and

cogeneration plants in Idaho, Minnesota,

and Arkansas. These power-producing

facilities comply with the Public Utility

Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA). “Those

mills have a tremendous advantage,”

Nicholson says.

Nicholson further states that there is an

extraordinary amount of interest in the

black liquor gasification process. DOEfunded research and development in this

area is focusing on advanced methods of

processing spent pulping liquor from pulp

mills into gas for use as an energy source.

(continued on page 4) 

OIT Assists Industries Hard Hit by Volatile Energy Market

BestPractices works with aluminum manufacturers, which have been

hit hard by high energy prices.

Some forest products manufacturers can offset high energy prices 

by producing some of their own electricity, but they also utilize 

BestPractices resources to save energy and money.
4 Energy Matters, May/June 2001

For more information on black liquor

boiler projects, see fact sheets posted on

the OIT Forest Products R&D Portfolio

page at www.oit.doe.gov/forest/page3a

.shtml.

As with the aluminum industry, OIT has

been working with forest products companies to help reduce energy use, improve

productivity, and boost the bottom line. An

example is the demonstration project at

Boise Cascade pulp and paper mill in International Falls, Minnesota. Boise Cascade

and OIT are partners in the project, which

began with a cost-shared plant assessment

that led to implementation of four projects

and two process modifications. These

include conserving mill water, rerouting

turbine room steam trap condensate, using

foul condensate heat for demineralized

water makeup to hotwells, and modifying

selected processes to decrease effluent flow

and energy consumption.

These projects and modifications are

expected to remove 45.6 MMBtu per hour

from the effluent, exceeding the reduction

target of 35 MMBtu per hour. In addition, it

is expected that the mill will reduce steam

use by 28,100 pounds per hour and effluent flow by 2.2 million gallons per day (an

8% reduction in total flow). To learn more

about the Boise Cascade Mill energy assessment and other assessments, visit the BestPractices Web site at www.oit.doe.gov/

bestpractices/explore_library.

Boise Cascade’s International Falls Mill

has a tradition of identifying and implementing energy projects that improve

process efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Over the last 5 years, the mill

has identified and completed a number of

energy projects in addition to those identified in the recent assessment. Three of the

larger projects include bleach plant effluent

heat exchangers, non-contact water recycling, and contaminated condensate heat

exchangers. The reward has been savings of

91 MMBtu per hour with an approximate

value of $3.4 million per year.

Chemicals Industry

Though the volatile energy market 

has not had as great an impact on other

industries, many are still feeling constraints

from high energy prices. Jeff Hackworth,

energy manager for the Rohm and Haas

chemical plant in Deer Park, Texas, says

that high natural gas

prices have cut 

into his company’s

profit margins. Yet,

because Rohm and

Haas began a serious energy-saving

program in 1997,

Hackworth says 

the company has

received “tremendous benefits.” 

Part of that energy

program included a

project in which

Rohm and Haas partnered with OIT and

four other companies

to do a plant-wide

assessment for energy efficiency at the

Deer Park facility.

The team has identified more than 125

projects, more than 40% of which have

been completed over the last 3 years, and

additional projects are being evaluated. 

Examples of energy-saving activities

include a steam system leak and trap

assessment, a compressed gas leak audit,

an air compressor and dryer audit, a motor

systems assessment, an infrared thermography audit, and more. The findings from

these audits and assessments have led to

modifications and improvements with dramatic impacts. Results have included a

17% energy reduction per pound of chemical produced and a 10% decrease in

energy consumption, despite a 7.7%

increase in production. Overall, on an

annual basis, the plant has reduced energy

use by 3.25 trillion Btu, reduced NOX emissions by 800 tons, reduced CO2 emissions

by 51,350 tons, and saved $15 million.

And they’re not stopping there. “The

higher energy costs are driving us to be

more aggressive with energy efficiency

progress,” Hackworth says. “We’d like to

reduce energy use by an additional 5% to

7% or more by 2004.” For more information on the OIT/Rohm and Haas project see

page 10 of OIT’s Plant Profiles: Industrial

Energy Management in Action brochure 

at www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices/pdfs/

plantprofiles.pdf.

