Heads Up CIPEC Newsletter

Heads Up CIPEC Newsletter

May 1, 2012 Vol. XVI, No. 9

CIPEC webinar on Employee Awareness

NRCan will be hosting a free Employee Awareness webinar June 14th, 13:00 EDT in English and June 28th, 11:00 EDT in French. During this 60-minute session, delivered via the Web, participants will learn how building employee awareness can help their organization comply with the new ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard, save on energy costs and foster an energy management culture.

You will also be introduced to NRCan's Energy Awareness Program toolkit and hear from CIPEC Leadership Award winning companies that have successfully implemented employee awareness campaigns in their organization.

Cost: Free - Priority registration given to CIPEC Leaders

For more information, and to register, contact Geneviève Deroy at 613-996-7744 or gderoy@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

Modeling uncovers over 50 percent in energy savings for Tri-Mac Group's new Elmira plant

Problem solved: the egg does come first - at least that's the case for a food processing equipment manufacturer that's about to break ground on a new facility in Elmira, Ontario.

Tri-Mach Group Inc., a manufacturer specializing in equipment for the food and beverage sector, is anxious to leave its cramped, out-of-date building in Kitchener, Ontario behind and move into a modern energy-efficient facility that will comfortably accommodate its 60 employees.

Gretchen Robertson, Controller at Tri-Mach and project team leader, is excited about the prospect of moving into a new facility.

"We've transformed from primarily a machining shop to a fabrication shop and the current facility can't accommodate the growth and changes to our business," she says. "Until now, our business had to fit within an existing facility. Now, we'll have a new facility that will accommodate our business."

Robertson and the rest of the Tri-Mach team also see the move as an opportunity. Along with improving the work environment, Tri-Mach wants to minimize operating costs and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions footprint by making the building more energy efficient.

With help from Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency, Tri-Mach turned to a team of energy efficiency experts from Enermodal Engineering, Enviro-Stewards and LCG Energy Management Group for advice. Specifically, the team was tasked with reviewing the new facility's design in order to identify energy efficiency opportunities that could be incorporated into the plans prior to construction.

The newly-formed team kicked off the project by installing energy monitoring equipment at the existing facility to assess energy use. They also collaborated with Tri-Mach's facility development team to review the requirements and specifications of the proposed premises, then modeled various energy-saving opportunities and developed a set of recommendations to maximize both energy performance and return on investment.

"There are great opportunities to be had in industrial facilities with high ventilation rates," says Antoni Paleshi, a senior analyst with Enermodal. "Feasibility studies like this one allow the owner to see energy efficiency as something that can offer financial benefits."

After modeling the proposed building using eQUEST (Quick Energy Simulation Tool), and comparing it to the energy used at the existing building, the team determined that in its current configuration, the new facility would be more energy-intensive.

"The increase in energy use can be explained by the installation of significantly better lighting, and heating, cooling and ventilation equipment. Tri-Mach wanted more fresh air and better climate control to keep employees comfortable and to produce a better product," says Paleshi.

To improve the Elmira plant's energy performance, the team focused on ventilation, lighting and welding process control. For the biggest savings, they recommended a dedicated outdoor air make-up system with radiant heating, an energy recovery wheel and demand control to replace specific rooftop systems in the shop area.

Occupancy and dimming controls were recommended to reduce lighting power throughout the facility and long-lasting LED lighting was proposed for exterior fixtures. Lastly, automatic shut-off of welding stations and employee engagement in welding energy savings were recommended to reduce process energy use.

The final recommendations package could result in a simple payback period of 2.6 years, with an over 70 percent return on investment and a net present value of approximately $235,000. The recommendations would result in an estimated energy intensity of 166 kilowatt hours per square metre (kWh/m2), which is more than a 60 percent reduction when compared to the original design.

"The entire process of assessing the potential for energy savings was a real eye-opener and very educational," says Robertson. "The team was very professional and I learned a lot about the various opportunities."

Union Gas EnerSmart Program offers wide range of incentives for all industry needs

Bob Gawley, of Commercial & Industrial Marketing at Union Gas Limited, says that industry's response to their EnerSmart program offering has been and continues to be extremely positive. In fact, over 900 industrial customers per year have participated in the program's engineering projects and equipment incentives since 2010.

