Heads Up CIPEC Newsletter

Heads Up CIPEC Newsletter

January 15, 2012 Vol. XVI, No. 2

THIS ISSUE CONTINUES OUR COVERAGE OF ENERGY 2011 – “A LEAN AND GREEN FUTURE – MAKING ENERGY VISIBLE” CONFERENCE HELD IN TORONTO ON NOVEMBER 29 AND 30

'Net zero footprint plant not a pipedream' says PepsiCo's Helmi Ansari during his luncheon address at Energy 2011 conference

“We have the choice to enable every inhabitant of this planet to live well forever,” said Helmi Ansari, Sustainability and Productivity Director, PepsiCo Foods Canada – Frito-Lay Canada, to the luncheon audience at the Energy 2011 conference, as he summarized his reflections on sustainability. “Energy and water shortages are on the horizon and issues of waste management are already upon us. We are the inventors of waste – it does not exist in nature; could that be our single largest creation?” he added.

Waste and energy management have been preoccupations of PepsiCo Foods Canada for some time. “'Leave No Trace' is our mantra,” said Ansari. PepsiCo had already established green teams in the early 1990s that focused on environmental compliance; in 1999 those teams also embraced resource conservation, and by 2008, the goal was focused on leaving a 'zero' footprint in the future.

Since 1990, PepsiCo Foods Canada has reduced its water consumption by over 40 percent and its fleet fuel use by 25 percent per unit of product produced. Today, waste oil is converted into biofuel, plastic is recycled and cardboard is re-used six times before recycling. “We always look at our waste as a potential ingredient for another process” says Ansari. He added that the company has LEED certified buildings, has installed solar walls in some facilities, and completed lighting retrofits and heat recovery systems in every single one of Pepsico's Frito Lay plants. “This was simply fruit already lying on the ground,” he noted.

Given all that has been accomplished, Ansari envisions a “net zero footprint” potato chip in the coming years – a product that could be produced from condensed steam with the aid of recovered energy, and delivered in a recycled cardboard box by an electric truck.

“We have much more in the pipeline in terms of fuel and energy reductions,” said Ansari, noting that PepsiCo is looking at rooftop solar and wind installation. He envisions chips produced in a plant run on potato water and packaged in a material derived from recycled potato peels in the near future. “A net zero plant is not a pipe dream,” said Ansari, pointing to a PepsiCo facility in Casa Grande, Arizona that reuses up to 85 percent of its water, generates nearly all of its electrical needs and over 85 percent of its thermal energy.

Ansari has accomplished all of these gains with just a small team with big goals supported by upper management that believes that “energy reduction is not an extra.” PepsiCo is continuously improving its performance because it makes good environmental and business sense. “Everything that we have done to reduce our energy, water and waste footprint has increased our bottom line,” noted Ansari, adding he and his team see their entire fuel and energy bill representing waste that should be eliminated in a “Net Zero” future.

This is the promise of PepsiCo to its shareholders – to deliver growth while delivering sustainability. As Ansari asks “Do we want our kids to ask us how we found the moral courage to change the destiny of humans for the better or to ask us how we could have been so selfish as to not care about the consequences of our actions?”

Making Energy Visible with Lean and Green Manufacturing

Presenter Brett Wills knows more than a thing or two about the lean and green process – the Senior Sustainability Coach at High Performance Solutions actually wrote a book about it.

During the “Lean and Green Manufacturing as a Means to Making Energy Visible” workshop at Energy 2011, the former plant manager and Green Intentions author told participants all they needed to know about lean manufacturing as a means to eliminate waste, reduce operating costs, and consequently increase productivity and profits. “It's not rocket science”, said Brett when sharing his straightforward ‘lean and green' approach with participants.

In outlining the roadmap for sustainability, Wills explained that having a vision is a critical first step. Developing a strong business case that focuses on direct cost savings and productivity improvements is also crucial to obtaining company buy-in to support that vision. Quoting the late Ray Anderson, he explained that it's about showing decision-makers “a better way to make a bigger profit”.

Next, Wills talked to participants about the 7 green wastes: energy, water, materials, garbage, transportation, emissions and biodiversity. He provided examples of companies who found innovative ways to reduce such wastes. When looking at energy waste for example, participants learned how North American company LoyaltyOne realized annual energy savings of $130,000 after installing a 165kW solar panel.

On the topic of waste, Wills introduced lean manufacturing concepts like the closed-loop manufacturing system – a sustainable system whereby a product is created using renewable energy or recyclable materials, that can ultimately be re-used or recycled to make something new. A prime example, cited by Wills, is office equipment manufacturer Herman Miller Inc. who produces chairs made from 53 percent recycled content that are also 94 percent recyclable.

Going through each of the waste categories, he also showed participants how to assess their current state by identifying and measuring waste in order to manage it accordingly. Then he described the future state, which is reached when companies are taking steps towards minimizing waste. On that note, Brett shared tips or “quick wins” as he called them, to help participants minimize each of the 7 green wastes. Quick energy wins, for example, can be achieved through peak demand shaving, shut down procedures and proper air leak insulation.

