By Kerry Clines, Contributing Editor
Using Energy Wisely
Energy efficiency and sustainability have become common words for industries, including the aggregates industry. Energy is one of the largest expenses for aggregate producers, so it is naturally one of the areas of focus when trying to cut back on operating expenses. Conserving energy is important, whether it’s electricity used to run the plant or fuel to run the fleet of equipment.
“Being energy efficient or sustainable has always been at the forefront of electrical project design and is an integral part of the way I contribute to the overall goals of our sustainability program,” says Leroy Goree, senior electrical engineering manager at Lehigh Hanson. “On the supply side, one of my functions within the company is to work with our purchasing group to ensure the most reliable and lowest priced power is delivered to the gate when we retrofit or build a plant. On the demand side, we look at how we can make the most efficient use of that power within our facility.”
There are many ways to address the high cost of energy. One way is through the use of alternative energy. Some operations are embracing solar power and wind energy at their operations to reduce the amount of energy they need from the grid. Operations also adjust their hours of operation around peak-use hours when electricity prices can be higher. High fuel costs can be addressed through the use of technology. Most manufacturers outfit their new equipment with tracking software to monitor idle time and fuel consumption. Plus, aftermarket software is available to retrofit on older equipment.
A good energy management program that encourages using energy wisely and following best practices is essential. The Environmental Protection Agency offers help to companies that want to set up an energy management program. It also offers a wide selection of ideas and tools to help producers attain energy efficiency through its Energy Star Challenge for Industry, which can be accessed at www.energystar.gov/.
Cemex has an energy management program in place that employs a corporate energy management team and site energy teams at each plant. “The program, based on Energy Star guidelines, is implemented across all divisions of the company,” says Bhaskar Dusi, corporate energy manager. “Cemex has received numerous local and national energy and environmental awards, and is a strong advocate for energy conservation and sustainable manufacturing practices.”
Another important part of successfully maintaining energy efficiency is getting everyone in the company onboard. “It’s all about the people really,” says William Jerald, chief energy engineer for CalPortland. “Buy-in is the only way it works. When the managers and operators see that we can actually do things that make the plant better, then we have a win and start gaining momentum with the people.”
Improve Your Plant’s Energy Efficiency
OUR EXPERTS
William Jerald, William Jerald, chief energy engineer for CalPortland, served in the U.S. Navy before beginning work at CalPortland. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a nuclear engineering degree in 1997, he became the senior electrical supervisor and was promoted to corporate energy manager in 2007. Jerold began in his current position in 2014.
Leroy Goree, senior electrical engineering manager at Lehigh Hanson, has 28 years of experience. His responsibilities include energy management, power system design, automation, plant optimization, new plant construction, and major plant upgrades. Goree has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology from the University of Alabama.
Bhaskar Dusi, corporate energy manager for Cemex, earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. Prior to joining Cemex, he performed energy and process audits, process optimization, techno-economic feasibility evaluations, and commissioned new equipment and plants for government and private industries.
Voices of Experience
William Jerald
“At CalPortland, we’ve had a formal energy management program since 2003,” says William Jerald, chief energy engineer. “There are many ways to manage how you use your energy that can save money. What really got us motivated was the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program. We use the program as a guiding light and use its energy management tools to get our people interested in saving energy.”
Jerald has been running the energy management program since 2007. One of his key jobs is to get people to understand the need for energy efficiency. He says many companies don’t realize that energy is a variable cost, and that by identifying energy consumers and resolving problems, energy bills can be lowered.
“The managers and operators who run the plants are laser-focused on production and creating products that can be sold, so they don’t spend time focusing on things like air compressor leaks,” Jerald says. “Those leaks are a huge part of an energy management focus because they are easy to identify and quick on return.”
Energy efficiency is also about fuel. One-third of CalPortland’s energy cost is from its fleet of haul trucks, loaders, and ready-mix trucks. The company uses tools, such as Caterpillar’s VisionLink, to collect data about fuel efficiency and idle time so that operators can be trained on how to operate the machinery more efficiently.
One of the ideas CalPortland took from the Energy Star toolbox is called an Energy Treasure Hunt. Jerald goes out to operations to search for energy waste and efficiency problems, and also works to get employees involved.
“A Treasure Hunt is an energy audit, but it’s also an educational process that I’m trying to teach and share with plant personnel,” Jerald says. “I try to bring in as much knowledge as I can and give them the tools they need to be successful.”
Leroy Goree
Lehigh Hanson formalized an energy efficiency program in 2010. As it looked for tools to help achieve its goals, it joined with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Energy Star Challenge for Industry.
“No aggregate operation had ever achieved Energy Star status, so we were able to get in on the ground floor of the program,” says Leroy Goree, senior electrical engineering manager. “We worked with the EPA to refine the rules and guidelines aggregates operations must follow to achieve recognition.”
Lehigh identified its top 10 to 15 largest energy users, performed energy analyses, and implemented energy saving projects at those locations. Every year, operations are reevaluated to determine which ones need help to become more energy efficient. The tools available through the EPA and other energy management courses and helps the company determine what works best for each location.
“We identify what we can apply to our plants and spread it throughout the company with our programs and best practices,” Goree says. “We address things like demand management to determine when to run an operation; parasitic load management to make sure things aren’t running when employees go home; pumping control; and utilizing adjustable speed drives to vary water flow, the speed of crushers, conveyors, or baghouse exhaust fans so a plant uses only the energy that is needed.”
The company’s Aggregate Academy helps educate employees on energy management by promoting and coordinating technical training and knowledge sharing through seminars. “We spread best practices throughout the company and get people to think of what they can do to save energy,” Goree says. “We want to change the culture of our plant managers and employees so they are thinking about energy management. The key to that is our Boots on the Ground approach. We get out into the plants and work with the operations.”
Bhaskar Dusi
“Cemex has focused on improving the environment and reducing energy consumption since its inception,” says Bhaskar Dusi, corporate energy manager. “It has made energy management a core activity in its business plan and commitment to sustainability.”
Dusi says technology helps Cemex enhance energy efficiency at its operations. Equipment and power meters are linked to a plant-wide information management system, which allows the tracking of production, process, and energy consumption data. Several programs were developed internally to allow the company to track performance and generate reports, including the following:
Grafoper assesses the plants’ operational and energy performance and provides data for easy comparison, evaluation, and benchmarking.
The Fuel Management System offers real-time information on fuels inventory, shipment, quality, market price, and energy information.
The Power Monitoring System offers real-time power usage data and generates daily and monthly power usage reports to track efficiency and costs.
The Alternative Fuel Management System provides real-time data of the plants’ alternative fuel use.
“Information from these tools is integrated into a daily operating report called DiaOper,” Dusi says. “This contains all operating and energy performance indicators, efficiencies, and down times. Each plant prepares its daily production reports using the information to review its operational performance.”
Cemex employs various initiatives to improve energy efficiency — high-efficiency process equipment, modernized compressed air systems, alternative fuels, upgraded plant lighting systems, reduced equipment idle times, and purchase of higher efficiency motors.
In addition, the company has embraced alternative energy by installing wind turbines at three of its California aggregate operations.
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