Precise Technology, Inc. Molded Plastics Manufacturer's Energy Use Drops 22% as a Result of Industrial Energy Assessment Recommendations

摘要

West Virginia University's Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) performed an energy audit at the Precise Technology, Inc. plastic moldings manufacturing plant in North Versailles, Pennsylvania; as a result, energy use and costs are at least 20% lower at the plant. The IAC, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), is one of 26 across the nation in which faculty and students provide eligible small- and medium-sized manufacturers with no-cost energy assessments. This assessment project was sponsored by ITP and The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI), a DOE Allied Partner. The assessment team made several recommendations for improvement. Those for the compressed air system included recovering waste heat, using outside air for intake, installing isolation valves, reducing pressure, and repairing leaks. Recommendations for the lighting system included replacing T12 fixtures with T8 fixtures, using electronic ballasts and reflectors, replacing fluorescent fixtures with metal halide lamps, installing occupancy sensors, and reducing lighting levels in some areas. The team also recommended installing thermostats in offices and implementing a motor management system. Six of the 11 total recommendations were implemented, reducing energy consumption by nearly 4,500 MMBtu per year and saving more than $105,000-or about 22% of pre-assessment energy use and costs-annually.