Boilers

Preheat combustion air with waste heat(22 ⁰C reduction in flue gas temperature increases boiler efficiency by 1%).
Use variable speed drives on large boiler combustion air fans with variable
Burn wastes if
Insulate exposed heated oil
Clean burners, nozzles, strainers,
Inspect oil heaters for proper oil
Close burner air and/or stack dampers when the burner is off to minimize heat loss up the
Improve oxygen trim control (e.g. — limit excess air to less than 10% on clean fuels). (5% reduction in excess air increases boiler efficiency by 1% or: 1% reduction of residual oxygen in stack gas increases boiler efficiency by 1%.)
Automate/optimize boiler blowdown. Recover boiler blowdown
Use boiler blowdown to help warm the back-up
Optimize deaerator
Inspect door
Inspect for scale and sediment on the waterside

(A 1 mm thick scale (deposit) on the waterside could increase fuel consumption by 5 to 8%).

Inspect for soot, fly ash, and slag on the fireside

(A 3 mm thick soot deposition on the heat transfer surface can cause an increase in fuel consumption to the tune of 2.5%.)

Optimize boiler water
Add an economizer to preheat boiler feedwater using exhaust
Recycle steam
Study part-load characteristics and cycling costs to determine the most-efficient mode for operating multiple
Consider multiple or modular boiler units instead of one or two large
Establish a boiler efficiency-maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make a boiler efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

Steam System

Fix steam leaks and condensate leaks

(A 3 mm diameter hole on a pipeline carrying 7 kg/cm² steam would waste 33-kilo liters of fuel oil per year).

Accumulate work orders for the repair of steam leaks that can’t be fixed during the heating season due to system shutdown requirements. Tag each such leak with a durable tag with a good
Use backpressure steam turbines to produce lower steam
Use more efficient steam desuperheating
Ensure process temperatures are correctly
Maintain lowest acceptable process steam
Reduce hot water wastage to
Remove or blank off all redundant steam
Ensure condensate is returned or re-used in the process

(6 ⁰C raise in feed water temperature by economizer/condensate recovery corresponds to a 1% saving in fuel consumption, in boiler).

Preheat boiler feed-water.
Recover boiler
Check operation of steam
Remove air from indirect steam using equipment

(0.25 mm thick air film offers the same resistance to heat transfer as a 330 mm thick copper wall.)

Inspect steam traps regularly and repair malfunctioning traps
Consider recovery of vent steam (e.g. — on large flash tanks).
Use waste steam for water
Use an absorption chiller to condense exhaust steam before returning the condensate to the
Use electric pumps instead of steam ejectors when cost benefits permit
Establish a steam efficiency maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make a steam efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

Furnaces

Check against infiltration of air: Use doors or air
Monitor O₂ /CO₂/CO and control excess air to the optimum
Improve burner design, combustion control and
Ensure that the furnace combustion chamber is under slight positive
Use ceramic fibers in the case of batch
Match the load to the furnace
Retrofit with heat recovery
Investigate cycle times and
Provide temperature
Ensure that flame does not touch the

Insulation

Repair damaged insulation

(A bare steam pipe of 150 mm diameter and 100 m length, carrying saturated steam at 8 kg/cm² would waste 25,000 liters furnace oil in a year.)

Insulate any hot or cold metal or
Replace wet
Use an infrared gun to check for cold wall areas during cold weather or hot-wall areas during hot
Ensure that all insulated surfaces are cladded with aluminum
Insulate all flanges, valves, and couplings
Insulate open tanks

(70% heat losses can be reduced by floating a layer of 45 mm diameter polypropylene (plastic) balls on the surface of 90 ⁰C hot liquid/condensate).

Waste heat recovery

Recover heat from flue gas, engine cooling water, engine exhaust, low-pressure waste steam, drying oven exhaust, boiler blowdown,
Recover heat from incinerator off-gas.
Use waste heat for fuel oil heating, boiler feedwater heating, outside air heating,
Use chiller waste heat to preheat hot
Use heat
Use absorption
Use thermal wheels, run-around systems, heat pipe systems, and air-to-air exchangers.

