Marspec Welcomes Alvin Phan

Marspec Technical Products is pleased to welcome Alvin Phan to the inside sales team. Alvin is a recent graduate of the University of South Alabama where he was awarded a degree in mechanical engineering. 

Alvin will be handling all customer requests, but he will be focusing primarily on accounts in south Mississippi and northwest Florida.

Welcome aboard, Alvin!  

New GBT Boiler for a Gulf Coast Chemical Plant

Marspec Technical Products has just installed a new Green Boiler Technologies Immersion Fired natural gas steam boiler at a Florida panhandle chemical plant. The SPB Immersion Fired Series of steam boilers is well known throughout the industry for its unique single-pass design and burner technology. Available in both high pressure and low pressure steam, the single pass immersion firetube design delivers premixed air and gas through multiple burner nozzles. A corresponding flue tube completely immersed in liquid, is aligned with the nozzle head inside the combustion chamber. Upon combustion, the nozzles generate a focused, high velocity flame which radiates down the center of each tube. The benefits of the technology in the SPS Immersion Fired Series steam boilers include:

 

Natural Efficiency

• Up to 82% efficiency
• Radiant heat is maximized across the primary heating surface

 Low Maintenance Cost and High Longevity

• Elimination of thermal shock due to balanced heat transfer across primary heating surface; allowing for up to 150° F ΔT
• Backed by a 20-year non-prorated thermal shock warranty
• Elimination of refractory breakdown due to single pass design (no refractory material is used)

 Ease of Maintenance

• Hinged door provides quick access to burners, manifold and heating tubes for easy cleaning and routine maintenance
• Trimmed with non-proprietary components

 Simplicity of Design

• No complex controls which require intensive training
• Fewer moving parts reduces incidence of failure and required retuning

 Low NO_x Emissions

• Less than 30ppm NOx
  
  
  
   

Marspec Welcomes Becky Jones

Becky Jones has just become a part of the Marspec Technical Products inside sales team. She will handle most customers along the US Highway 43 industrial corridor as well as Marspec's social marketing programs. Becky is a graduate of the University of South Alabama where she earned her degree in entrepreneurial studies.

In her off time Becky enjoys running and works with the Soles4Souls program. 

Welcome to Marspec Becky!

Marspec to the Rescue

A user of PTFE lined pipe was let down by their contracted supplier over the weekend when large diameter spools were needed on an emergency basis.

The customer's project manager called Marspec's 24/7 emergency callout service and found the service he needed - twice. The first call came in on Saturday and the on-call team at Marspec responded immediately, having spools ready earlier than the customer expected. The second call on Sunday was met with the same sense of urgency.

The customer was impressed with the level of service Marspec provided and sent a note of thanks to the team that made everything happen for him.

A Truckload of Energy Efficiency

Highly efficient Miura steam boilers were selected for a major utility upgrade project at a roofing manufacturing plant in Texas. Marspec worked closely with the specifying engineer to create a package of steam production and condensate handling equipment that was both economical to purchase as well as operate.

Marspec supplied three Miura EX300 boilers, a Lockwood deaerator and various other valves and accessories. We snapped a photo the truck carrying one of the Miura boilers and the Lockwood DA as it was preparing to leave the Marspec facility.

Marspec Ships Ductwork for Economizer Project

The condensing economizer that Marspec shipped to a Mississippi industrial customer was completed with some custom ductwork designed by Marspec and built to our specifications by a local fabricator. The completed metalwork was delivered to Marspec's Spanish Fort, Alabama shop where it was insulated and palletized for shipment.

Here is a photo of the completed ducting loaded on the hauler for delivery to the job site.

Marspec Technical Products Appointed Representative for Mader Dampers

We are pleased to have been chosen as the authorized factory representative Mader Dampers to service Alabama, Mississippi and northwest Florida.

Mader offers a complete line of dampers for all hot gas services. From louver types to simple butterfly designs, Mader can meet any customer need. Users in the power generation, steel, and other furnace-using industries can find a high-quality custom built damper at competitive prices.

