- By Dan Steiner, PE, CEM, CDSM; President
Think for a moment about how much your facility pays annually for utilities: electricity, natural gas, etc. Now, think about taking one-fourth of an equivalent amount of money—and simply throwing it out the window!
Sure, this notion sounds crazy. But even in today’s cost-conscious world, that’s still essentially what American business does when it comes to the use of energy dollars. Recently compiled data by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (www.llnl.gov) shows that nearly one-fourth of the energy consumed by U.S. commercial and industrial …

A great way to start 2012 is by getting an accurate picture of your company’s energy usage and how you might become more energy efficient. And a great way to do this is with a free energy assessment currently being offered by D.L. Steiner.
D.L. Steiner’s energy assessment is a CEM-completed engineering study that uses your company’s historical energy data, an inspection of your facility, and comparisons with industry averages to identify areas where you can increase energy efficiency and conservation—and save money!
Contact D.L. Steiner at 419-222-6048 to schedule your …

By Ryan Zimmerman, Electrical Engineer
In the previous issue of the PCC Journal, we discussed how demand control can help companies lower their utility bills by smoothing out their electrical demand (the kW amount of electricity required for operations). This article looks at six great options for setting up an effective demand control program—and eliminating those costly demand charges!
Option 1: scheduled operations. Under scheduled operations, all operations are metered to determine their electrical load and then run at predetermined times, with some functions staggered so they don’t operate simultaneously. High-demand operations …

Power factor and power factor correction are familiar electrical terms, but just in case they are new to you, let’s do a quick review. As it relates to electrical energy, power factor is the ratio of working power to apparent power. Working power (kW) is the electrical energy you need to do useful things, namely, run production equipment. Apparent power (kVA) is the electrical energy your utility company must supply in order to deliver the working power you need.
These two energy values aren’t the same thing, and they aren’t necessarily …

Lockout/tagout is one of those “good news-bad news” safety topics. The good news is that most companies are generally doing a better job of addressing lockout/tagout issues than they are other safety concerns. The bad news is lockout/tagout programs for plant electrical systems, for the most part, are still not as well defined as those for other energy sources. This article presents basic considerations that will help you establish a workable electrical lockout/tagout program at your facility.
First, understand that an electrical lockout/tagout program is not an option. Electrical lockout/tagout falls …

With today’s focus on reducing the high cost of monthly electric utility charges, most companies automatically assume this means installing new, more energy-efficient fixtures and equipment. These can help, but for many facilities, the place to begin in cutting electric costs is not by installing a new lighting system or high-efficiency motors. Instead, it’s by taking a look at the electric utility bill—more specifically, the demand charge on that bill.
What is a demand charge? It is the amount the electric utility charges your facility for supplying electricity at the rate …

Because the design of an electrical system is based on distributing power, we can easily lose sight of its other important functional criteria and if we don’t consider these, longterm system operating costs will skyrocket. To avoid this, electrical systems need to be designed for reliability, safety, and ease of maintenance.
Designing for reliability—For new construction or system updates, the dollars saved installing underrated or marginal equipment is quickly offset by maintenance and downtime. All new equipment should undergo reliability testing and verification.
Designing for safety—Too often, poor design compromises system safety, …

The NFPA 70E now requires regular auditing of an employer’s electrical safety program. What must a company do to stay compliant?

What! more red tape . . .why should I bother with arc flash studies?
An unsuspecting electrician opens an electrical panel only to discover that he has let loose a lethally dangerous explosion—light flashes so bright that it permanently damages eyes, heat that is 4 times the surface of the sun incinerates clothing and flesh, molten shrapnel bores upon him with bullet-like speed, and a blast wave that throws him like a rag doll with a pressure wave of hundreds or thousands of pounds per square inch.
Approximately 2000 workers will be …

D.L. Steiner’s ReBEEMS program helps you find the right balance between too little maintenance and wasteful, excessive maintenance.