ELECTRICAL UTILITIES

Electricity Distribution System

Optimize the tariff structure with the utility supplier
Schedule your operations to maintain a high load factor
Shift loads to off-peak times if
Minimize maximum demand by tripping loads through a demand controller
Stagger start-up times for equipment with large starting currents to minimize load
Use standby electric generation equipment for on-peak high load
Correct power factor to at least 0.90 underrated load
Relocate transformers close to the main
Set transformer taps to optimum
Disconnect primary power to transformers that do not serve any active loads
Consider on-site electric generation or
Export power to grid if you have any surplus in your captive generation
Check utility electric meter with your own
Shut off unnecessary computers, printers, and copiers at

Motors

Properly size to the load for optimum

(High-efficiency motors offer 4 – 5% higher efficiency than standard motors)

Use energy-efficient motors where
Use synchronous motors to improve the power factor.
Check
Provide proper ventilation

(For every 10 ^oC increase in motor operating temperature over the recommended peak, the motor life is estimated to be halved)

Check for under-voltage and over-voltage
Balance the three-phase power

(An imbalanced voltage can reduce 3 – 5% in motor input power)

Demand efficiency restoration after motor

(If rewinding is not done properly, the efficiency can be reduced by 5 – 8%)

Drives

Use variable-speed drives for large variable
Use high-efficiency gear
Use precision
Check belt tension
Eliminate variable-pitch
Use flat belts as alternatives to v-belts.
Use synthetic lubricants for large
Eliminate eddy current
Shut them off when not

Fans

Use smooth, well-rounded air inlet cones for fan air
Avoid poor flow distribution at the fan
Minimize fan inlet and outlet
Clean screens, filters, and fan blades
Use aerofoil-shaped fan
Minimize fan
Use low-slip or flat
Check belt tension
Eliminate variable pitch
Use variable speed drives for large variable fan
Use energy-efficient motors for continuous or near-continuous operation
Eliminate leaks in
Minimize bends in ductwork
Turn fans off when not

Blowers

Use smooth, well-rounded air inlet ducts or cones for air intakes.
Minimize blower inlet and outlet
Clean screens and filters
Minimize blower
Use low-slip or no-slip
Check belt tension
Eliminate variable pitch
Use variable speed drives for large variable blower
Use energy-efficient motors for continuous or near-continuous
Eliminate ductwork
Turn blowers off when they are not

Pumps

Operate pumping near the best efficiency
Modify pumping to minimize
Adapt to wide load variation with variable speed drives or sequenced control of smaller
Stop running both pumps — add an auto-start for an online spare or add a booster pump in the problem
Use booster pumps for small loads requiring higher
Increase fluid temperature differentials to reduce pumping
Repair seals and packing to minimize water
Balance the system to minimize flows and reduce pump power
Use siphon effect to advantage: don’t waste pumping head with a free-fall (gravity) return.

Compressors

Consider variable speed drive for the variable load on positive displacement
Use a synthetic lubricant if the compressor manufacturer permits
Be sure lubricating oil temperature is not too high (oil degradation and lowered viscosity) and not too low (condensation contamination).
Change the oil filter
Periodically inspect compressor intercoolers for proper
Use waste heat from a very large compressor to power an absorption chiller or preheat process or utility
Establish a compressor efficiency-maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make a compressor efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