Get Involved

The technologies, processes, and equipment utilized in the preceding examples can

be used in similar circumstances in many

industries. There is vast potential for replicating the energy savings, cost reductions,

and productivity improvements that have

been demonstrated in these and other projects that OIT and BestPractices have supported. Don’t miss out on these benefits for

you and your company. Find out about best

energy management practices, including the

adoption of new, efficient technologies, by

logging on to the OIT Web site at www.

oit.doe.gov and the BestPractices Web site at

www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices. You can

read more about the projects discussed in

this article by accessing the Plant Profiles

brochure at www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices/

pdfs/plantprofiles.pdf. ●

OIT Assists Industries

continued from page 3

The chemicals industry is another area in which BestPractices software,

publications, and technical assistance have helped to improve plant efficiency, enhance environmental performance, and increase productivity.
Energy Matters, May/June 2001 5

With all the talk of restructuring and

energy issues, there are many technical

terms flying about. Here is a short glossary

that may help you understand how restructuring may affect your facility. Sources are

listed below and include Web site

addresses for more complete glossaries and

information.

Average Cost–The revenue requirement

of a utility divided by the utility’s sales.

Average cost typically includes the costs of

existing power plants, transmission, and

distribution lines, and other facilities used

by a utility to serve its customers. It also

includes operating and maintenance, tax,

and fuel expenses. 

Avoided Cost–The cost the utility would

incur but for the existence of an independent

generator or other energy service option. 

Buy Through–An agreement between

utility and customer to import power when

the customer’s service would otherwise be

interrupted. 

Direct Access–A key feature of the

restructuring process. Direct access is the

opportunity for consumers to bypass their

local utility, the generator of their electricity, and purchase electricity from the generator of their choice.

Distributed Generation–A distributed

generation system involves small amounts

of generation located on a utility’s distribution system for the purpose of meeting

local (substation level) peak loads and/or

displacing the need to build additional (or

upgrade) local distribution lines. 

Futures Market–Arrangement through a

contract for the delivery of a commodity at

a future time and at a price specified at the

time of purchase. The price is based on an 

auction or market basis. A standardized, exchange-traded, and government

regulated hedging mechanism. 

Independent System Operator (ISO)–A

neutral and independent organization with

no financial interest in generating facilities

that administers the operation and use of

the transmission system. 

Independent Power Producer (IPP)–Any

entity not regulated by the government as a

public utility that owns or operates an electricity generating facility and offers electric

power for sale to utilities and/or the public

(also known as Non-Utility Generator).

Marginal Cost–In the utility context, the

cost to the utility of providing the next

(marginal) kilowatt-hour of electricity, irrespective of sunk costs. 

Net Metering–Allows the electric

meters of customers with generating facilities to turn backwards when the generators

are producing energy in excess of the customers’ demand, enabling customers to use

their own generation to offset their consumption over a billing period.

PURPA–The Public Utility Regulatory

Policy Act of 1978. Among other things, this

federal legislation requires utilities to buy

electric power from private “qualifying facilities,” at an avoided cost rate. This avoided

cost rate is equivalent to what it would have

otherwise cost the utility to generate or purchase that power themselves. Utilities must

further provide customers who choose to

self-generate a reasonably priced back-up

supply of electricity. 

Restructuring–The reconfiguration of

the vertically integrated electric utility.

Restructuring usually refers to separation of

the various utility functions into individually operated and owned entities.

Retail Competition–A system under

which more than one electric provider can

sell to retail customers, and retail customers are allowed to buy from more than

one provider.

Spot Markets–Any of a number of

venues in which purchases and sales, as of

electricity, are made by a large number of

buyers and sellers, with new transactions

being made continuously or at very frequent intervals. 

Unbundling–Disaggregating electric

utility service into its basic components

and offering each component separately

for sale with separate rates for each component. For example, generation, transmission, and distribution could be unbundled

and offered as discrete services. 

Vertical Integration–An arrangement

whereby the same company owns all the

different aspects of making, selling, and

delivering a product or service. In the electric industry, it refers to the common

arrangement whereby a utility owns generating plants, transmission systems, and distribution lines to provide all aspects of

electric service. 