Additionally, Marspec can select and mount nearly any style actuator and other control accessories in our Spanish Fort shop.

Visit the Mader web site for more details or call Marspec at 800-233-1394.

Spirotherm Air Separators Save Big Energy Dollars

A large Midwestern university found a significant chiller performance improvement through proper air elimination in the circulating chilled water piping system. Best of all, the project carried a sub-two year simple payback.

Youngstown (Ohio) State University studied one of their chilled water systems with an eye toward reducing energy consumption. The system included 3 -1,200 ton York chillers fed by 3 -250HP chilled water pumps. While the pumps maximum design flow was 8,640 GPM the variable frequency drives were locked at 6,500GPM for constant flow operation. The chillers were operated under a variable output control plan.

The study zeroed in the installed air separator which was a common centrifugal design. The 16” line size separator was rated for 8,000 GPM maximum flow however, at maximum flow its’ removal efficiency was only 40%.

The physical plant operator investigated the impact of a new, high efficiency coalescing air and dirt separator built by Spirotherm and customized for the project. The recommended unit was a 20” line size, selected for optimum air elimination at the maximum flow rates. Even at maximum flow conditions the selected unit:

• · Eliminated 100% of the free air
• · Eliminated 100% of the entrained air
• · Eliminated up to 99.6% of the dissolved air

The dirt separator function of the Spirotherm unit removed 80% of all dirt and sediment 30 microns and larger within 100 passes. This feature eliminated the need for additional sidestream filtration and the associated maintenance it would require.

The new Spirotherm air and dirt separator was installed in a very short time window – 24 hours over a holiday - and was started up without a hitch. The results of the new separator were apparent almost immediately:

• Chiller output went from 2,300 tons to 2,700 tons; a 15.9% increase
• ΔT at the chiller increased from 8.5°F to 10°F
• Delivered air temperature at the furthest point on the campus went from 65°F to 58.5°F

So what can this advanced separator actually save in energy costs? A lot it, turns out. When the control scheme is altered to a variable pump flow and constant chiller output plan, the required chiller output (2,300 tons) can be met with only 5,543GPM – a 14.7% reduction in pump flow from the original 6,500GPM. Couple that with head reduction to only 72.7% of the initial conditions, pump power consumption drops to only 62.1% of initial conditions – a 37.9% KWh savings.

Put into dollar amounts, the Youngstown State plant engineer calculates that the previous system’s pump energy consumption cost the school $94,650.00 per year. At 62.1% of the initial conditions (as outlined above), the new pump energy consumption will be $58,778.00 – an annual savings of nearly $36,000.00.

The project cost was $70,300.00 which included a contractor’s premium for overnight installation on a very tight schedule. The project’s simple payback was just under two years – savings that will continue to accrue over time.

Marspec Technical Products can help you select the right Spirotherm air and dirt separator for your unique needs. For complete details – and a demonstration – of this technology, call us at 1-800-233-1394.

Solar Water Heating from Marspec & American Microsolar

Marspec is pleased to have been appointed the regional representative for American Microsolar. This unique, patented technology is able to bring the feasibility of solar water heating to more places in the USA.

American Microsolar uses a series of coaxial water heating tubes that collect solar energy and then through a thermosyphon action, conduct it to the rooftop storage tank. The American Microsolar water heating system is so effective, it was able to bring water to a boil in less than 7 hours in a mid-northern latitude.

Contact us for the details of this exciting new product.

Marspec Welcomes Jeffery Grizzle

Marspec is very pleased to announce that Jeffery Grizzle has joined the company in the capacity of inside sales and marketing specialist.

Jeffery is focused on outreach efforts to help customers find new energy efficiencies with Miura boilers. We welcome Jeffery to the Marspec team!

Marspec to Supply New Condensing Economizer

Marspec Technical Products has been selected to provide a new Sidel Systems condensing economizer to a North Mississippi manufacturing facility.