Compressed air

Install a control system to coordinate multiple breaths of air
Study part-load characteristics and cycling costs to determine the most efficient mode for operating multiple breaths of air
Avoid oversizing — match the connected
Load up modulation-controlled air compressors. (They use almost as much power at partial load as at full )
Turn off the backup air compressor until it is
Reduce air compressor discharge pressure to the lowest acceptable setting. (Reduction of 1 kg/cm² air pressure (8 kg/cm² to 7 kg/cm²) would result in 9% input power savings. This will also reduce compressed air leakage rates by 10%)
Use the highest reasonable dryer dew point
Turn off refrigerated and heated air dryers when the air compressors are
Use a control system to minimize heatless desiccant dryer
Minimize purges, leaks, excessive pressure drops, and condensation accumulation. (Compressed air leak from 1 mm hole size at 7 kg/cm² pressure would mean power loss equivalent to 0.5 kW)
Use drain controls instead of continuous air bleeds through the
Consider engine-driven or steam-driven air compression to reduce electrical demand charges.
Replace standard v-belts with high-efficiency flat belts as the old v-belts wear
Use a small air compressor when a major production load is
Take air compressor intake air from the coolest (but not air-conditioned) location. (Every 5⁰C reduction in intake air temperature would result in a 1% reduction in compressor power consumption)
Use an air-cooled aftercooler to heat building makeup air in
Be sure that heat exchangers are not fouled (e.g. — with oil).
Be sure that air/oil separators are not
Monitor pressure drops across suction and discharge filters and clean or replace filters promptly upon
Use a properly sized compressed air storage receiver. Minimize disposal costs by using a lubricant that is fully deductible and an effective oil-water
Consider alternatives to compressed air such as blowers for cooling, hydraulic rather than air cylinders, electric rather than air actuators, and electronic rather than pneumatic
Use nozzles or venturi-type devices rather than blowing with open compressed airlines.
Check for leaking drain valves on compressed air filter/regulator sets. Certain rubber-type valves may leak continuously after they age and
In dusty environments, control packaging lines with high-intensity photocell units instead of standard units with continuous air purging of lenses and
Establish a compressed air efficiency maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make a compressed air efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

Chillers

Increase the chilled water temperature setpoint if
Use the lowest temperature condenser water available that the chiller can

(Reducing condensing temperature by 5.5 ⁰C, results in a 20 – 25% decrease in compressor power consumption)

Increase the evaporator temperature

(5.5⁰C increase in evaporator temperature reduces compressor power consumption by 20 – 25%)

Clean heat exchangers when

(1 mm scale build-up on condenser tubes can increase energy consumption by 40%)

Optimize condenser water flow rate and refrigerated water flow
Replace old chillers or compressors with new higher-efficiency
Use water-cooled rather than air-cooled chiller
Use energy-efficient motors for continuous or near-continuous
Specify appropriate fouling factors for
Do not overcharge
Install a control system to coordinate multiple
Study part-load characteristics and cycling costs to determine the most-efficient mode for operating multiple
Run the chillers with the lowest energy consumption. It saves energy cost, fuels a base
Avoid oversizing — match the connected
Isolate off-line chillers and cooling
Establish a chiller efficiency-maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make a chiller efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

HVAC (Heating / Ventilation / Air Conditioning)

Tune-up the HVAC control
Consider installing a building automation system (BAS) or energy management system (EMS) or restoring an out-of-service
Balance the system to minimize flows and reduce blower/fan/pump power
Eliminate or reduce reheat whenever
Use appropriate HVAC thermostat
Use morning pre-cooling in summer and pre-heating in winter (i.e. — before electrical peak hours).
Use building thermal lag to minimize HVAC equipment operating
In winter during unoccupied periods, allowing temperatures to fall as low as possible without freezing water lines or damaging stored
In summer during unoccupied periods, allowing temperatures to rise as high as possible without damaging stored
Improve control and utilization of outside
Use air-to-air heat exchangers to reduce energy requirements for heating and cooling of outside
Reduce HVAC system operating hours (e.g. — night, weekend).
Optimize
Ventilate only when necessary. To allow some areas to be shut down when unoccupied, install dedicated HVAC systems on continuous loads (e.g. — computer rooms).
Provide dedicated outside air supply to kitchens, cleaning rooms, combustion equipment, etc. to avoid excessive exhausting of conditioned
Use evaporative cooling in dry
Reduce humidification or dehumidification during unoccupied
Use atomization rather than steam for humidification where
Clean HVAC unit coils periodically and comb mashed
Upgrade filter banks to reduce pressure drop and thus lower fan power
Check HVAC filters on a schedule (at least monthly) and clean/change if
Check pneumatic controls air compressors for proper operation, cycling, and maintenance.
Isolate air-conditioned loading dock areas and cool storage areas using high-speed doors or clear PVC strip
Install ceiling fans to minimize thermal stratification in high-bay
Relocate air diffusers to optimum heights in areas with high
Consider reducing ceiling
Eliminate obstructions in front of radiators, baseboard heaters,
Check reflectors on infrared heaters for cleanliness and proper beam
Use professionally-designed industrial ventilation hoods for dust and vapor
Use local infrared heat for personnel rather than heating the entire
Use spot cooling and heating (e.g. — use ceiling fans for personnel rather than cooling the entire area).
Purchase only high-efficiency models for HVAC window
Put HVAC window units on a timer
Don’t oversize cooling units. (Oversized units will “short-cycle” which results in poor humidity )
Install multi-fueling capability and run with the cheapest fuel available at the
Consider dedicated make-up air for exhaust hoods. (Why exhaust the air conditioning or heat if you don’t need to?)
Minimize HVAC fan
Consider desiccant drying of outside air to reduce cooling requirements in humid climates.
Consider ground source heat
Seal leaky HVAC
Seal all leaks around
Repair loose or damaged flexible connections (including those under air handling units).
Eliminate simultaneous heating and cooling during the seasonal transition
Zone HVAC air and water systems to minimize energy
Inspect, clean, lubricate, and adjust damper blades and
Establish an HVAC efficiency maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make an HVAC efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

