Xcel Energy Offering Boiler Efficiency Rebates

Posted on by pent_admin

Xcel Energy has significantly increased rebate dollars and added rebates for Commercial heating equipment not previously covered. So now’s the time to take advantage of long-term energy savings when reviewing your heating equipment options in 2011.

Boiler Efficiency Rebates are now up to 5 times higher!

Commercial Rebates have increased from $2,500 up to $14,000 per million BTUH for qualifying boiler upgrades. If your system’s more than 10–15 years old or is in line for replacement, be sure to choose a more efficient money-saving option.ðÌðŠ Only boilers used for space and/or domestic water heating qualify for prescriptive equipment rebates. Other boilers can qualify for custom rebates, which require preapproval.

New Commercial Rebates

  • Hot Water Heaters — rebates are now available for both tank-less hot water heaters and units with storage.
  • Pipe Insulation — un-insulated boiler-system pipes waste energy, even on the return side! Our new easy pipe insulation rebates are generous and help make insulating those pipes with missing or damaged insulation very cost-effective.

Thinking about a heating system upgrade in 2011?

Consider this:

  • A planned replacement will allow for more careful analysis of your equipment options, rebate opportunities, energy costs, lifetime savings and payback
  • Off-season replacement offers minimal downtime and often saves on equipment and installation.
  • New equipment is less likely to break down when you need it most.
  • Replacing equipment now instead of waiting until it breaks down can prevent wasted
  • energy dollars.

To learn if you qualify for these new rebates that can save you money on equipment purchases and on your energy Bill contact our Business Solutions Center at 1-800-481-4700, or visit XcelEnergy.com/rebates.

ðÌðŠ

Fuel Savings with Temp-A-Trim System

Posted on by pent_admin

Temp-A-Trim System® is so Effective in Fuel Savings, Local Public Service Thinks There’s A Gas Leak!

Try to imagine having problems like these. One day the local gas and utility company sends a hoard of technicians to your company in a panic. The problem? You’re fuel use has dropped so dramatically they actually believe there’s a gas leak! This is the “problem” one Iowa High School faced recently after upgrading their operations with Webster Engineering and Manufacturiong Company, Inc. burners fitted with a Temp-A-Trim® system.

In 2009 a large high school in Des Moines, Iowa wanted to improve the energy efficiency of their existing boiler-burner heating system. The original system utilized two 500 BHP Burnham low pressure steam boilers with Gordon Piatt burners, but was oversized for the current requirements. This caused the burners to continuously cycle off and on, even on the coldest days, wasting fuel.

The burners were also installed right in front of the fresh air louvers of the mechanical room which resulted in significant combustion air temperature swings which also adversely affected burner performance. A Webster representative suggested the installation of a high turndown burner with a Temp-A-Trim® system. A log tag was also attached to the current burners to monitor air combustion performance for about 6 months.

After analyzing the data they discovered the burners were experiencing a 55F combustion temperature swing. Using this data they calculated a burner retrofit payback using a Webster Payback program based on installing a new 350 BHP Webster 12:1 turndown burner with the Temp-A-Trim® system. The payback was estimated to be $7,600.00 a year. Using this calculation the high school applied for an Energy rebate from the local gas and electric provider and was awarded a $14,500 energy rebate. The customer couldn’t be happier to have “problems” like these!

 

Webster Engineering Ð Temp-A-Trim

Posted on by pent_admin

With energy costs rising and operating budgets coming under increased financial pressure, the Webster Temp-A-Trim® might just be the solution to your long term energy saving plan. Air temperatures in your boiler room can change dramatically from day to night and season to season. These changes can cause significant combustion inefficiencies while degrading combustion stability. Temp-A-Trim® saves you money because it precisely monitors the fuel/air ratio in your burner. Temp-A-Trim® senses combustion air temperature and automatically varies the fan speed to create a constant air flow mass for combustion. By maintaining optimum fuel/air ratio, you are assured that your burner is operating at maximum efficiency.

Temp-A-Trim® Features & Benefits:

•    Precisely corrects for changes in air density to optimize combustion efficiency 24/7

•    Reduces the need for seasonal tuning of your burners

•    Feed-forward control for smooth, accurate operation

•    Easy to install, with no special setup or programming required

•    Compatible with linkage or linkage-less controls

•    Saves fuel and electricity while lowering noise levels

•    Available on all sizes of new or existing Webster burners

•    Lower cost, complexity, and maintenance than typical O2 systems

•    UL Listed

A Pentad sales representative is ready to discuss the Webster Temp-A-Trim® options and other cost saving heat recovery options that could save your business thousands of dollars in energy costs. Give us a call at 3030-688-4070 or e-mail us at sales@pentadassoc.com.