This new economizer will supply up to 120 gallons per minute of 'free' hot water for the process. The economizer acts as a water heater that takes advantage of the heat in the steam boiler's flue gas to provide this hot water. Heat that is now going up the stack to the atmosphere will now be harnessed to make hot process water.

Currently, the customer is running a steam boiler and supplying this steam to a heat exchanger to produce hot water. Marspec estimates that the customer will slash their natural gas bill by over $250,000.00 per year and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 4.1 million pounds annually - the equivalent of removing 357 passenger cars from the highway, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Steam Traps with Wheels

While we're on the subject of steam traps, here is a photo of a steam trap cart Marspec developed for a customer that unloaded railcars of asphalt. The previous practice was to simply allow the steam to blow through the coils. In addition to causing a great deal of noise, it took almost 48 hours to bring the asphalt to pumping temperature. The cost of steam used for each car was staggering - about $2,600.00.

Marspec showed the customer how much could be saved on each railcar by using properly sized and selected steam traps - nearly $2,300.00 per car. Marspec even devised an innovative steam trap solution that eliminated the need to spot the cars precisely to connect the steam traps.

A rubber-tired platform became a portable steam trap station. With two TLV JS7X steam traps, each car could be brought to temperature in less than 6 hours.

Marspec can design an energy saving solution for your tough challenges, too.

A Better Way to Install Steam Traps

Marspec Technical Products was recently awarded an order for the design and construction of a steam trap manifold for an Alabama manufacturer of thermoplastic products.

Originally, the customer used different types of steam traps from various manufacturers without knowledge of how the traps would affect production. Marspec's Craig Simons and Wayne Hoggle performed a walk-through survey focusing on improvements to reduce energy usage and improve productivity. The team realized that by using correctly selected steam traps in a well thought out installation, the facility could cut the amount of steam used per unit of production.

Craig and Wayne recommended that the customer install TLV J-series free float steam traps and SpeedWrap high tech thermal insulation. The TLV J-series team traps are unequaled in removing air and large slugs of condensate on batch processes. Reduced startup time means more production and improved profitability. The SpeedWrap insulation product keeps more of the condensate's heat in the line for return to the boiler. Hotter returned condensate means less fuel is needed to create steam.

Marspec was given the go ahead to develop the manifold in the photos. In a matter of days, the Marspec shop assembled the manifold and added the removable insulation.

Marspec can design a unique steam trap manifold for your plant, too.

Low Hanging Fruit of Energy Savings- 13 Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Energy Bills

We have numerous ways for you reduce your energy consumption without breaking the bank. Check out this 'bakers dozen' of easy, low cost ways to cut your energy consumption:

Steam Trap Survey A common 1” stainless steel disc type steam trap that has failed open can easily waste 100 lbs/hr of steam. If your steam costs $10.00 per thousand pounds, this trap is wasting over $8,000.00 per year. A steam trap survey using the TLV TrapMan System provides the most accurate analysis of trap performance and allows maintenance to be prioritized based on economic payback. Estimated Payback 3-6 Weeks

Heat Exchanger Drainage Most heat exchangers are oversized for their application, and improper drainage causes a back-up of condensate, resulting in lost production and damage to equipment. Protect your heat exchangers by making sure they are properly drained. Marspec and TLV can provide a predicted stall point for your system to allow you to properly size traps and pumps for heat exchangers. Estimated Payback 3-6 Months

Small Piping Insulation Insulation of heating and cooling piping is an easy way to reduce energy costs. However, many people ignore smaller lines or compact systems where tight piping arrangements prevent proper insulation. A single foot of 1” uninsulated, 100 psi steam line will cost over $80.00 per year in lost energy (based on $10.00 per thousand pound steam). SpeedWrap is a highly efficient, water-resistant and re-usable insulation for valve stations, steam trap stations, molding presses, and other difficult applications.
Estimated Payback 3-6 Months