Refrigeration

Use water-cooled condensers rather than air-cooled
Challenge the need for refrigeration, particularly for old batch processes.
Avoid oversizing — match the connected
Consider gas-powered refrigeration equipment to minimize electrical demand
Use “free cooling” to allow chiller shutdown in cold
Use refrigerated water loads in series if
Convert firewater or other tanks to thermal
Don’t assume that the old way is still the best — particularly for energy-intensive low temperature
Correct inappropriate brine or glycol concentration that adversely affects heat transfer and/or pumping

If it sweats, insulate it, but if it is corroding, replace it first.

Make adjustments to minimize hot gas bypass
Inspect moisture/liquid
Consider a change of refrigerant type if it will improve
Check for correct refrigerant charge
Inspect the purge for air and water
Establish a refrigeration efficiency maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make a refrigeration efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

Cooling towers

Control cooling tower fans based on leaving water
Control to the optimum water temperature as determined from the cooling tower and chiller performance
Use two-speed or variable-speed drives for cooling tower fan control if the fans are few. Stage the cooling tower fans with on-off control if there are
Turn off unnecessary cooling tower fans when loads are
Cover hot water basins (to minimize algae growth that contributes to fouling).
Balance flow to cooling tower hot water
Periodically clean plugged cooling tower water distribution
Install new nozzles to obtain a more uniform water
Replace splash bars with self-extinguishing PVC cellular-film
On old counterflow cooling towers, replace old spray-type nozzles with new square- spray ABS practically-non-clogging
Replace slat-type drift eliminators with high-efficiency, low-pressure-drop, self-extinguishing, PVC cellular
If possible, follow the manufacturer’s recommended clearances around cooling towers and relocate or modify structures, signs, fences, dumpsters, etc. that interfere with air intake or
Optimize cooling tower fan blade angle on a seasonal and/or load
Correct excessive and/or uneven fan blade tip clearance and poor fan
Use a velocity pressure recovery fan ring.
Divert clean air-conditioned building exhaust to the cooling tower during hot
Re-line leaking cooling tower cold water
Check water overflow pipes for proper operating
Optimize chemical
Consider side stream water
Restrict flows through large loads to design
Shut offloads that are not in
Take blowdown water from the return water
Optimize blowdown flow rate.
Automate blowdown to minimize
Send blowdown to other uses (Remember, the blowdown does not have to be removed at the cooling tower. It can be removed anywhere in the piping )
Implement a cooling tower winterization plan to minimize ice build-up.
Install interlocks to prevent fan operation when there is no water
Establish a cooling tower efficiency maintenance program. Start with an energy audit and follow-up, then make a cooling tower efficiency-maintenance program a part of your continuous energy management

Lighting

Reduce excessive illumination levels to standard levels using switching, damping, etc. (Know the electrical effects before doing decamping.)
Aggressively control lighting with clock timers, delay timers, photocells, and/or occupancy
Install efficient alternatives to incandescent lighting, mercury vapor

lighting, etc. Efficacy (lumens/watt) of various technologies range from best to worst approximately as follows: low-pressure sodium, high-pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent, mercury vapor, incandescent.