Definitions have been excerpted and

adapted from The Glossary of Electric Utility

Restructuring Terms:1996, a National Council on Competition and the Electric Industry

Web site at www.ncouncil.org/pubs/

glossary.html; The Consumer’s Glossary of

Electric Utility Restructuring Terms, AARP’s

Public Policy Institute; and the Green

Power Network Web site at www.eren.

doe.gov/greenpower/home.shtml. ●

A to Z of Restructuring Terms

Process heating technologies supply heat

to nearly all manufacturing processes.

Because they consume 17% of U.S. industrial energy, process heating technologies

represent a significant opportunity to

improve industrial productivity and energy

efficiency. Advanced technologies and

operating processes have the potential to

reduce process heating energy consumption by 5% to 25% over the next decade. 

The process heating community, led by the

Industrial Heating Equipment Association

and OIT, presents Roadmap for Process

Heating Technology: Priority Research and

Development Goals and Near-Term, NonResearch Goals to Improve Industrial

Process Heating—a comprehensive plan

for meeting industrial process heating

needs now and in the future. 

To learn more about the plan to achieve

technological and process improvements in

process heating, download the roadmap

from the BestPractices Web site at www.oit.

doe.gov/bestpractices/pdfs/process_

heating_0401.pdf. You can also review the

Process Heating Supplement, which

appeared in the November/December 2000

issue of Energy Matters at www.oit.doe.gov/

bestpractices/explore_library/energy_

matters.shtml. ●

New Roadmap for Process Heating Technology Identifies Priority R&D Goals
6 Energy Matters, May/June 2001

Steam plants took a pounding from high

energy bills last winter. Like many other

steam plant managers, you might be seeking ways to tune up your operation using

the latest energy efficiency measures. OIT’s

BestPractices can help.

BestPractices Steam program offers

workshops specifically designed for energy

managers. These workshops, organized in

cooperation with the Alliance to Save

Energy, utility companies, and trade associations, are venues for managers to gain

knowledge about the technical, personnel,

and financial aspects of efficient plant

operations. Program tools, such as tip 

sheets, case studies, diagnostic software,

and information about training and financial assistance, help managers identify

opportunities for improvement. 

Steam workshops are held at locations

across the country. Check the BestPractices

training calendar at www.oit.doe.gov/

bestpractices/take_class/calendar.shtml

for upcoming workshops in your area. The

workshops are offered at no or low cost.

Take part in discussions and presentations on:

■ The total-system approach to steam 

efficiency

■ Financial benefits or outcomes of

implementing efficiency

■ An overview of steam reference materials (technical, managerial, and financial)

■ Energy efficiency success stories 

In addition, regional experts add technical discussions on topics, such as steam

traps, water treatment, and combustion

controls.

If you are an industry professional interested in giving an informational (noncommercial) presentation or case study at

one of the workshops, please contact

Christopher Russell of the Alliance to Save

Energy at crussell@ase.org. ●

Steam Workshops Offer Relief from High Energy Bills

Pumping systems account for nearly 20%

of the world’s energy demand and, in some

industrial operations, account for 20% to

50% of energy costs. However, because

pumps function as a component of larger

systems, companies may overlook opportunities to save energy and money and

improve pump system performance.

Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis is a management tool that can help companies

minimize waste and maximize energy efficiency for many types of systems, including pumping systems. The Hydraulic

Institute and Europump, in cooperation

with DOE, have developed Pump Life

Cycle Costs: A Guide to LCC Analysis for

Pumping Systems, Executive Summary.

This overview document offers highlights

of a larger report that assists plant owners

and operators in applying the LCC methodology to pumping systems. 

The summary emphasizes the need to

consider pump system costs that accrue

over a lifetime of operation, not just the

initial costs of installation or replacement.

By understanding all of the components

that figure into the cost of ownership, companies can dramatically reduce energy,

operational, and maintenance costs. 

Learn more about how you can apply

LCC methods to pumping systems by

downloading the summary from the BestPractices Web site at www.oit.doe.gov/

bestpractices/explore_library/technical_

publications.shtml. ●

Efficient Pump System Performance Begins with Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in

support of OIT, is performing a Steam System Opportunity Assessment and needs

your input. The objective of this effort is to

determine the savings available from steam

system improvements and to increase

awareness of these opportunities.

To date, the Steam System Opportunity

Assessment has estimated the amount of

steam generated and used in three of the

most steam-intensive industries: Pulp and

Paper; Chemical Manufacturing; and

Petroleum Refining. 

