DID YOU KNOW 1 FOOT OF INSULATED PIPE CAN SAVE ROUGHLY 46 TREES?

The following information was obtained from an article in Insulation Outlook, written by Christopher P. Crall, published January 2009.

Insulating a bare surface can easily reduce heat losses or heat gains by 90–95%, and the need to conserve energy is obviously increasing.

Insulation has long been recognized as a LOW COST method of conserving natural resources. What is not well known is that insulation is considered one of the best sustainable technologies available. In fact, insulation can be considered effectively “greener than trees.”

As an example, consider a chemical facility that uses steam at 350°F in a manufacturing process that operates year round. The steam produced in an oil-fired boiler operating at an average efficiency of 80%. The cost of purchased fuel oil is $4/gallon. The 4-inch steam header is outdoors and insulated with 2 inches of fiberglass pipe insulation. The calculations in the following table were made using the 3E Plus® computer program developed by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA).

BARE 4" PIPE --> Heat Loss in Btu/h/ft = 1,460; Annual Fuel Cost, $/ft/yr = 438;
Carbon Dioxide, lbs/ft/yr = 2,427

PIPE INSULATED WITH 2" FIBERGLASS --> Heat Loss in Btu/h/ft = 71; Annual Fuel Cost, $/ft/yr = 21; Carbon Dioxide, lbs/ft/yr = 118

$AVINGS --> Heat Loss in Btu/h/ft = 1,389; Annual Fuel Cost $/ft/yr = 417; Carbon Dioxide, lbs/ft/yr = 2,308

The use of the insulation has reduced heat loss from the bare pipe, on average, by 95%. The associated fuel cost has decreased by 95% for a fuel-cost savings of $417 per foot per year. This 95% reduction in fuel usage translates to a 95% reduction in CO2 emissions, a savings of 2,308 lbs. of CO2 per year!!!!

Trees are a very important part of the carbon cycle. Trees use photosynthesis to remove and store carbon from the atmosphere. So, how much CO2 is absorbed from a tree? It varies with the type of tree, its location, and its stage in the life cycle. An average derived from many sources will allow us to assume that one tree can absorb a “rough estimate” of 50 pounds of CO2 per year.

With this in mind, one would need to plant roughly 46 trees to achieve the same CO2 regulations achievable by insulation of 1 foot of 350°F pipe!!!!

To find out more about how you can start saving energy costs through the application of SpeedWrap pipe insulation, please visit: http://www.marspec.com/speedwrap.pdf. Marspec customers have reported a simple payback of 10 weeks or less!!!

Greener and Cheaper

The following information was obtained from an article in the Wall Street Journal, by ALAN G. ROBINSON and DEAN M. SCHROEDER, published March 23, 2009:

For years the conventional wisdom was: if you improved quality, costs would also rise. But then companies discovered the opposite of this was true: by redesigning processes--reducing mistakes, doing things right the first time--companies could provide better products and services AND cut costs!

Living in the time of economic and energy crises, it's time to learn this lesson all over again, as it applies to going green.

Regardless of what many companies think--that improving their energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact is a "great" idea, but impractical due to the cost--businesses CAN go green and lower costs at the same time. No one disputes that it's expensive to cap smokestacks and process hazardous waste. But as the earlier lesson suggests, the focus shouldn't be on cleaning up and its costs -- the focus should be on creating less mess to begin with.

To see examples of how re-engineering processes with green principles and greater efficiency in mind can not only improve a company's standing with nature, but increase its profits and give it competitive advantages as well, please visit Marspec's customer success stories.

Alabama's Federal Stimulus Package

I am very pleased to see the state of Alabama has set up a new Website with more information about the federal stimulus law! The new website, found at http://www.stimulus.alabama.gov/ will allow Alabamians to track the stimulus dollars that are spent in the state. Alabama is expected to receive $3 billion in stimulus money for the following programs: local government, business, education & research, nonprofits, and individuals. The Website also includes a link for "FAQs" and "Resources." The Website will soon have a feature that allows organizations and individuals to submit proposals for the use of stimulus funds. Submitted proposals will be reviewed to see who may qualify for funding. “My administration is committed to making sure Alabama carries out its responsibilities under this law with full transparency and accountability. With this website, we will keep the public informed about every dollar coming to Alabama, where it goes and how it is spent,” Governor Riley said.

KUDOS for Marspec!

“We chose Marspec Technical Products as one of our suppliers due to their technical expertise and energy saving ideas, products and services. Our facility currently uses Miura boilers and TLV steam equipment. The vertical tube Miura boilers have proven to be fuel efficient and reduced our energy costs; the advanced TLV steam equipment has enabled us to better control our processes. We are very pleased with the Miura boiler design as it has proven to be the most efficient in the industry. I have recommended Miura boilers to another food processing plant and would also recommend it to anyone in the industry looking to gain a competitive edge and save on energy costs.”

David Smith, VP Technology
Diversified Foods and Seasonings
dsmith@diversified-foods.com