Blowdown Heat Recovery Surface, or continuous boiler blowdown systems protect boilers by removing dissolved solids at or near the surface of the water level. In those cases where the blowdown goes directly to a drain or a blowdown separator, valuable energy and cooling water is wasted. Installing a blowdown heat recovery system can recover these costs and provide "free heat" for feed water and other heating systems. For example, a 300HP boiler with a blowdown rate of approximately 5% will waste nearly $15,000.00 per year in fuel costs. Contact your Marspec at 1-800-233-1394 to find out how much you can save with a custom built blowdown heat recovery system.
Estimated Payback 3-6 Months

Heat Transfer Compound Use Zeemax heat transfer compound on process tracers. According to research done by testing laboratories, Zeemax improves the flow of heat by up to 7 times. Experiments have shown that the heat transfer coefficients for bare steam tracers have ranges from 1 to 5 BTU/HR-sq. ft.°F. “U” factors for steam tracers with heat transfer compound are in the range of 45 (BTU/HR-sq FT-°F).This means that less heat is lost due to air gaps and poor contact with the pipe surface. Zeemax trowel grade can be easily applied to existing tracer lines. Traced lines come up to temperature more quickly and require less steam to maintain the target temperature.
Estimated Payback 6-12 Months

Compressed Air and Gas Surveys Compressed air and gas system leaks will cost thousands of dollars per year. Undetected, these leaks will waste energy, reduce productivity and threaten plant safety. One of Marspec’s industrial customers found ‘silent’ compressed air and gas leaks totaling over $72,000.00 in wasted energy – most of which were in threaded fittings or tube fittings. Marspec can provide compressed air and gas leak detection surveys tailored to meet any compressed air user’s needs.
Estimated Payback 6-12 Months

Energy Recovery Ventilators The latest ASHRAE indoor air quality (IAQ) standards require that large volumes of fresh, outdoor air are brought into the HVAC system. Most building managers have never imagined how much cooling and heating costs go into handling fresh outdoor air, and bringing it into the system's set temperature. Meanwhile, the energy used to heat or cool the exhausted air is completely wasted. Marspec provides BPE energy recovery ventilator systems that use exhausted air to pre-heat or pre-cool fresh air, without mixing the two air streams. The BPE system can provide both sensible and latent heat recovery, recover up to 90% of the energy that would normally be lost in most systems, and has an energy efficiency ratio (EER) three times that of comparable heat recovery systems using heat wheels and desiccant wheels. Contact Marspec to find out how you can significantly reduce your energy costs with BPE energy recovery ventilators.
Estimated Payback 6-12 Months

Custom Insulation Blankets Large valve bodies, feed water tanks and other equipment are often left without proper insulation because of their special shapes or maintenance considerations. Marspec can provide special configurations of removable/reusable insulating jackets to reduce energy costs and to prevent burns to operating personnel. Contact Marspec to see how we can improve your system efficiency through insulation of special equipment and piping configurations.
Estimated Payback 3-6 Months

Automate Steam Tracers Automate steam tracers on outdoor process tracing lines with Therm-Omega-Tech US/A valves from Marspec Technical Products. Commonly used caustic soda concentrations need to be traced when the outdoor temperature drops to below 70°F. There are many nights in the spring and fall when caustic lines need supplemental heat but then do not need it during the daytime. Most facilities will turn on the tracing on the first cool night but then leave it on until late spring. The US/A valve will energize steam tracers only when the ambient temperature triggers the valve to open. As the ambient temperature increases during the day, the valve shuts off the steam supply. A single US/A valve can control up to 10 process tracers.
Estimated Payback 6-12 Months

Insulation Effectiveness Surveys Insulation effectiveness surveys can help find poorly-insulated lines that add cost to your energy bills. Marspec can inspect a small section of a process area to determine the effectiveness of the current insulation. Since Marspec is not a supplier of traditional insulation, we can inspect your insulation as an unbiased auditor. The payback can be significant depending on the particulars of your facility.
Estimated Payback 12-18 Months

