Chemical Engineering December 2014 - 49

Feature Report
Courtesy of Soteica Visual MESA
FIGURE 4. Steam-system modeling can reveal inefficiencies and help to define improvements
both in facilities and operating strategies
ing ideas that are impractical or
clearly uneconomic. The remaining
" high-graded " ideas can then be
passed on to the appropriate organization
within the company (operations
department, maintenance,
engineering, research and development)
for further evaluation and
possible implementation.
Managing the energy program
Most companies within the CPI,
even small companies, have at
least one person with the title
" energy manager. " However, the
roles played by these people can
vary considerably from company
to company. In almost all cases, the
energy manager reports on energy
usage and trends. This activity is
often integrated into larger management
systems. In some cases,
the energy manager's role also includes
a commercial component,
with energy purchases or sales.
However, if a company is committed
to improving energy efficiency,
it is essential that the greater part
of the energy manager's job focuses
on identifying and implementing
energy-efficiency improvements.
Remember that energy efficiency
will only improve with changes in
both processes and behaviors.
In order to save energy, it is important
first to know where and
how it is being used. It follows that
an important part of the energy
manager's job, especially in the
early stages of an energy management
program, is tracking, quantifying
and benchmarking energy
use. These activities highlight the
most promising areas for improvement,
which can then be targeted
for further investigation.
Early in an energy-management
program, it is a good idea to focus
on simple, low-risk opportunities
that can be counted on to yield energy
savings with a good return
on investment. Examples include
steam-leak repairs, steam-trap
maintenance, steam-system balancing
and other easy operating
changes. Successes in these areas
provide credibility for the program,
and the savings that they generate
can provide funding for more
capital-intensive projects as the
program matures.
As discussed earlier in this article,
energy-efficiency opportunities can
be found in a great many different
areas. No energy manager can expect
to have the technical expertise
to handle them all, so his or her role
is primarily the management of re48
ChemiCal engineering www.Chemengonline.Com DeCemBer 2014
sources - especially the human resources
that provide the necessary
skills. This requires close working
relationships with the operations,
maintenance, engineering and research
functions within the company.
It also requires reaching out to external
resources where appropriate.
The energy manager should not
underestimate his or her impact
as a recruiter and a cheerleader.
Energy managers can equip their
coworkers with study results, tools
and funding help, and those people
can then affect energy efficiency.
Real culture change arises from
the people themselves. When energy
managers can draw attention
to good behaviors and successes, it
provides reinforcement. This might
be as simple as a " thank you " to a
shift team that improves its energy
performance. Recognition could also
include a celebratory meal, a writeup
in a company newsletter, publicity
through an industry award,
or any number of other ways of rewarding
good performance.
Success stories
Many companies have reported
great successes in their energymanagement
programs, and the
energy successes are manifested
in the companies' financial results.
Here we summarize success stories
from three very different companies
within the CPI.
ExxonMobil Corp. (Irving, Tex.;
www.exxonmobil.com) is one of the
largest corporations in the world by
any measure, with nearly 75,000
employees worldwide [7] and earnings
of $45 billion in 2012 [8]. Its integrated
business includes oil-andgas
exploration and production,
petroleum refining, chemicals and
electric power.
ExxonMobil started its Global Energy
Management System (GEMS)
in 2000. By 2009, the company reported
that the program had identified
savings opportunities of between
15% and 20% at its manufacturing
sites, and had captured over 60% of
these savings [9]. The company also
reported significant investments in
cogeneration facilities that simultaneously
produce electricity and
http://www.exxonmobil.com http://www.Chemengonline.Com
Chemical Engineering December 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering December 2014