The next step is to estimate the size of

the Steam System Performance Improvement Opportunities (PIO) that are available

to these industries. ORNL is looking for

assistance from steam system end users

and steam system evaluation experts to

identify and quantify Steam System PIOs. A

questionnaire has been developed to

obtain information on:

1. Typical savings associated with different

PIOs,

2. The percentage of plants within these

industries for which different PIOs are

feasible, and

3. The primary rationale for implementing

PIOs.

If you are interested in supporting this

effort by completing the questionnaire,

please contact:

Glenn McGrath, Resource Dynamics 

Corporation

Phone: 703-356-1300, ext. 220

E-mail: mcgrath@rdcnet.com

In exchange for providing input to this

work, you will be acknowledged in and you

will receive a copy of the final report. ●

OIT Needs You for Steam System Opportunity 
Energy Matters, May/June 2001 7

Letters to the Editor 

Energy Matters welcomes

your typewritten letters and

e-mails. Please include your

full name, address, organization, and

phone number, and limit comments to 200

words. Address correspondence to:

Michelle Mallory, Letters to the Editor

NREL, MS 1609

1617 Cole Blvd.

Golden, CO 80401

E-mail: michelle_sosa-mallory@nrel.gov

We publish letters of interest to readers

on related topics, comments, or

criticisms/corrections of a technical nature.

Preference is given to articles that appeared

in the previous two issues. Letters may be

edited for length, clarity, and style. ●

Look to Energy Matters Extra for more coverage on the Volatile Energy Market. Learn

how OIT’s BestPractices can help ease the

impact of high energy prices and energy

shortages by offering tools to improve your

plant’s efficiency and productivity. 

Link to a report that evaluates the effectiveness of OIT’s BestPractices Program.

Download the Pump System Assessment

Tool (PSAT), a software program that can

help you assess pump system efficiency in

your plant. You can also see a summary 

report of Pump Life Cycle Costs: A Guide

to LCC Analysis for Pumping Systems, featured on page 6 of this issue, for ideas on

calculating the total costs of owning and

operating pumping systems. 

Find out more about the upcoming

BestPractices workshop series “Energy

Solutions for California Industry: Ways to

Improve Operations and Profitability,”

designed to help industries improve system

efficiency and reduce electrical demand.

Get details and registration information for

the first workshop scheduled for August 14

in Sacramento. 

Browse through the roadmap for process

heating technology to learn about the

industry’s goals for reducing energy consumption, while meeting industrial process

heating needs now and in the future.

Be sure to check out the money-saving

opportunities available through NYSERDA’s

Energy $mart Program and the California

Energy Commission’s Emerging Renewables Buy-Down Program.

Log on to Energy Matters Extra at

www.oit.doe.gov/explore_library/

emextra. ●

EXTRA

IN THE NEXT ISSUE...

Energy Matters will focus on Alternative

Power Resources and will offer potential solutions to the power dilemma.

Don’t miss the coverage on renewable

energy technologies and other efficiency measures that could apply to

your industry. We’ll also include a special supplement to help you become

more familiar with the potential of 

Distributed Energy Resources.

Watch for the next issue of Energy Matters.

Ask the

Clearinghouse

This column regularly highlights key questions from

industrial customers. The questions are

answered by the OIT Clearinghouse.

Through the OIT Clearinghouse, you can

access the full portfolio of OIT resources to

help make your industry more energy efficient, productive, and competitive. The

Clearinghouse can help you find resources,

such as publications and software, or information about working with OIT and costsharing opportunities. You should also

think of the Clearinghouse as a resource

that specializes in providing technical

advice about motor, steam, compressed air,

and process heating systems. 

Clearinghouse engineers and technical

staff expertly answer a wide range of

industrial efficiency questions, 11 hours a

day, Monday-Friday. The Clearinghouse

also has access to industry experts around

the country. Call the OIT Clearinghouse at

800-862-2086, or go to www.oit.doe.gov/

clearinghouse/ for additional information.

Q: We are attempting to reduce our

overall usage of plant air. The problem is that we cannot agree on the actual

cost of compressed air. One claim is that

compressed air costs $0.12 per 1,000

cubic feet. Do you have any supporting

data that either confirms or refutes this

claim?

