Electric Demand Reduction.

Outpatient Surgery for Breweries 

Peak demand during the hot summer months has been a detriment to profits for electric distribution companies as well as their customers in 2000. While many utility commissions are searching for remedies, prescriptions and control instruments to avoid a repeat in 2001, some are telling us that the only way we can get measurable improvement in the supply-distribution-use triangle in the near term is through a mild summer or two. Does that mean that energy users can do nothing in this complicated mess of regulated deregulation? No. Energy users hit with high energy costs and demand charges in 2000 have several options, some of which can be implemented on a fast track now to be ready for June of 2001.

While the much discussed "organ transplant" options of on-site generation, near-site generation, distributed generation, and co-generation are usually highly capital intensive and risky with respect to their long term financial return forecasts, there is a much safer and more rewarding path for commercial and industrial energy users, which employs the assets already in place. The financial exposure is controllable and commonly less than 10% of the cost of generation on site. The return is also several times faster as it is derived from energy conservation. The investment to assess if an energy-using plant is a good candidate for such low cost "outpatient" operation is less than $200; probably less than 10% of what an energy user spends just evaluating other options.

Candidate patients are all commercial and industrial structures and processes using heat transfer fluids to provide cooling, refrigeration or climate control. Specifically, structures and processes using glycol/water and aqueous brines can potentially reduce their electric demand by tens of kilowatts per system for minimal capital investment. This can be done to any partial improvement, level desired. Every brewery has at least two glycol loops operating, so there is tremendous potential for the brewing industry.

Rocky Research, a new product development and engineering/analytical services company catering to the process and HVAC&R industry, has developed a demand reduction via energy conservation system. The company has coordinated and combined its analytical fluid analysis background with its energy efficiency analysis programs and its information technology resources. Robotically automated fluid analyses, energy engineering software and Internet communications tools are the key elements leading to cost effectiveness of the "outpatient" operation. Database content of over 15,000 heat transfer fluid analyses provides the intelligence to the high tech intranet and Internet process.

The "outpatient" surgery starts with the evaluation of a questionnaire submitted by the energy-user plant operator via the Internet. The energy engineering software compares current conditions with ideal conditions and makes a recommendation as to whether further treatment is promising or not. The potential demand reduction and energy consumption reduction results are reported back to the plant operator along with the recommendation for decision by the plant operator to proceed with or abandon surgery. If the decision is made to abandon, 50% ($98) of the money paid will be returned to the plant operator. If the decision is to continue, a sample bottle kit along with a more detailed questionnaire will be mailed to the plant operator. This heat transfer fluid sample is the "blood sample" to be returned to the laboratory for analysis.

The analysis includes determination of fluid concentration, corrosion products, corrosion inhibitors, scale promoters, reserve alkalinity and other useful information to determine specific fluid, heat exchanger and pump maintenance or replacement recommendations along with more accurately estimated energy savings. At this point specific measures will be recommended if appropriate, possibly reducing or eliminating future repair costs via preventive maintenance.

The second phase of this process includes a unique fluid inventory assessment via tracer chemical. This is facilitated with the plant operator talking three successive samples and adding tracer chemistry into the heat transfer loop. The results will allow for a cost estimate of demand and energy reduction implementation. If needed and desired, an engineer will visit the plant to assess local restrictions and opportunities. The cost of this phase is $700 excluding the optional site visit.

The final phase is the implementation of the demand reduction via energy conservation. Support by Rocky Research includes fluid-ware and hardware recommendations for a fee of $400. Further and more detailed involvement is available as desired by the plant operator. No participation by Rocky Research in this final phase is required for plant operators who prefer to handle such implementation without Rocky Research.

In summary:

Step 1: A brewery will fill out the form on www.hvachlab.com (click on BrineServe) This will give us sufficient equipment and process information to evaluate the potential energy and energy cost savings for the specific brine loop. The brewery will receive the results regardless of the degree of savings potential with the recommendation to either send in a glycol sample, if savings potential appears significant(we provide sample kit) or to stop the evaluation, if the system is at or near optimum.

Step 2: We will analyze sample to detect corrosion, scale, fluid degradation and to evaluate proper fluid concentration. Based on this analysis we will be able to recommend specific measures to reduce electric demand and energy consumption.

Step 3: Implementation can be performed by us or via brewery's local contractor. For the implementation we do recommend to have us perform a fluid inventory analysis to assess the volume of fluid to be adjusted and to let us provide some equipment repair/replacement recommendation specs. This will help the contractor to do the local work, if a brewery wants to pick its own contractor.

Rocky Research is currently contacting 27 electric distribution utilities for cooperation and information dissemination of this program, which may lead to financial support by one or more of these utilities thus further reducing cost to the "patient" plants.

Rocky Research is a new product development and analytical/engineering/IT service provider catering to the HVAC&R process and appliance industry. New product development focus is on thermal appliances and processes, additives, inhibitors, etc. we operate a laboratory for failure analysis, testing and field consulting/troubleshooting in the HVAC&R field. The company's chemical and engineering research and development focuses on HVAC&R products. Accordingly, Rocky Research has partnerships with most equipment, component and chemical OEMs, allowing it to network to resolve site specific equipment problems, implement energy use reduction, etc. without being tied to any specific vendor.