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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Engineering consultants, utility incentives and utility field staff equals industrial efficiency

Conference ·
OSTI ID:20001948
Seattle City Light (SCL) has promoted equipment retrofits which increase electrical efficiency in commercial and industrial establishments since 1980, and incentive payments to the customers continue to provide strong motivation for the replacement of inefficient equipment. Surrey responses from commercial and industrial customers indicate clearly that incentives are important to the success of these projects. Promoting the retrofit of efficient equipment in the larger industrial plants has always posed special problems because of the complexity of industrial processes; yet the biggest opportunities often exist in these large plants. Three common barriers to the development of industrial efficiency projects are (1) the tendency for plant engineering staff to be overcommitted and therefore without time to investigate opportunities for energy efficiency; (2) the lack of specialized industrial engineering knowledge among DCL's staff, and (3) the lack of plant capital budget to implement efficiency measures. Engineering experience with industries of a specified type is often required before an engineering firm can recommend realistic energy efficiency measures in a plant. This paper cites three examples to show that a three-pronged approach can suffice to make industrial retrofit projects happen. The relative importance of incentives, specialized engineering help, and utility staff legwork varies from case to case, but all three make a difference.
Research Organization:
Seattle City Light, WA (US)
OSTI ID:
20001948
Report Number(s):
CONF-970750--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English