A: Large manufacturing plants often

employ centrifugal compressors to

meet their compressed air needs. These

compressors commonly provide from

1,000 to 5,000 cfm of airflow with discharge pressures up to 125 psig. They typically have an operating power requirement

of 16 to 20 kW/100 cfm of air provided. 

If an average centrifugal compressor

consumes 18 kW/100 cfm, 3 kWh would

be required to provide 1,000 cubic feet of

compressed air: 

18 kW/100 cfm x (10 min x 

100 cfm)/1000 cf x 1 hour/60 min 

= 3 kWh/1000 cf

At an electrical rate of $0.04/kWh, the

cost for 1,000 cf of delivered air is exactly

$0.12. 

Note that this compressed air cost ruleof-thumb can be modified based upon

your compressor type and local energy

rates. For instance, a double-acting reciprocating compressor typically requires 15

to 16 kW/100 cfm, while a single-stage

lubricant-injected rotary screw compressor

requires 18 to 19 kW/100 cfm. A lubricantfree rotary screw compressor typically

requires 20 to 22 kW/100 cfm. Electricity

prices also vary tremendously. Some areas

of the country still have industrial energy

rates as low as $0.02/kWh, while others

exceed $0.10/kWh. ●
INFORMATION

CLEARINGHOUSE

Do you have questions about 

using energy-efficient process

and utility systems in your industrial 

facility? Call the OIT Information Clearinghouse for answers, Monday through

Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST).

Fax: 360-586-8303, or access our 

homepage at www.oit.doe.gov/

clearinghouse.

HOTLINE: 800-862-2086

DOE Regional Support Office 

Representatives

■ Tim Eastling, Atlanta, GA, 

404-347-7141

■ Scott Hutchins, Boston, MA, 

617-565-9765

■ Brian Olsen, Chicago, IL, 

312-886-8579

■ Gibson Asuquo, Denver, CO, 

303-275-4841

■ Chris Cockrill, Seattle, WA, 

816-873-3299

■ Joseph Barrett, Philadelphia, PA, 

215-656-6957

This document was produced for the Office 

of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at

the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by the 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a DOE

national laboratory.

DOE/GO-102001-1357 • May/June 2001

T OF ENERGY

DEPARTMEN

U

E

NITED STAT S OFA ERICA

M

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper

containing at least 50% wastepaper, including

20% postconsumer waste

UTAH 2001 INDUSTRY SHOWCASE

The State of Utah and OIT will present this Showcase to support, promote, and highlight

the use of advanced technologies in aluminum manufacturing, petroleum refining, metalcasting, and mining. Attend the event:

■ August 27-29, 2001, in Salt Lake City, UT

Find out more about the Utah Showcase by logging on to www.oit.doe.gov/news.shtml, or

by calling 877-648-7967. 

SPIRAX SARCO/AEE ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPOSITION AND WORKSHOP

■ August 24-26, 2001, in Atlanta, GA

For more information, please log on to www.aeecenter.org/shows/.

INTEGRATED ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONGRESS/FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND

MAINTENANCE EXPO

■ August 29-30, 2001, in Cleveland, OH

For more information, log on to www.aeecenter.org/shows/.

NIA/OIT INSULATION ENERGY APPRAISAL PROGRAM CERTIFICATION CLASSES

■ September 6-7, 2001, in Philadelphia, PA

■ October 15-16, 2001, Omaha, NE 

For more information, log on to the BestPractices calendar at www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices/

take_class/calendar.shtml, or call Wendy Schmutte at the National Insulation Association

703-683-6422.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES CONFERENCE

■ October 16-17, 2001, in Atlantic City, NJ

For more information, log on to www.eetec.org, or call 609-499-3600, extension 3.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

1617 Cole Boulevard

Golden, CO 80401-3393

Bulk Rate

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 258

Golden, Colorado

BestPractices

The Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT)

BestPractices initiative and its Energy Matters newsletter introduces industrial end

users to emerging technologies and wellproven, cost-saving opportunities in motor,

steam, compressed air, and other plantwide systems. For overview information

and to keep current on what is happening

office wide, check out the newsletter—The

OIT Times—at www.oit.doe.gov/oit-times.

Coming Events

To keep up-to-date on OIT training and other events, check the calendar regularly on

Energy Matters Extra at www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices/explore_library/emextra.