Automatic Freeze Protection Valves Use Thermotech freeze protection valves on safety showers instead of electrical tracing to prevent freezing. Freeze protection valves are self powered and open to drain only enough water that is in danger of freezing. The drained water is replaced by warmer resupply water from insulated or underground piping. These automatic valves reduce your power demand and are fail safe.
Estimated Payback 12-18 Months

Energy Assessments Facilities can begin the process of reducing energy use and meeting energy reduction goals by applying for an energy assessment performed by Marspec's DOE Certified Energy Expert. Our "energy savings team" will conduct energy assessments and recommend ways to conserve energy and reduce your carbon footprint. the study will identify key opportunities for savings by focusing on energy-intensive systems such as process heating and cooling, steam, pumps, fans, and compressed air.
Estimated Payback 3-6 Months

Water Heating Marspec can provide a custom-made hot water heater for your plant or facility. Facility steam is used to heat the water and flows through a system that includes a correctly-sized heat exchanger, control valves, piping and free float steam traps. A Marspec system is custom built to meet specific needs – there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ offering for Marspec customers.
Estimated Payback 6-12 Months

ASHRAE Addresses the Role of HVAC&R Systems in Infectious Disease Transmission

As health and school officials deal with a second wave of the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, new information is available on the health consequences of exposure to such airborne infectious diseases and the implications on the design, installation and operation of HVAC&R systems.

"While the long-standing public health view is that influenza transmission occurs through direct contact or large droplets, newer data suggests it also occurs through the airborne route, meaning HVAC&R systems may contribute far more to transmission of the disease and, potentially, to reduction of that same transmission risk," said Gordon Holness, president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineering (ASHRAE) that developed the guidance.

The swine flue has spread to nearly 170 countries, resulting in 1,154 deaths and some 160,000 illnesses since the first reported case in the spring of 2009. With a better understanding of ventilation's effect on the transmission of disease, future incidents on the H1N1 virus may now be easier to prevent, according to Holness. He mentions several technical solutions that are available to assist in avoiding transmission, such as: dilution ventilation, airflow strategies, room pressurization, personalized ventilation, source control, filtration and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.

ASHRAE's Airborne Infectious Diseases Position Document addresses the impact of ventilation on disease transmission, and can be read at www.ashrae.org/positiondocuments.

Marspec offers state of the art, energy recovery ventilation manufactured by Building Performance Equipment, Inc. To find out more about this technology, please visit: http://marspec.com/indoor_air_quality.html.

Source:

ASHRAE Press Release
August 31, 2009
Contact: Jodi Dunlop
Public Relations
jdunlop@ashrae.org

Marspec Provides Plastic Lined Pipe for New Auto Assembly Plant

Marspec Technical Products was chosen to provide a Crane-Resistoflex Teflon lined piping system for a new auto assembly plant under construction in Mississippi. The project engineers specified Crane-Resistoflex in part due to its reputation for long service life and advanced manufacturing techniques employed by the North Carolina based company.

Marspec provided drawing takeoff and bill of material generation as well as complete spool fabrication services. All piping components were shipped according to the contractors demanding schedule. Marspec was even able to suggest ways to reduce the overall cost of the project while maintaining the environmental integrity demanded by the facility owner.

Marspec Selected to Provide Equipment for Carbon Capture Research

Marspec Technical Products has been selected by the National Carbon Capture Research Center to provide an advanced boiler, several heat exchangers and vessels for the Wilsonville, Alabama facility. This joint project of the Department of Energy and Southern Company is seeking efficient, economical ways to capture and sequester carbon emissions produced during the combustion of coal.

Quoting from a Southern Company press release:

The National Carbon Capture Center plans to conduct testing on both pre-combustion and post-combustion carbon capture technologies. Existing facilities at the PSDF will be modified to conduct the pre-combustion CO2 capture component of the NCCC project. New facilities to conduct post-combustion testing and evaluation will be on the site of Plant Gaston, a coal-fueled generating plant adjacent to the PSDF that is operated by Southern Company subsidiary Alabama Power.

