US President Obama has signed an executive order accelerating investment in industrial energy efficiency in a way that benefits manufacturers, utilities and consumers boosting manufacturing competitiveness and creating jobs while improving the energy system and reducing harmful emissions. Energy experts from the US, Europe and Asia will be on hand at Singapore’s second National Energy Efficiency Conference on 18-120 September. Read More

In Sustainable Plant (31 August 2012):

U.S. President Obama has signed an executive order to accelerate investments in industrial energy efficiency, including combined heat and power (CHP). Accelerating investment in industrial energy efficiency in a way that benefits manufacturers, utilities and consumers can improve American manufacturing competitiveness and create jobs while improving the United States’ energy system and reducing harmful emissions.

The executive order:

• Sets a national goal of 40 gigawatts (GW) of new CHP installation over the next decade.
• Directs agencies to foster a national dialogue through ongoing regional workshops to encourage the adoption of best practice policies and investment models that overcome the numerous barriers to investment, provide public information on the benefits of unlocking investment in industrial energy efficiency, and use existing Federal authorities that can support these investments.
• Directs the Departments of Energy, Commerce and Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency, to coordinate actions at the Federal level while providing policy and technical assistance to states to promote investments in industrial energy efficiency.

Investments in industrial energy efficiency and CHP offer significant benefits to manufacturers, utilities and communities across the country, including:

• Improving U.S. manufacturing competitiveness: By accelerating these investments, manufacturers could save at least $100 billion in energy costs over the next decade.
• Creating jobs now through investments upgrading our manufacturing facilities: Meeting the President’s goal of 40 GW of new CHP over the next decade would mean $40 billion to $80 billion of new capital investment in American manufacturing facilities. Most of these efficient technologies are made in the United States.
• Offering a low-cost approach to new electricity generation capacity to meet current and future demand: Investments in industrial energy efficiency, including CHP, cost as much as 50% less than traditional forms of delivered new baseload power.
• Significantly lowering emissions: Improved efficiency can meaningfully reduce nationwide GHG emissions and other criteria pollutants.
• Enhancing grid security: Investments in industrial energy efficiency reduce the need for new electricity infrastructure (transmission and distribution) and improve overall electric reliability.

In support of the Executive Order, DOE and EPA released a new report, “Combined Heat and Power: A Clean Energy Solution,” that provides a foundation for national discussions on effective ways to achieve 40 GW of new, cost-effective CHP by 2020, and includes an overview of the key issues currently impacting CHP deployment and the factors that need to be considered by stakeholders involved in the dialogue.

The Department of Energy is also announcing new private sector commitments by five companies – Kingspan Insulated Panels, Cree, General Aluminum Manufacturing Company, PaperWorks, and HARBEC Inc. – to the Better Buildings, Better Plants program where firms commit to improving energy intensity by 25% over 10 years. Partners in the Better Buildings, Better Plants Program have already experienced at least $80 million in cost savings. These actions alone are expected to save roughly $1 billion cumulatively by 2020.

Source: www.sustainableplant.com

News from the National Energy Efficiency Conference 2012:

The National Energy Efficiency Conference (NEEC) is part of the learning network of the Energy Efficiency National programme in Singapore.

Its main objective is to provide thought leadership in energy efficiency, bringing together energy efficiency experts and industry energy professionals to share best practices and success case studies. This year, the second NEEC will take place on 19 and 20 September 2012 with the theme “Energy Efficiency as a Business Opportunity”.

Discover how energy is a controllable operating expense and learn to manage it in other parts of your business. Listen to our energy efficiency experts and visit our exhibition featuring a range energy efficient industrial technologies, practices and solutions. Some of the highlights and topics covered include:

Industry Benchmarking and Optimisation

Integrative Design for Energy Efficiency

Implementing an Online Energy Management System for ISO50001 compliance

Direct Current Distribution for Data Center

Power Plant Thermodynamic Performance Monitoring

Developing Singapore’s Energy Efficient Capabilities

Driving Energy Efficiency in Industry: Public and private sector perspectives

The full programme is available on line.

Keynote Presentations not to be missed include:

Energy Efficiency as a Business Opportunity: Focus on how Energy Efficiency is a business opportunity because it increases productivity and reduces cost. Also talk about the importance of having a system for managing energy so as to achieve improvements in EE.

•             Jim Kelly is Group Vice-President, Head of Global Energy Efficiency business for ABB. Energy efficiency is recognized as a central driver of growth for ABB’s customers including industries, utilities, transportation and buildings. ABB’s opportunities in energy efficiency are vast (over $15B in sales per annum) and this theme is a top 3 growth driver for the company. Increasingly, ABB is required to offer customers innovative solutions combining  elements from across the entire spectrum of the Group’s products, systems and services. Jim leads ABB’s global efforts in this business area bringing the full potential of “One ABB” to this important market opportunity.

•             Juan Aguiriano is Worldwide Managing Director of Sustainable Operations for DuPont Sustainable Solutions, is responsible for expanding a consulting practice that leverages real-world experience and proven approaches to help organizations improve and sustain return on operations and assets while reducing the environmental footprint. His mission is to deliver the right solutions to clients in the areas of environmental management, energy efficiency, capital effectiveness, and asset productivity.    An expert in corporate sustainability, climate change, and energy efficiency strategies, Aguiriano brings to his current position over 20 years of experience in running global operations in Europe and Asia. He has advised senior executives from some of the top 500 corporations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in industries such as oil and gas, power and utilities, cement, mining and steel.  Aguiriano joined DuPont in 1989 and until 2002 held regional and global positions in general management, finance, sales, and marketing for the company’s Lycra® business. In 2002, he became the Global Innovation Director for DuPont INVISTA Apparel, followed by an appointment in 2004 to Corporate Marketing Director for DuPont in the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region.  In 2005, he was named President, EMEA, for DuPont Safety Resources, which is now part of DuPont Sustainable Solutions. He assumed his current position in May 2008.

Another important session entitled Driving Energy Efficiency: Public and private sector perspectives will feature:

•             Chiu Wen Tung (EDB):Overview of Energy Efficiency in Singapore

•             Paul Westbrook (Texas Instruments): Energy Management in Texas Instruments

•             Cheong Kok Onn (GSK): Energy efficiency improvements in GSK and BMAC group

•             Ynse De Boer (Accenture): Sustainable Energy for All

The sessions on Developing Singapore’s EE Capabilities, will involve a range of speakers, including:

•             James Scott Brew (RMI) – Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era

•             Tsoi Mun Heng (NRF) –Energy National Innovation Challenge

With Moderator: Dr Elspeth Thomas (ESI)

•             Prof SK Chou (NUS) –  Teaching Energy Efficiency – Context, Concepts and Challenges

•             Dr Mads D. Lauritzen (McKinsey) – The Green Campus: How to turn energy efficiency into competitive advantage

•             Kwek Chin Hin (NEA) – Energy Conservation Act and SCEM

With Moderator:  Dr Michael Quah (NUS)

The final session in the second day, Ken Hickson will be the moderator to bring together key speakers and produce appropriate outcomes.

Source: www.neec2012.sg