Wrapping up, Wills discussed next steps, which include prioritizing opportunities, developing a strategy and celebrating success. Linking it back to the lean and green manufacturing process, he reminded participants that snatching that low-hanging fruit is what it really all boils down to.

Using ISO 50001 to improve energy performance

The promise of increasing efficiency, reducing costs and improving energy performance packed an Energy 2011 workshop entitled “How to Use ISO 50001 to Improve Energy Performance”. Close to 60 conference attendees got an overview of the new ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard and heard directly from a trail-blazing company.

The new standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) allows a wide range of facilities to establish the systems and processes necessary to take a systematic approach to improving energy efficiency, consumption and intensity. It will also lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts.

The standard was published in June 2011. It shares many of the same elements found in ISO's management standards, like the plan-do-check-act method adopted in earlier ISO management standards. The ISO estimates that the 50001 standard could influence up to 60 percent of the world's energy use.

One of the reasons the ISO is optimistic about the standard's adoption is that it takes a flexible, non-prescriptive and voluntary approach. “It's a management systems standard for people who don't like management systems standards,” said Ahmad Husseini, Manager of Standards Development at CSA Standards.

Husseni also expects the standard to spread quickly as companies opt to self-declare. This option involves adopting the standard but skipping the audits involved with third-party certification. That way, companies can begin benefitting from the standard without waiting for certification. The CSA offers an implementation guideline to help companies conform to the new standard and self-declare. The CSA plans to release more comprehensive implementation guidelines by early 2012.

Workshop participants were also keen to hear about other assistance available through NRCan's ecoENERGY Efficiency program. “The industrial component of the program strongly supports the deployment of the ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard,” said Bob Fraser, Chief, Industrial Programs Division at NRCan. The Industrial Programs Division and CIPEC worked hard with representatives from a number of organizations and countries to help develop ISO 50001. The Industrial Programs Division and CIPEC will be instrumental in supporting its uptake and they are developing training materials and tools, and providing information.

Pilot projects are a key element of this support. “NRCan provides a financial incentive of up to 50 percent of study costs to a maximum of $25,000 for ISO 50001 implementation pilots,” said Fraser.

NRCan is partnering with the Ontario Power Authority to support five industrial companies as they implement ISO 50001. “This stuff really works. Electricity intensity has improved by over 25 percent compared to an initial baseline at one of the pilot plants. And another plant is doing retrofits that should improve their electrical intensity by over 25 percent by mid-2012,” said Jon Feldman, Business Manager with the Ontario Power Authority.

Participants also heard a frontline perspective from Earl Taylor, the Plant Engineering Leader with 3M Canada's Brockville, Ontario plant. 3M is participating in a pilot with funding from NRCan and Enbridge. The Brockville tape plant employs 170 people in manufacturing and covers almost 4.5 hectares.

One of Taylor's key lessons was how the standard appears to be delivering a consistent and sustainable approach to energy management at 3M. “We've made good gains in the past, but they were hard to sustain. ISO 50001 encouraged us to build capacity. We want to get everyone managing energy as part of their jobs,” Taylor said.

A gap assessment, one of the key early steps of ISO 50001 implementation, showed Taylor and his team where to focus their efforts. A management review received a zero ranking – meaning poor compliance with the ISO standard. After ISO 50001 implementation began, a review of energy use by management earned a 92 percent ranking.

During the closing Q&A session, when asked if 3M planned to certify or self-declare ISO 50001 compliance, Taylor said 3M would probably go after certification. He cited emerging pressure from large customers like Walmart that are encouraging energy performance validation from their suppliers.

Taylor's parting advice was to take advantage of ISO 50001 because it helps build “a robust energy management system that keeps working long term, even as your team changes over time.”

For more information on the ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard, visit oee.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial/cipec/4101

To purchase a copy of the ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard, visit shop.csa.ca/en/canada/energy-efficiency/cancsa-iso-5000111/invt/27032662011/

Waste heat recovery and advanced burner technologies lead to energy savings

Participants at the Advanced Integrated Energy Efficiency Solutions Energy 2011 workshop benefited from presentations on the latest technologies under development for waste heat recovery and furnace optimization. Representatives from the Clean Electric Power Generation sector at CanmetENERGY – Ottawa Research Centre, the Varennes Research Centre and Cameron Veitch of ConDex Systems, discussed the potential energy savings that can be gained from implementation of advanced technologies.

“Energy recovery burner technologies for industrial furnaces, currently under development at CanmetENERGY, promise significant potential in energy savings and emission reductions,” explained Research Scientist Peter Gogolek. Case studies found that integrally recuperative burners – the simplest burner technology – can save companies about 40 percent in energy costs due to recuperation and dilution loss capture. Significant fuel savings can also be gained by retrofitting radiant tubes with a self-recuperative burner.

Gogolek also discussed technologies for carbon capture including commercial Low-NOx and regenerative burners. Regenerative burners have consistently higher heat flux, highest heat delivery to the load and the smallest difference between CO2-O2 and air. Gogolek summarized findings noting that “heat recovery burners retain more process heat and can change the combustion mode leading to significant energy and cost savings; furthermore, regenerative burners provide the greatest potential savings with an average payback of about three years.”

