Benchmark Modeling from EPA Portfolio Manager

EPA has an energy management benchmarking model called Portfolio Manager. This tool needs the following information to build an energy density number to benchmark your plant against:

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
A wastewater treatment plant is a facility that is designed to treat municipal wastewater. The level of treatment at a plant will vary based on the BOD limits and the specific processes involved. This space type in Portfolio Manager is appropriate for primary, secondary, and advanced treatment facilities with or without nutrient removal. Treatment processes may include biological, chemical, and physical treatment. This space type is best applied to wastewater treatment facilities of 150 MGD or smaller. This space type does not apply to water treatment and distribution facilities.

The following information is required for wastewater treatment facilities:

Zip code
Average influent flow
Average influent biological oxygen demand (BOD5)
Average effluent biological oxygen demand (BOD5)
Plant design flow rate
Presence of fixed film trickle filtration process
Presence of nutrient removal process

You can find a Introductory/Training Video on Portfolio Manager here:http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/benchmarking_training/benchmarking.html

Benchmarking starter kit here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=evaluate_performance.bus_portfoliomanager_benchmarking

Portfolio Manager Log-In here: https://www.energystar.gov/istar/pmpam/index.cfm?fuseaction=login.login

Change Pump Speed to Reduce Energy

The pump Affinity Laws are alive and well. If you don't recall those laws or how your pumping systems might be trying to break them, don't dig out your old engineering text to refresh your memory.

The basics are that pump flow, horsepower, and pressure are all related to the rotational speed of the pump. One of the best hands on explanations of how it all works was provided by the Hydraulic Institute in a Free Webinar which was recorded for viewing here: https://pumpsevents.webex.com/pumpsevents/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=1658517&rKey=599e4b559dcbc186



While this video doesn't give you all the answers on how to make design selections, it does demonstrate the principals that are at work in efficient pumping. Armed with this knowledge, you can contact your local pump representative to collect specific information and guidance on whether a variable speed pump option will save your process money.

If energy savings can be demonstrated, consider applying for ARRA funding or local energy funding to help make a capital investment that will truly pay back in a very short time.

Energy Block Grants Webinar - Free!

This presentation is aimed at Counties specifically.

Link to the presentation here: http://mfile.akamai.com/23543/wmv/citrixvar.download.akamai.com/23543/www/077/463/1908591367624077463/2-1908591367624077463-12435ff13fc.asx

Hydraulic Institute Free Webinar Summary

I attended an energy overview free Webinar today, put on by Hydraulic Institute pump webinar today. You can view a recording of this presentation here: https://pumpsevents.webex.com/ec0605l/eventcenter/recording/recordAction.do?theAction=poprecord&actname=%2Feventcenter%2Fframe%2Fg.do&apiname=lsr.php&renewticket=0&renewticket=0&actappname=ec0605l&entappname=url0107l&needFilter=false&&isurlact=true&entactname=%2FnbrRecordingURL.do&rID=1626667&rKey=789aae98882a8c77&recordID=1626667&rnd=5876091668&siteurl=pumpsevents&SP=EC&AT=pb&format=short

This presentation discusses the new ISO 50001 standard for energy evaluations, along with other standards that are supported by the DOE. The DOE is targeting industries to gain energy savings through process improvements, specifically processes requiring pumping.

During the presentation, it was mentioned that the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) has an initiative to provide benchmarking of Energy Efficiency of Water and Wastewater Plants. You can find more at: http://www.cee1.org/ind/mot-sys/ww/ww.php3

Other good reading: http://www.cee1.org/files/WEFTEC2008Session981130Manuscript.pdf

Pump System Energy Savings Webinar - FREE

I attended a FREE webinar today on the energy that pumping systems (pumps, pipes, valves, etc...) are using across industry, which accounts for 25% of all industrial energy used. Most of this is because of the tendency for design engineers to over specify the pump requirements resulting in inefficient energy use.



You can attend the next one of these Webinar's on October 2, 2009. to register please go here: http://www.pumpsystemsmatter.org/content_detail.aspx?id=3916