 

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Information

Posted on by pent_admin

DSIRE: A Comprehensive Database for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives

The DSIRE web site provides information about renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and policies in the United States. Relevant incentives and policies established by the federal government, state governments, local governments, utilities and non-profit organizations are included in DSIRE.

Incentives & Policies

The DSIRE home page features a U.S. map for easy access to incentives and policies available in each state. Clicking a state or territory yields a list of available incentives and policies in that state, organized into two categories: (1) Financial Incentives and (2) Rules, Regulations & Policies.

The list of incentives and policies provides links to individual summaries with the following details:

  • The incentive or policy type (e.g., tax credit, rebate program, net metering)
  • The implementing sector (e.g., federal, state, utility)
  • Eligible sectors (e.g., residential, commercial, government)
  • Eligible technologies (e.g., solar water heating, wind energy, insulation)
  • Links to authorizing statutes, regulations and other relevant legal documents
  • A summary of the incentive or policy
  • A link to the incentive or policy web site
  • Contact information

DSIRE includes information on federal incentives and policies for renewables and energy efficiency technologies, with an emphasis on incentives for end-users. DSIRE does not include research & development incentives, outreach programs, or non-programmatic funding opportunities. Click Federal Incentives on the DSIRE home page to see what’s available.

National & Regional Policy Trends

DSIRE’s Summary Maps provide a geographical overview of certain financial incentives and regulatory policies that promote renewable energy. DSIRE’s Summary Tables provide an overview of renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and policies available in each state.

DSIRE Searches

The Search tool on the DSIRE home page allows users to search all incentives and policies by state, incentive type, technology type, implementing sector and/or eligible sector. Searching by any of these criteria provides a comprehensive list of applicable incentives and policies, with links to each program summary. To view or print all summaries, click "See All Summaries" at the top of the page.

Other DSIRE Resources

DSIRE also offers the following resources, accessible via the DSIRE home page:

  • Lists of new and updated incentives and policies (What’s New?)
  • A glossary of relevant terms
  • A library of relevant DSIRE publications and presentations
  • Links to other organizations and useful resources 
  • Solar-specific policy resources (DSIRE Solar)

 

Boiler Equipment: WARE Providing More to its Customers

Posted on by pent_admin

A good company doesn’t just sell you the boiler equipment you want; they help you determine the exact boiler Šequipment you need. Companies are discovering that now is a great time to replace aging boiler room equipment and revamp their current steam generating boiler room equipment. With increasing energy costs companies are interested in maximizing cost savings while still providing the operations they need. Such was the case of the Georgia Carpet Mill manufacturing plant.

Increased production demand for boiler rooms, coupled with old, oversized boilers, created excessive cycling and inconsistent pressure and flow fluctuations. There was also growing concern that the lead boiler could fail or cycle in ways that would negatively affect product quality. Gas consumption increased and costs were a major concern. After contacting the experts at WARE it was decided to get a handle on the actual flow rates a series of vortex steam flow meters and monitored the system for 30 days.

Following WARE’s analysis they came up with a boiler room system that reduced their emissions to meet the sub 30 ppm NOx and 3% O2 level across the board from a 17% firing rate to 100% firing rate requirements set by the customer. This plan not only reduced their carbon footprint; it also reduced fuel costs. All of this accomplished with one modification to the ageing boiler room system.

Patrick Gigandet (engineering consultant for WARE) summed up the project well. “The work we did with this Georgia carpet mill is a perfect example of how Ware is not just a boiler equipment provider but a critical partner in the engineering and consultation of the boiler room unit selection process”.

Š

The Dog Leg Vent Pipe: A Potential Problem for Deaerators

Posted on by pent_admin

Thanks to Kansas City Deaerator for providing some of this information

Many deaerators in the past have been built with vent piping that protrudes through the water box to the external portion of the heater allowing the oxygen to be eliminated from the deaerator. Many manufacturers provided a dog leg type vent with a miter joint which typically fails due to inadequate welding where the vent pipe supports the valve plate. This can cause significant loss or performance and effect your energy savings long term. Annual inspections of the welds are recommended to detect such failures or you may be better off just replacing the piping with a sound solution for your physical conditions. Its easy to overlook or push back these inspections but doing so can lead to more problems than it’s worth.

