Marspec Technical Products Welcomes Patrick Ruland as Inside/Outside Sales Representative for the Mississippi Gulf Coast!

Patrick Ruland is Marspec's newest addition to the team, joining the company January 5, 2009. Patrick comes to Marspec from a construction equipment rental company where he worked as an outside sales representative.

Prior to becoming the outside sales representative/account manager for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Patrick will spend the first couple of months training as an inside sales representative, allowing for a thorough understanding of the products, customers and procedures here at Marspec.

Patrick graduated from Auburn University in December of 2006, with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. He currently resides in Mobile, Alabama and enjoys hunting and Auburn football.

Welcome, Patrick!

Marspec Christmas Party

The Marspec team held its annual Christmas lunch on Wednesday, December 24, 2008. Marspec executives did a great job of spoiling us this year with food catered by Wintzells Oyster House and
Saucy Q Bar B Q, followed by desert from Pollman’s bakery. Kay Turner, Controller, got everyone in the Christmas spirit by having several colleagues read holiday passages aloud. My favorite passage was by Dr. Suess, from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas: “….then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” Mr. Tom Kelly, President, made some inspiring comments and special announcements about the ending year of 2008 and the New Year of 2009 before passing out a generous gift for each and every employee in the company.

On behalf of everyone at Marspec, we wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ole Miss Chooses Tower Tech for New Expansion

The University of Mississippi selected Tower Tech cooling towers for the new law school building under construction on the Oxford campus.

Tower Tech was selected for it's overall energy efficiency characteristics due primarily to its ability to match its cooling capacity to the load demand. This advanced technology greatly reduces the amount of electricity consumed during the summer months and ultimately helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the power plant level.

The installing contractor liked the fast installation of the Tower Tech cooling towers - each tower can be lifted from the flatbed truck and set in place in about an hour.

For more details about Tower Tech visit the manufacturers web site.

Marspec’s CEM Co-Delivers Presentation at Environmental Conference

(Birmingham, AL) – Marine Specialty/Marspec Technical Products’ Certified Energy Manager, Wayne Hoggle, co-delivered a presentation on reducing wasted energy titled Energy, Money and the Environment – The Green Connection, at Manufacture Alabama’s Environmental Conference in Birmingham, Alabama on October 29, 2008. Wayne Hoggle was one of the professionals chosen to speak due to his vast experience in helping company’s identify and implement energy reduction projects.

Along with Glenn Corley of Cimtec, Wayne Hoggle demonstrated how to reduce energy waste by identifying steam and compressed air leaks, recovering steam condensate and utilizing efficient piping insulation. Mr. Corley and Mr. Hoggle stressed the importance of how reducing energy consumption will not only improve a company’s bottom line, but will also reduce its environmental impact.

Other topics covered in Manufacture Alabama’s Environmental Conference were The Science of Global Warming, Carbon Footprints What Are They & What Good Are They, Legislative Committee on Water Policy & Management, and Regulatory Agency Updates & Enforcement Trends. This environmental conference was designed to benefit plant managers, environmental and production managers, process engineers, and other individuals with environmental planning responsibilities and consultants who assist their clients with environmental matters.

Marspec on the Road

It's been a busy month for the Marspec team.

We participated in the vendor table top display at the Alabama Energy Services Coalition Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Conference in Prattville October 22. A lot of state government facilities managers were present and it was heartening to hear that energy use reduction is a prime goal for them.

Later in the month found us attending the annual meeting of the Alabama Society for Healthcare Engineering in Destin, Florida. Marspec again set up the table top display and enjoyed the company of dozens of facility engineers. Again, energy use reduction was a common topic among attendees.

Stay tuned - we might coming to an event near you!

Strategic Energy Management Plan for Healthcare

An interesting article is on the betterbricks web site detailing a case study of how energy management planning paid big dividends to a chain of west coast hospitals. The story of PeaceHealth's efforts can be found here.

Congress Extends Energy Tax Incentives through Economic Recovery Package

The following is a press release from ASHRAE regarding extended energy tax incentives. Hopefully this information is helpful to those out there looking for well deserved tax breaks when upgrading to more energy efficient buildings, equipment, etc. Enjoy!



For Release: October 6, 2008
Contact: Wendy AngelPublic Relations 678-539-1216 wangel@ashrae.org

Congress Extends Energy Tax Incentives through Economic Recovery Package

ATLANTA – With the passage of the economic recovery package by Congress last week, banks aren’t the only ones relieved; proponents of energy efficiency efforts are as well. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) commends Congress on including in the package provisions for the extension of expired and expiring tax incentives for renewable energy, energy-efficient building upgrades, and appliance and equipment purchases. “These energy provisions are essential to realizing ASHRAE’s goal of reaching net-zero-energy buildings,” says Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president. “But more importantly, they are essential for the energy independence of our nation. While the banking industry may be visibly suffering now due to these economic times, we will all suffer if we don’t find ways to take advantage of alternative energy sources and make our buildings more efficient.” Though several attempts were made during the 110th Congress to extend these credits and incentives, those attempts failed due to disagreement over funding issues. One key provision in the legislation is the extension of the Commercial Building Tax Deduction (CBTD) through 2013. This allows building owners to claim a deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot for HVAC, lighting or envelope upgrades resulting in 50% savings over ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2001. This five-year extension allows for the planning schedules often needed in design and construction, whereas the provision previously was only certain for shorter periods, affecting its usefulness. The legislation additionally creates new credits for combined heat and power system property, small wind energy property, and geothermal heat pump systems through 2016.

