Plant Services - April 2008 - (Page 30)

IS YOUR PRESSURE TESTING PROCESS FULL OF HOLES? Fast Connection Tools for Leak and Pressure Testing • Insulate and seal building envelope penetrations • Insulate steam and heating lines, and install removable insulating blankets on valves, ﬁttings and expansion joints • Recapture condensation from air handlers and direct it to chilling towers or other grey-water uses • Use building control system PM inspections to spot failed sensors, leaking valves or improper programming • Operate furnaces and boilers at or near design capacity • Reduce excess combustion air and reduce radiation losses from openings • Use PM inspections and predictive technologies such as thermography to detect steam leaks and faulty steam traps • Use a vent condenser to recover ﬂash steam energy, and use high-pressure condensate to make low-pressure steam • Use backpressure turbines instead of pressure-reducing or release valves to reduce steam pressure more eﬃciently • Use furnace exhaust to preheat combustion air; use recovered heat to feed lower-temperature processes Procurement 100% GUARANTEED An eﬀective way to reduce energy consumption is to modify your procurement policies and practices. Modify the wording on contracts and purchase orders so they favor waste reduction. For example, when sourcing energy, purchase renewable energy only. Build energy-conservation clauses into your contracts, such as incentives based on meeting performance targets. Purchase equipment that yields the lowest life cycle cost. Ensure that any renovations conform to Energy Star and other waste-reduction standards. Energy-management tracking systems 1-800-444-2373 www.fastestinc.com FT-533_11-0408-03_PS.indd 1 Another eﬀective approach to reducing energy costs is to modify your CMMS or use another tracking system to gather data on current energy consumption patterns. Do this for each asset and the overall plant to determine the best approach for modifying suboptimal practices. For example, determine if periods of heavy demand for electricity can be shifted to oﬀ-peak hours to take advantage of lower rates. Investigate alternate fuel sources that might be cheaper and reduce emissions. Also, your CMMS should be able to alert you, through condition-based monitoring, to any anomalies such as spikes in energy or fuel consumption, which can be reduced or spread over time. (Editor’s note: e Plant Services CMMS/EAM Software Review, posted at www.PlantServices.com/cmms_review, provides a side-by-side comparison of more than a dozen popular software packages.) E-mail Contributing Editor David Berger, P.Eng., partner, Western Management Consultants, at david@wmc.on.ca. 30 3/12/08 10:30:24 AM .PLANTSERVICES. A http://www.fastestinc.com http://www.PlantServices.com/cmms_review http://www.fastestinc.com http://www.plantservices.com

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Plant Services - April 2008 Contents From the Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager Technology Toolbox Cover Story Compressors Motors Flooring Web Hunter In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Energy Expert

Plant Services - April 2008

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