If your facility is operating an ageing deaerator we’d be happy to discuss modern energy efficient solutions with you specific to your application. We have a great deal of experience that may help you reducce costs through smart energy efficiency.

Ware Unveils A New Mobile Clean Room Trailer

Posted on by pent_admin

Ware has been quick to respond to their customer’s high expectations by developing a mobile clean room for on-site services. The lab can provide crucial services for industrial gas manufacturing gases such as oxygen, ammonia, and chlorine.  Other industries that may benefit from this new service include chemical plants and steel manufacturers.  Gas manufacturers require special cleaning processes for valves, particularly safety valves used in the production of gases. The strong reactivity of oxygen in particular requires strict regulations regarding the cleanliness of the equipment used.

Avoiding contaminants in oxygen valves is paramount because of the easily combustible materials like grease and oil. Even though oxygen is not combustible on its own it does assist in combustion. For this reason valves need to be cleaned every one to five years (depending on valve type) to ensure these contaminates are eliminated.  Ware’s new clean room lab allows technicians to maintain the high expectations of their customers, the high standards of the industry, and provide that service on site for the quickest possible turn around time and system troubleshooting.

New York Craft Brewer Hops on the Benefits of Boiler Retrofit

Posted on by pent_admin
Word of mouth is a potent ingredient in craft brewing, the fastest-growing segment of U.S. beer making. Defined as producers of fewer than 6 million barrels annually, craft brewers tend to share best-practice tips with the same enthusiasm that beer lovers have for the unique brands and flavors they create.

When Scott Vaccaro, owner of Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, in Elmsford NY, asked other craft brewers which brand of steam boiler they chose, the word he heard most often in reply was Miura. ðÌðŠðÌðŠ

Brewery

The Captain Lawrence Brewing Company leans on its new boiler’s faster startup time, which they report as roughly three minutes, to get more done each day.

“The craft brewing industry, as spread out as it is, is a pretty tight-knit group of people and when somebody finds something they like, they spread the word,” Vaccaro notes. “One of the other breweries told us, ‘Our new Miura boiler is larger, we are running it more, but our gas bill actually went down.’ We haven’t been able to attest to that just yet ourselves, but we’re assuming and hoping it will be true for us as well. I know we are happy so far.”

Vaccaro chose a compact, gas-fired Miura LX-50 for his family-run Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, which produces a line of award-winning ales distributed throughout Connecticut and the lower 15 counties of New York State. Named after a Revolutionary War hero, Captain Lawrence projects an output of 15,000 to 17,000 barrels this year with the recent addition of 12 oz. bottles for retail sale. Most essential to this small company, however, is the dependability of its Miura LX-50, which enables Vaccaro and his team to concentrate on what they do best.

ðÌðŠ

STEAM NEEDED, STAT

“We make beer, which means we need on-demand steam – fast, and lots of it,” Vaccaro says. “Basically, from the time we hit the start button on our LX-50 to when we’re at our full operating pressure is about three minutes. That’s very important, because we don’t want to be sitting around every morning for an hour, waiting for a boiler to get up to temperature. Being able to turn the steam on and off quickly is a big plus. Breweries are a fairly water-intensive operation. We are constantly boiling water in the kettle and sending high-pressure steam to sterilize the keg line. Thanks to the efficiency and the quick start-up of the Miura LX-50, we are able to consistently maintain 1,200 gallons of hot water without any worry, whereas our old facility’s cast-iron sectional boiler made it was a constant struggle to meet our hot water demand while also maintaining a decent boil.”

ðÌðŠ

GREEN ADVANTAGES

Because Miura’s unique once-through fintube design burns less fuel, it also reduces emissions. Miura boilers output reduced levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a major contributor to air pollution, as well as CO2, the most prevalent of greenhouse gases. Miura boilers achieve low-NOx performance by reducing the temperature of the boiler’s flame, which in turn reduces the amount of excited nitrogen atoms available to bond with oxygen to form nitrogen oxides.