Other energy provisions in the legislation include:
• Extending the Renewable Energy Production Credit for wind to 2010, biomass, geothermal, solar and hydro to 2011, and adds a marine/tidal credit through 2012.
• Extending credits for solar energy property, fuel cell property and microturbines through 2016.
• Establishing provisions for Energy Conservation Bonds issued by states or localities to conduct energy conservation projects
• Extending residential tax credits for energy saving appliances, energy efficient homes, and on-site renewables.
• Adding accelerated depreciation period for smart meters and smart grid systems, encouraging investment in these systems.
• Extending a program providing tax-exempt bond designation to designated green building and sustainable design projects on brownfields.
• Extending the expired business research credit through 2009.
For more information on ASHRAE Government Affairs, please visit www.ashrae.org/advocacy.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education. ###

Marspec's Wayne Hoggle to Present at Conference

Wayne Hoggle, CEM is scheduled to co-present a program on energy efficiency titled Energy, Money and the Environment-The Green Connection at Manufacture Alabama's Environmental Congress in Prattville, Alabama October 29th.

Along with Glenn Corley of Climetic, Wayne will show how reducing energy consumption will not only improve a company's bottom line but will also reduce its environmental impact. This can be achieved by both controlling wasted energy and by recovering energy from otherwise wasted energy streams. By reducing energy consumption, a plant reduces its operating costs as well as its overall emissions.

Wayne Hoggle heads up Marpsec Technical Products' energy consulting efforts.

For more details about the conference visit Manufacture Alabama.

Improving Indoor Air Quality while Saving Air Conditioning

We're pretty excited to be associated with Building Performance Equipment (BPE), a manufacturer of air to air heat exchangers for use in commercial and institutional buildings.

These heat exchangers allow fresh outdoor to be brought into a building while simultaneously exhausting stale indoor air. The two air streams never mix, but the patented heat exchanger recovers a large portion of indoor air stream's conditioning - whether heated or cooled - and transfers this energy to the fresh outdoor air stream. The only moving part is two small electric motors that move the air. You can download a brochure here and feel free to give us a call for more details. We can even arrange a demonstration of an actual unit for you.

"In Boiler Rooms, Green Is Red Hot"

The following article by Alagasco Questline addresses the increased interest in boiler efficiency and the trends towards smaller, more economical boilers. Soaring energy prices and tighter emissions standards are a few of the many challenges that have been placed upon numerous facilities in the U.S., and according to the American Boiler Manufacturers Association sales data, 76% of existing boilers are more than 30 years old. This article provides helpful suggestions on how to improve boiler efficiency by identifying energy losses and lowering emissions. This article can be found at http://www.questline.com/Article.aspx?userID=973219&articleID=8602&NL=5221. Enjoy!

In Boiler Rooms, Green Is Red Hot

Key Points
· Boilers make up about 40 percent of total energy use in commercial and industrial facilities.
· Most operating boilers are over 30 years old and may operate below current efficiency standards.
· Improving boiler system efficiency can help cut energy costs and improve your environmental profile.

It is not exactly late-breaking news that boilers use a lot of energy. Currently, an estimated 163,000 commercial and industrial boiler systems are in operation nationwide [1]. Boilers make up about 40 percent of the total energy consumption in these sectors. It is also no secret that boilers emit air pollutants, such as nitrogen and sulfur compounds, that contribute to acid rain, ozone depletion, and other environmental problems.
Soaring energy prices and tighter emissions standards have created additional challenges for facilities all across the country that are already struggling to cut costs and meet operating budgets. Age is another factor. According to American Boiler Manufacturers Association sales data, 76 percent of existing boilers are more than 30 years old. These boilers likely operate well below the efficiency standards of current technology and are probably less reliable than newer models. Some units may even violate state and federal emissions standards, contributing further to greenhouse gas emissions.These issues have combined to increase interest in boiler efficiency and to drive sales trends toward smaller, more economical boilers. If you are one of the many facilities looking to cut boiler operating costs and improve your environmental profile, there are a number of steps that you can take to identify energy losses, improve efficiency and lower emissions.

Install Energy Efficient Burners
The purpose of a burner is to mix air and fuel. Burners are designed to maximize combustion efficiency while minimizing the release of emissions. A boiler will run only as well as the burner performs. An efficient burner provides the proper air-to-fuel mixture throughout the full range of firing rates, without constant adjustment. Consider purchasing a new energy-efficient burner if your existing burner is cycling on and off rapidly or if repair costs become excessive and reliability becomes an issue. For further details, see the U.S. Department of Energy document "Upgrade Boilers with Energy Efficient Burners."