Once fully operational in 2010, the National Carbon Capture Center will bring together science and innovation in technology development, along with real-world testing capability, to play a leading role in the effort to achieve cost-effective and reliable capture of carbon dioxide from coal-based power generation.

Marspec is excited to be part of this cutting edge research effort.

ASHRAE Meeting Highlights Existing Buildings

The ASHRAE 2009 Annual Conference held in Louisville highlighted the need to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings.

At the meeting, ASHRAE introduced a year-long focus on existing buildings. "In these economic times, dollars for new construction have dwindled," said Gordon Holness, ASHRAE president. "Given that more people are renovating than building new, now is the perfect time for ASHRAE to focus on reducing energy consumption in existing buildings to save money and reduce carbon emissions."

Gordon Holness, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, Life Member, was inducted as the Society's president for 2009-2010. Holness addresses energy efficiency in existing buildings through his presidential theme, Sustaining our Future by Rebuilding Our Past.

"The vast majority of buildings that will exist in the year 2030 exist today," Holness said. "If we are to have a material impact on overall energy use, it is through renovation of existing building stock. While existing buildings present greater challenges, they offer us a greater opportunity to significantly impact our overall national energy demand, reduce our dependence upon imported oil and gas and minimize our carbon footprint. If ASHRAE is looking to build a sustainable future, we can set the foundations of that right now."

To read his presidential address, visit www.ashrae.org/holness.

To learn more about products and services that can help you improve the energy efficiency and indoor air quality of your existing building, visit Marspec's Website.

Source:

ASHRAE Press Release 07/02/09
Contact: Wendy Angel, Public Relations, wangel@ashrae.org

TLV's J3X Now Available in Stainless Steel

One of TLV's best selling steam traps in now made in stainless steel. The venerable J3X, long a standard for steam main drips and very light process services, can be ordered from Marspec Technical Products in corrosion resistant stainless.

This new product is ideal for chemical processing, pulp & paper, refining - anywhere corrosion is a problem. The J3SX has a cast body and - like the cast iron J3X - has stainless steel internals.

Visit this site for details about this breakthrough product.

Thermal Energy Storage - Green Technology Proven Over Many Years - Building Receives 2008 Energy Efficiency Award from LADWP

This blog entry comes to Marspec through the courtesy of
Victor J. Ott, PE, of CRYOGEL Thermal Energy Storage Systems.

Joe Hickman, the Chief Engineer for 801 Towers in Los Angeles, has operated numerous buildings in downtown LA over the years. According to historical energy data, his current building at 801 Figueroa is using less than 50% of the energy required per square foot as compared to similar buildings in the area. In fact, his building just received an Energy Efficiency Award for 2008 from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Contributing to the efficiency of this 24 story, 430,000 square foot office building is a thermal energy storage system installed in 1992. Joe reports that, "the two 800 ton chillers simply never come on during the 10 hour daily air conditioning cycle when the building is being cooled by the TES system. Only one of the chillers is used at night to charge the Ice thermal storage system except on the hottest days in the summer when the second chiller is sometimes called upon to top up the ice system up for the next day".

To qualify for peak load shifting incentives and off-peak rates offered by LADWP, the building was designed in 1990 to include 8,300 ton hours of thermal energy storage (TES). The system is actually capable of approximately 11,000 ton hours of capacity, which in hindsight, was valuable engineering judgement that has paid off with ever-changing electricity prices and energy markets.

Flack and Kurtz of San Francisco, the principal engineer, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power may not have anticipated all the changes in energy markets during the past two decades. Looking back today, however, this system has proven to be a good example of engineering foresight. The engineer, building owner and electric utility recognized the need for flexibility to deal with the uncertainties in electrical supplies and increasing energy costs. Leadership shown by LADWP with incentives and off-peak rates was part of an overall business plan that shielded customers in that service territory from many of the problems faced by ratepayers elsewhere in the state and the rest of the country. Concern about the reliability of energy supplies and the need for design foresight and peak load shifting may finally become the norm in California and the nation as energy and climate concerns become national priorities.

