THE INSIDE-OUT APPROACH FOR IDENTIFYING INDUSTRIAL ENERGY AND WASTE REDUCTION OPPORTUNITIES

摘要

Traditional approaches for reducing energy and waste ir industrial processes typically focus on improving the efficiency of the primary energy conversion equipment. Unfortunately, this approach frequently results in incremental improvement at high costs, since most energy and mass conversion equipment is relatively efficient to begin with and upgrading to higher efficiency equipment is usually quite costly. In this paper, we describe an alternative approach that begins by focusing on the eventual end use of the energy and proceeds outward to the distribution system and energy conversic equipment. We call this protocol the inside-out approach, and suggest that it is a manifestation of the exergy analysis method. To support this assertion, we develop the thermodynamic bases for the outside-in and inside-out approaches to identifying savings opportunities. We then demonstrate the comparative effectiveness of the inside-out approach using examples from lighting, air compressors and electro-plating. Finally, we show why the inside-out approach leads to greater sustained savings over time.