Flue Gas Recirculation
Upgrading or adding options to the burner is the most effective way to cut down on boiler emissions. While there are a number of combustion and post-combustion emissions control options, flue gas recirculation (FGR) has the potential to offer the greatest emissions reduction. FGR involves recirculating part of the relatively cool exhaust gases back into the combustion process in order to lower the flame temperature and reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) formation. It is currently the most effective and popular low NOx technology for firetube and watertube boilers. In many cases, it does not require any additional reduction equipment. For information about other emissions control options, see the Energy Solutions Center's Boiler Efficiency Improvement Guide.

Increase Turndown Rate
Another energy-saving option for burners is to increase the turndown rate. Boiler turndown is a ratio of a boiler's capacity at full fire to its lowest firing point before shut-down. Old boilers may have only two firing positions: low and high. Newer boilers offer a wider range of firing capacities. A higher turndown ratio reduces burner starts, provides better load control, saves wear-and-tear on the burner, increases refractory life, reduces purge-air requirements and provides fuel savings.

Consider Condensing Boilers
Many currently installed boilers, especially older ones, are oversized, wasting energy and emitting more pollutants than necessary. In many applications, it is a good idea to replace an older boiler with a smaller, more efficient condensing boiler. A condensing boiler is a hot water heating device designed to recover energy normally discharged to the atmosphere through the flue. The real energy savings from a condensing boiler come from the drop in the temperature of flue gases flowing through the stack, multiplied by the mass-flow rate of the flue gases. A typical non-condensing boiler has a flue gas temperature of 135°C (275°F). A properly-sized condensing boiler may drop the flue gas temperature to 77°C (170°F) or lower, condensing the flue gases and transferring the absorbed heat into the water flow. This can raise the effective seasonal thermal efficiency of these boilers from below 80 to 90 percent or higher. See Condensing Boilers for Maximum Efficiency.

Boiler Blowdown Heat Recovery
The boiler blowdown process involves the periodic or continuous removal of water from a boiler to remove accumulated dissolved solids and/or sludges. Boiler blowdown wastes energy, however, because the blown-down liquid is about the same temperature as the steam produced. Much of this heat can be recovered by routing the blown-down liquid through a heat exchanger that preheats the boiler's makeup water. Blowdown heat recovery systems can offer a payback in as little as 12 months. Several boilers can be attached to a single recovery unit, thus reducing capital costs. Any boiler with continuous surface blowdown exceeding 5% of the steam generation rate is a good candidate for blowdown waste heat recovery. For more information, see "Recover Heat From Boiler Blowdown," a U.S. Department of Energy fact sheet.

[1] Characterization of the U.S. Commercial/Industrial Boiler Population, Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., Arlington, VA, 2005.

New ASHRAE Ventilation Requirements for Hospitals

The following is a press release from ASHRAE concerning new ventilation requirements for hospitals. I found this article quite interesting because I didn't realize how much of a health hazard could be at risk in hospitals with poor ventilated systems. Also, we just became an authorized representative for B.P.E., a leader in energy recovery ventilators. I hope you enjoy the article!

ASHRAE
For Release: Sept. 9, 2008

Contact: Jodi DunlopPublic Relations 678-539-1140jdunlop@ashrae.org

New Ventilation Design Requirements for Health Care Facilities Available from ASHRAE
ATLANTA – Just like the right dose of medicine can improve health, proper ventilation is an integral part of patients’ well-being in health care facilities.
Requirements to ensure high-quality ventilation can be found in a new standard written by ASHRAE and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE). ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170-2008, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities, defines ventilation system design requirements that provide environmental control for comfort, as well as infection and odor control.
The standard is the first ANSI standard in the nation to specifically address ventilation in health care facilities and is available for adoption by various authorities for health care facility construction such as city, state and federal governments and by private national organizations such as the Facilities Guidelines Institute and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
Without high-quality ventilation in health care facilities, patients, health care workers and visitors can become infected by simply breathing.
“Air-transmitted pathogens can be found everywhere in poorly ventilated health care facilities,” Richard Hermans, P.E., ASHRAE certified healthcare facility design professional (HFDP), chair of the committee that wrote the standard, said. “Because these organisms are found in higher concentrations in hospitals and because patients are susceptible to them, additional care should be taken in the design of ventilation systems.”
The standard addresses systems and equipment; space ventilation for a variety of areas in health care facilities, including airborne infection isolation rooms, critical care units, burn units, surgery rooms, and Class B and C operating rooms; and planning, construction and system startup.
The cost of ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities, is $54 ($43, ASHRAE members).
To order, contact ASHRAE Customer Service at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide), fax 404-321-5478, or visit at www.ashrae.org/bookstore.
ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.
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