Green Benefits of Off-Peak Energy Storage: In addition to the reduction in energy costs, thermal energy storage (TES) is effective in reducing green house gasses and the carbon foot-print of electric generation facilities. This benefit may not have been anticipated by the building designers in 1990 but the positive effects of TES on emissions from power plants has been well documented over the years as concerns about climate change have gained attention. Both of the largest California utilities recently reported heat rates, the number of btu's of energy to generate each kilowatt hour, were significantly lower during the night off-peak periods than during the day. For example, the largest electric utility in Southern California reported that only 7,263 btus are required to produce one kWh during off-peak night hours as compared to 13,258 btu's during the peak daytime period. While many factors effect heat rates, this 45% decrease during the off peak period indicates that less fossil fuel is required and, therefore, lower emissions result when electricity is generated at night and stored in the form of ice in a thermal storage tank. This same conclusion was reported by the California Energy Commission (CEC) in its 1995 report on the benefits of thermal storage. The CEC Report showed a similar 45% improvement in off-peak heat rates statewide and estimated that TES could help reduce carbon dioxide emissions in California by 260,000 tons annually within 10 years. With increasing emphasis on reducing fossil fuel consumption and mitigating air pollution and climate change, the green benefits of thermal storage are more relevant today than ever.

After incentive payments from LADWP, the TES system at 801 Towers cost approximately $640,000 more than a non-storage air conditioning system. With the reported capability to shift approximately 2,000 kW of electrical demand to off-peak periods, the additional costs can be translated to approximately $320 per kW of peak electrical demand reduction. The net installed cost was approximately $58 per ton hour of actual thermal storage capacity. The cost per shifted kW was a bargain compared to the cost of new generation capacity. Although prices for electricity and equipment have changed over many years, that bargain is even more compelling as costs and environmental impacts associated with new power plants have become more painful and politicized.

The 801 Towers system includes a 180,000 gallon concrete tank with a polyethylene liner and approximately 750,000 spherical ice containers (* Cryogel Ice Balls^TM) as well as two 800 ton, Trane three-stage centrifugal chillers. The tank is located three levels below the street and adjacent to the underground parking garage. The roof of the concrete tank is formed by a ramp that connects two garage levels. As in most civic centers, parking is a premium in downtown L.A. This tank configuration and ice storage technology was chosen because the tank could be installed in a manner that would not displace parking spaces in the garage.

Flexibility of the system allows for compliance with changes in utility rate structures. This is apparent when looking back at the original specifications as compared to operational demands now being placed on the system which exceed design intent.

The original design intent was to shift the cooling load for a period of 8 hours. However, today the system is actually shifting load for 10 hours per day. According to Joe Hickman, "the current agreement with LADWP requires us to keep the chillers shut off completely from 10 am to 8 pm. The system has enough capacity to carry the extended hours of operation, even without charging fully every night."

The concrete tank was fitted with a one-eighth inch thick polyethylene liner to prevent leaks due to normal thermal expansion and contraction. The liner allows for 1.5 inches of rigid insulation between the liner and the tank wall. This unique solution to insulating an underground tank offers double-wall leak security as well as a vapor barrier.

Thermal storage is not new technology although proven environmental benefits and energy cost savings are only now gaining the wider attention of design engineers and electric utilities across the nation. TES is increasingly recognized as an environmentally friendly and economically attractive alternative to new generation capacity. Today's designers and regulators have the benefit of years of proven success with TES systems and equipment. Improved efficiency of existing power generation equipment, and means to avoid building new expensive power plants, are major benefits to electric utilities. Lower energy costs and improved reliability stand as major benefits to consumers. Reductions in the use of fossil fuel and the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions are benefits to society that should inspire incentives for thermal storage as part of state and national energy policy.