He adds that a wide range of businesses have participated, from agricultural enterprises to the manufacturing sector, in projects that include heat recovery/heat integration, steam system performance improvements, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, electronic combustion control and high-efficiency boilers.

The Union Gas EnerSmart program has been offered for the past 15 years and has enabled its customers to significantly reduce their natural gas consumption and increase their energy efficiency. Gawley notes that "in 2010, Union Gas incentives helped customers save over 180 million cubic metres (m3) of natural gas or the equivalent of $36 million (natural gas @ $0.20 per m3). This translates into over 2.5 billion cumulative m3 of natural gas or $500 million in cumulative savings over the life of the facilities."

EnerSmart programs include engineering projects and equipment incentive programs.

Engineering projects are tailored to the individual needs of industrial customers and include engineering efficiency feasibility studies, process improvement studies, steam trap surveys, and customer education.

Union Gas also provides up to 50 percent of the cost of a feasibility study, to a maximum of $10,000, to identify potential energy-saving measures on natural gas-consuming equipment and gas-related heating systems or facilities. Typical projects include thermal surveys, facility air balances, HVAC audits, energy audits, benchmarking activities and equipment upgrade studies.

In addition, Gawley notes that steam trap surveys, subsidized at 50 percent of the cost to a maximum of $6,000, test traps for proper functionality and quantify the energy losses associated with inoperable traps.

Another engineering incentive offers process improvement studies, intended to identify opportunities and associated cost savings for gas-consuming equipment and processes. These studies generally require baseline data measurement, collection and analysis. Typical projects include steam plant audits, process integration analysis, heat integration studies and process operation improvement studies. Union Gas can contribute 66 percent of study costs up to a maximum of $20,000.

In addition, a new type of EnerSmart engineering incentive is now available to customers wanting to manage their facility's energy consumption. The program involves integrated energy management systems (IEMS), and qualifying projects are eligible to receive 75 percent to a maximum of $20,000 towards the cost of an assessment. For the implementation and maintenance of the IEMS, Union Gas provides a 50 percent incentive, to a maximum of $100,000.

Union Gas' EnerSmart program also offers equipment incentive programs for the installation of energy efficient natural gas equipment for space heating and water heating. By installing equipment like natural gas condensing boilers, energy recovery ventilators (ERV), heat recovery ventilators (HRV), infrared heaters and destratification fans, customers are eligible to apply for an incentive. Available incentives include $1,300 for a destratification fan, up to $4,500 for a condensing boiler, $300 for infrared heater, $400 for an HRV and up to $1,500 for an ERV.

Union Gas also provides incentives for the implementation of energy-efficient measures or equipment such as operation and maintenance improvements. These types of projects receive a natural gas savings incentive of 8 to 10 cents per annual m3 of natural gas saved.

Gawley says that Union Gas has added even more to their offering. "New in 2012 are incentives for upgrades including boiler tune-ups, infrared polyethylene plastic in greenhouses, and meters," he says.

For more information on the Union Gas EnerSmart program, visit www.uniongas.com/savemoneyandenergy/.

Ventilation-on-demand means significant energy savings for Groupe Canam

"We saved 60 percent in both electricity and propane costs in the first year," says Rodrigue Morin, Director of Engineering at Groupe Canam, as he talks about the modification made to the company's ventilation system in its finishing plant for which the company was ranked finalist for the Energia 2011 award for industrial or manufacturing processes from l'Association québécoise pour la maîtrise de l'énergie.

Groupe Canam manufactures steel joists, joist girders and steel structures for buildings at its 46 451 square metre Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce facility in Quebec. The facility employs about 750 people, with 12 dedicated to the finishing plant working two eight-hour shifts a day, 48 weeks per year. The ventilation system project was carried out in the site's 2060 square metre finishing plant where steel products are painted and finished for shipping.

Morin says that the company conducted a study to investigate a ventilation-on-demand system and found that there were considerable savings to be gained. The finishing plant's ventilation system, which is needed to evacuate particles and volatile organic compounds produced from pulverizing paint and paint application, operated 100 percent the time even though high ventilation flow was only required 50 percent of the time. Other activities such as preparing pieces to be painted and handling do not require the same level of ventilation. Continuous operation of the ventilation system also meant make-up air was constantly being heated with propane in the winter.