“Increasing pressure or partial pressure for large hydrogen and moisture loss systems can have positive impacts on heat transfer, combustion and air pollution control,” said Bruce Clements, Senior Research Scientist and Group Leader. System pressurization increases the temperature of condensate, making it more suitable for process integration and condensing heat exchangers. Resulting heat and mass transfer rate improvements also mean that smaller more efficient reactors and volumetric equipment can be used.

Tests have shown that lead chamber reactions under increased pressure reduce the concentration of pollutant species such as nitrogen oxides. Additional pollution control can be gained from combined condenser and scrubber systems. Clements also compared wet and dry furnace technologies, and described the ability of oxy-blast furnaces in the iron/steel sectors, which allow for syngas production and a concentrated CO2 stream.

Research Engineer Phil Geddis noted that low-grade waste heat represents “a tremendous opportunity for energy reduction given developing heat recovery technologies”. For example, exit gas losses made up 30 percent of energy losses for the cement industry. Of the different waste heat forms, the high volume, low grade heat from heated cooling fluids is a target for heat recovery.

Geddis added that flue gas is a mixture of both dry gas and latent heat losses, and can be very high in some furnaces; induration furnaces, for example, operate at a thermal efficiency of about 35 percent. Different fuels also vary in the amount of recoverable heat due to their moisture and hydrogen content.

Geddis noted some concerns with flue gasses including material corrosion, increased water vapour dew point, flue gas plume buoyancy requirements and the capital costs of installation.

Cameron Veitch of ConDex Systems also addressed the topic of waste heat recovery from exhaust gas noting that only high grade waste heat is currently used. “Waste heat recovery can offer the largest possible energy gain,” he noted.

Veitch explained that condensing economizers not only recover energy to heat process water but also water which can be reused as boiler make up or process water. ConDex condensing economizers can cool the boiler exhaust gas down to within a few degrees of incoming water and can increase boiler efficiency from 93 to 99 percent. He noted that greenhouse gas emissions are also significantly reduced with up to 466 metric tonnes of CO2 diverted based on year-round 24/7 operation.

The ConDex system installed at Emery Oleochemicals in Toronto, Ontario, recovers 3.15 MMBtu/hr of energy  while the system installed at Oxy Vinyls Canada Inc. currently recovers 6.5 MMBtu/hr with savings estimated at nearly $500,000 annually.

“Installing waste heat recovery system is becoming easier with new tax incentives introduced in the 2011 federal budget,” noted Clements. Waste heat recovery depends on a variety of factors including waste heat quantity and quality as well as waste stream composition, minimum allowable temperatures, transportability of heat streams and economics of scale. Current waste heat recovery options and technologies include heat exchangers – recuperators, regenerators, waste heat boilers – load preheating and systems designed for low temperature energy.

Another option for waste heat recovery is power generation using direct electrical conversion devices that are based on thermoelectric, thermionic, piezoelectric or thermophotovoltaic generation, all of which are still in the demonstration phase. Power can also be generated via mechanical work with such technologies as the traditional steam Rankine cycle, the organic Rankine cycle, and the Kalina cycle, which are already being used in industrial applications.

“It's a complex task to figure out what the potential savings from waste heat recovery are, particularly for plants with complex utility systems and cogeneration. Determining what is the most appropriate technology in a given context and matching heat sources with sinks can be challenging,” said Serge Bédard, Research Officer, Innovation and Energy Technology Sector, CanmetENERGY – Varennes, “Process integration can address this challenge because it looks at processes from a global perspective and analyses interactions and has the potential to save companies up to 35 percent annually on their energy bills,” noted Bédard. He also discussed cogeneration systems, which can particularly benefit from PI studies, noting that steam or gas or combined steam/gas turbines and reciprocating-based engines are common technologies for this purpose with back-pressure steam turbines having the greatest efficiency.

Clearly, waste heat represents a tremendous opportunity in energy savings and GHG emission reductions, especially as new technologies emerge. Optimizing furnace burners and integrating processes are equally important aspects of increasing the energy efficiency of industrial facilities.

For more information on Federal tax incentives, visit oee.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial/financial-assistance/1965

For more information on waste heat recovery, visit canmetenergy.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial-processes/optimisation-industrial-processes/research-development/1023

For more information on Process Integration, visit canmetenergy.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial-processes/industrial-systems-optimization/process-integration/approach/743

Dollars to $ense Energy Management workshops

Dollars to $ense Energy Management workshops – Schedule for February and March, 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

Vancouver, B.C.
EMIS – March 8
EEF – March 13

Calgary, Alta.
EEF – February 10

Edmonton, Alta.
EEF – February 8

Red Deer, Alta.
EEF – February 9

Toronto, Ont.
EMIS – February 7
EM – February 16
EMP – March 6

Montréal, Que.
RCx – February 23 (F)

Québec, Que.
EMP – February 8 (F)
RCx – March 15 (F)

Halifax, N.S.
SPOT – February 22
EM – February 23

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

Workshop schedule – Winter to spring 2012

Upcoming events

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.