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How To Minimize Your Company's Energy Costs
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Business New Haven
11/10/2003
By: Karen Singer
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Amid signs of improvement in the economy, more business owners are gaining sufficient confidence to upgrade their facilities and equipment. Increased efficiency and reduced energy costs are top priorities.
Investing in new natural-gas technologies may be a viable way to achieve both objectives by providing operating savings and fewer emissions, as well as eliminating storage requirements and higher running costs associated with other fuels.
Natural-gas technologies are playing an increasingly beneficial role in manufacturing operations such as food processing, forging, chemicals, plastics and printing. Using them can increase the flexibility and economy of many manufacturing processes.
Prime movers powered by natural gas, for example, are more efficient than electric motors that drive air and refrigeration compressors, liquid pumps and other equipment. Similarly, energy-intensive industries such as cold storage can expect to reduce expenses by using natural gas engines to drive the compression stage of the refrigeration cycle.
Even though natural gas may seem a bit pricey nowadays, experts say businesses using natural-gas systems can expect to save at least ten percent over systems powered by electricity.
Options include natural gas cooling, distributed generation, infrared heating and natural gas-powered vehicles.
Carefully compare initial capital expenditures with projected savings before making any decisions, and check with local gas companies to see what kinds of assistance and incentive programs they offer.
Natural Gas Cooling
These types of systems offer several advantages over electric-powered air conditioners. They're more efficient, cheaper to operate and do not require ozone-depleting refrigerants. Businesses using natural gas air conditioners, for example, don't have to worry about high summer demand, power shortages or brown-outs.
Gas-absorption systems use water rather than ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC). Absorption chillers, for instance, can cool commercial buildings.
Engine-driven cooling systems such as natural gas engine-driven chillers can be added to existing electrical equipment, providing flexibility as well as enhanced cost-efficiency.
Desiccant dehumidification systems are used to reduce humidity in the air by removing water and toxins. They also provide advantages over more common vapor-compression and absorption units by saving energy, improving indoor air quality, and reducing the threat to the Earth's ozone layer.
Such types of dehumidification are especially useful for places such as libraries and ice-skating rinks. A desiccant system can also supplement a conventional air-conditioning system by removing the humidity load while the air conditioner lowers the air temperature.
Distributed Generation
If your business uses large amounts of power, especially during peak periods, you can save money and improve reliability by generating it yourself. Distributed generation, also called cogeneration, produces both electricity and thermal heat - in the form of hot water or steam - in a single process. It's a good option for businesses with high electricity needs as well as a use for this type of heat.
With an on-site natural gas-powered distributed generation system, you'll have the ability to harness additional energy by recycling heat from the process for other power needs.
Process Technologies
Radiant heating systems, immersion tube firing and high-temperature oxygen gas burners are a few types of process technologies used in ovens, furnaces, dryers and dehumidification systems, and can be fueled by natural gas.
Infrared Heating
Good for large interior spaces, natural gas-powered infrared heat systems warms bodies and surfaces rather than warming the air, which minimizes heat loss when doors or windows are opened. It works in a manner similar to solar technology.
Natural Gas Vehicles
Many cities and municipalities are embracing natural gas-fueled vehicles (NGVs) as a way meet federal clean air standards as well as reduce maintenance costs. More than half a dozen Connecticut cities, including Bridgeport, Hartford and Fairfield, have already taken the plunge.
NGVs are especially practical for fleets, which typically average more miles daily than personal-use vehicles. These might include city transit and school buses, taxis, street-sweepers, garbage trucks, fork lifts and delivery vehicles.
Because natural gas contains less carbon than other fossil fuels, it produces lower levels of carbon dioxide and very low levels of carbon monoxide per vehicle mile traveled. Other exhaust emissions from a NGV also are typically much lower than those of gasoline-powered vehicles.
Natural gas also has a higher ignition temperature than gasoline, and, if a fuel system leaks, would dissipate into the atmosphere.
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