The company hired Energima Technologies Inc. to design a variable-flow ventilation system that would correspond to the type of work being done in the plant. Sensors were installed at work stations and connected to a central control to track the type of production and adjust ventilation flow accordingly.

The project, completed in December 2009, cost $212,652 and was funded in part by Bureau de l'efficacité et de l'innovation énergétiques with an incentive of about $160,000, reducing the payback period to 1.4 years. Morin notes that in addition to electrical and propane savings, mechanical wear on the ventilation system's components has been reduced, a better air balance has been achieved in the plant and greenhouse gas emissions have been significantly reduced.

The ventilation project is not the company's first energy efficiency initiative, says Morin, citing its lighting retrofit, compressor and electric furnace projects. Several years ago, the company replaced old lighting fixtures with high-efficiency 400 watt metal halide lamps that work on an automated schedule and only illuminate required sections of the buildings on the site. New buildings have white ceilings and walls to improve lighting and have more windows to increase natural light, reducing electrical lighting costs. Heat recovery systems have also been installed to recuperate heat from compressors and three new electric furnaces operate in off-peak demand periods to reduce the use of fuel oil.

"We always have projects on the go - at least one a year," says Morin, adding that as the company grows and energy prices increase, "we are on the lookout for new energy-saving technologies." Energy conservation is part of the company's philosophy and employees are encouraged to share their ideas and are recognized for doing so.

Dollars to $ense Energy Management workshops

Schedule for May and June 2012

Legend
EEF: Energy Efficiency Financing
EM: Energy Monitoring
EMP: Energy Management Planning
SPOT: Spot the Energy Savings Opportunities
EMIS: Energy Management Information Systems
RCx: Recommissioning

(F) = French

Montreal, Que.
EMP - May 15 (F)
EEF - May 16 (F)

Moncton, N.B.
SPOT - May 30
EM - May 31

Edmunston, N.B.
SPOT - June 6 (F)
EM - June 7 (F)

Register online at oeeforms.nrcan.gc.ca/index-eng.cfm?event=dollars-sense-registration.

Workshop schedule – Spring and summer 2012

Upcoming events - RETScreen® 101 - Introduction to Clean Energy Project Analysis

Take advantage of a unique opportunity to get training on the world's leading clean energy project analysis software - by the people who developed it. Spaces are strictly limited.

English course: Toronto - June 19 to 21

French course: Montreal - September 11 to 13

RETScreen Training Institute courses are delivered in collaboration with the Faculty of Environmental Studies at Toronto's York University.

WHAT WILL THE COURSE COVER?

This beginner-level course will provide an intensive introduction on how to properly use the RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software to assess the technical and financial viability of projects. Topics will include:

  • Overview of the RETScreen software, including a five-step standard analysis
  • Energy efficiency, heating, cooling and power project analysis
  • Greenhouse gas emissions analysis
  • Financial and risk analysis
  • Databases and engineering tools
  • Overview of legal and policy toolkits
  • Ongoing energy performance analysis with RETScreen Plus software

In order to help ensure that participants leave the course with a solid understanding of how to use RETScreen, the course will dedicate considerable time to hands-on completion of project templates and case studies by course participants.

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.

For more information and to register, visit:

English course: www.retscreen.net/ang/11_form2.php?idTraining=3533
French course: www.retscreen.net/ang/11_form2.php?idTraining=3538

For a complete list of industrial program events, visit oee.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial/opportunities/calendar/417.

Call for story ideas

Has your company implemented successful energy efficiency measures that you would like to share with Heads Up CIPEC readers? Please send your story ideas for consideration to the editor, Jocelyne Rouleau, by e-mail at jocelyne.rouleau@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

If you require more information on an article or a program, contact Jocelyne Rouleau at the above e-mail address.

You can also use the subscribe page to change your contact information, to unsubscribe or to subscribe to Heads Up Energy Efficiency, our sister publication for commercial, institutional and federal government buildings. If you are experiencing difficulty accessing the subscription page, see our help section, call 613-996-6891 or send an e-mail to info.ind@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.