As a result, NOx emissions are reduced to around one-quarter of what traditional fire-tube boilers emit. This enables Miura boilers to comply with even the most stringent air-quality regulations. With regard to reduced CO2 emissions, Miura’s technology leverages superior operating efficiency to contribute significant carbon abatement with a payback.

“New York State and Westchester County audit emissions, so being able to tell them we have a low NOx, high-efficiency boiler is a huge plus,” Vaccaro says. “We feel good about that and about saving money on fuel.”

ðÌðŠ

HANDS-OFF OPERATION

In addition to its fintube design, every Miura boiler also features the BL Micro Controller, which keeps track of multiple individual monitoring points. An advanced diagnostic system, it can identify any potential challenge to smooth operation and recommend a solution on an easy-to-read display. A “sliding-window feature” records events four seconds before they occur for fast and effective trouble-shooting. This system can also be accessed via the Internet using the Miura Online Maintenance (“MOM”) feature for remote monitoring and diagnostics. The system can also interface with Miura’s Colormetry feature, which monitors water quality to prevent the build-up of scale inside the boiler.

“Without our boiler this brewery stops,” Vaccaro explains. “Reliability is what’s most important to us. MOM and Miura’s Colormetry feature enable us to be hands-off. It also gives us the peace of mind that Miura has our back on one of the most important pieces of equipment we have. You hit the start button on the LX-50 and that’s pretty much the end of it. The boiler tells us when it needs to be blown down. The boiler tells us if there is a hard-water issue. The boiler sends back all the reports to Miura, so they know what’s going on.”

ðÌðŠ

GREAT TASTE, LESS SPACE-FILLING

Yet another benefit of Miura’s design is a compact physical size. Although smaller, however, Miura’s exclusive technology produces bhp outputs comparable to much larger units.

“Many craft breweries are tight on space, so the compact footprint of Miura boilers is a huge plus,” Vaccaro said. “Our 50 hp unit takes up the same space as our old 10HP sectional.”

As craft brewers continue to proliferate nationwide and more consumers come to appreciate the diverse choices offered by smaller, innovative beer makers, the use of Miura boilers continues to grow in this specialized industrial segment. ES

We Welcome Zeeco, Inc. to the Pentad Team

Posted on by pent_admin
Pentad Associates is excited to announce our representation of Zeeco, Inc., manufacturer of burners, flares, and incinerators. ðÌðŠZeeco has a global proven track record in the industry and the response that Pentad has received to the Zeeco product line has been outstanding!ðÌðŠTheir equipment integrity, extensive engineering, technical knowledge, and innovation make them a welcome member to the Pentad team.
ðÌðŠ
Zeeco designs and manufactures industrial combustion and pollution control technologies for the petroleum, chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. ðÌðŠZeeco’s 66,000 square-foot manufacturing facility and one of the industry’s largest combustion research and testing facilities which was the first of its kind to be ISO certified. ðÌðŠZeeco’s major product lines include:
ðÌðŠ
Industrial Burners: Ultra-low emission burners for fired heaters, boilers and HRSG systems
Zeeco offers a complete line of process heater burners, duct burners, boiler burners, radiant wall burners, and ethylene cracking burners for the refinery, petrochemical, utility, and power industries.
ðÌðŠ
Flare Systems/Flare Gas Recovery: Gas and Liquid flaring systems
Zeeco designs, engineers and installs flares, flare systems and vapor control systems. ðÌðŠFrom refining, onshore / offshore production, well testing, petrochemical, gas processing, and LNG plant flares to flares for the pulp and paper, landfill, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries, Zeeco has the design experience and technical expertise.
ðÌðŠ
Thermal Oxidizers/Sulfur Recovery Equipment: Waste Incineration and combustion systems
Zeeco offers a complete line of liquid and fume incinerators (thermal oxidizers) to safely and effectively dispose of waste streams.ðÌðŠBecause of the high temperatures associated with incineration, many Zeeco systems incorporate Waste Heat Recovery equipment to reduce operating costs or provide steam for other plant operations.
ðÌðŠ
Aftermarket Products and Services: Replacement parts for equipment from Zeeco and other manufacturers
Whether you need replacement flare tips, gas tips, ignition systems or pilot parts, Zeeco’s parts and service team is ready to help.
ðÌðŠ
The Pentad team is excited to welcome Zeeco and their products to our valued customers.ðÌðŠWe’d love to talk to you about your combustion and environmental needs to determine how Zeeco can serve your project needs.