Select ballasts and lamps carefully with high power factor and long-term efficiency in mind.
Upgrade obsolete fluorescent systems to Compact fluorescents and electronic ballasts
Consider daylighting, skylights,
Consider painting the walls a lighter color and using less lighting fixtures or lower wattages.
Use task lighting and reduce background
Re-evaluate exterior lighting strategy, type, and control. Control it
Change exit signs from incandescent to

DG sets

Optimize loading
Use waste heat to generate steam/hot water /power an absorption chiller or preheat process or utility
Use jacket and head cooling water for process needs
Clean air filters regularly
Insulate exhaust pipes to reduce DG set room temperatures
Use cheaper heavy fuel oil for capacities more than 1MW

Buildings

Seal exterior cracks/openings/gaps with caulk,gaskets, weatherstripping,
Consider new thermal doors, thermal windows, roofing insulation,
Install windbreaks near exterior
Replace single-pane glass with insulating
Consider covering some window and skylight areas with insulated wall panels inside the
If visibility is not required but the light is required, consider replacing exterior windows with insulated glass
Consider tinted glass, reflective glass, coatings, awnings, overhangs, draperies, blinds, and shades for sunlit exterior
Use landscaping to
Add vestibules or revolving doors to primary exterior personnel
Consider automatic doors, air curtains, strip doors, etc. at high-traffic passages between conditioned and non-conditioned spaces. Use self-closing doors if
Use intermediate doors in stairways and vertical passages to minimize the building stack effect.
Use dock seals at shipping and receiving
Bring cleaning personnel in during the working day or as soon after as possible to minimize lighting and HVAC

Water & Wastewater

Recycle water, particularly for uses with less critical quality requirements.
Recycle water, especially if sewer costs are based on water consumption.
Balance closed systems to minimize flows and reduce pump power
Eliminate once-through cooling with
Use the least expensive type of water that will satisfy the
Fix water
Test for underground water leaks. (It’s easy to do over a holiday )
Check water overflow pipes for proper operating
Automate blowdown to minimize
Provide proper tools for wash down — especially self-closing
Install efficient
Reduce flows at water sampling
Eliminate continuous overflow at water
Promptly repair leaking toilets and
Use water restrictors on faucets, showers,
Use self-closing type faucets in
Use the lowest possible hot water
Do not use a central heating system hot water boiler to provide service hot water during the cooling season — install a smaller, more efficient system for the cooling season service hot
Consider the installation of a thermal solar system for warm
If water must be heated electrically, consider accumulation in a large insulated storage tank to minimize heating at on-peak electric
Use multiple, distributed, small water heaters to minimize thermal losses in a large piping
Use freeze protection valves rather than manual bleeding of
Consider leased and mobile water treatment systems, especially for deionized
Seal sumps to prevent seepage inward from necessitating extra sump pump operation.
Install pretreatment to reduce TOC and BOD
Verify the water meter readings. (You’d be amazed how long a meter reading can be estimated after the meter breaks or the meter pit fills with water!)
Verify the sewer flows if the sewer bills are based on them

Miscellaneous

Meter any unmetered utilities. Know what is normal efficient use. Track down causes of
Shut down spare, idling, or unneeded
Make sure that all of the utilities to redundant areas are turned off — including utilities like compressed air and cooling
Install automatic control to efficiently coordinate multiple air compressors, chillers, cooling tower cells, boilers,
Renegotiate utility contracts to reflect current loads and
Consider buying utilities from neighbors, particularly to handle
Leased space often has low-bid inefficient equipment. Consider upgrades if your lease will continue for several more
Adjust fluid temperatures within acceptable limits to minimize undesirable heat transfer in long
Minimize use of flow bypasses and minimize bypass flow
Provide restriction orifices in purges (nitrogen, steam, ).
Eliminate unnecessary flow measurement
Consider alternatives to high-pressure drops across
Turn off winter heat tracing that is on in

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Tips for Energy Conservation for Industries