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.

Rapidly Growing Program Attracts Publicity for Florida Green Schools

Every year, schools are doing their part to protect Mother Earth by practicing green initiatives that conserve energy, reduce their carbon footprint and promote environmental responsibility. In 2007, public and private schools across Florida starting following suit.

In conjuction with Dream in Green, the Florida Green Schools program is turning heads and saving energy. Starting with 15 schools in the 2007-2008 school year, the program has rapidly grown to just under 50 for the 2008-2009 school year. In the first year of implementation, the 15 schools were able to save 653,000 kWh of energy – a savings of $150,000. The results are still out of this year’s savings, but program sponsors are optimitic about the results.

Being green is part of the curriculum now at many schools in Florida and because of it, the movement towards green building at and around the schools will undoubtedly take a strong hold on the community.

SOURCE:

Alliance to Save Energy Press Release & http://greenidealab.com/green-buildings/florida-schools-take-green-very-seriously.

Successful IAQ/Energy Recovery Seminar in Mobile, AL

Just a quick note to say thanks again to all of the attendees who joined us for the IAQ/Energy Recovery Seminar at the Downtown Hampton Inn in Mobile, AL, earlier this month. We were very pleased with the turnout as well as the sincere interest of the attendees. We look forward to further discussing the unique technology of BPE High Efficiency Energy Recovery Ventilators with each and every one of you.

Compliments for Marspec

“The technical expertise provided by Marspec Technical Products has been above and beyond any comparative recommendations from other prospective vendors. With the help of Marspec, we have installed two heat exchange systems, both of which have considerably reduced operating costs and energy consumption in our plant. Most importantly, the technology provided by Marspec has enabled our plant to continually look at measures to reduce production expenses, and as a result, we have recommended their products and services to our sister companies in the U.S. and abroad.”

William Trank, Plant Manager
Best Manufacturing
Fayette Division
http://www.btrank@bestglove.com/

Welcome Michelle Worsham

Marspec Technical Products is very pleased to welcome Michelle Worsham to the sales and marketing team.

Michelle spent the last 18 months working as a marketing intern while she completed her marketing degree at the University of South Alabama. During her time as an intern, Michelle researched new customer outreach programs and identified potential clients in the government, institutional and healthcare markets. In her new position at Marspec, Michelle will be responsible for calling on these markets as an outside sales representative.

Welcome Michelle!

Marspec Sponsors Indoor Air Quality Seminar

Indoor air quality is a hot topic for building owners, managers and occupants. New ASHRAE guidelines specify the amount of fresh air per person that needs to be provided. Marspec Technical Products is sponsoring a seminar Wednesday, June 3rd at the Hampton Inn, Royal Street in downtown Mobile. This seminar will help remove the confusion about IAQ and detail strategies to reduce energy costs associated with fresh air makeup.

There is no charge to attend, lunch will be provided and two CEU credits are available - it dosen't get much better!

Here are the details of the seminar:

IAQ and Energy Recovery Seminar Information:

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) standards have been in effect for many years. Only recently has the importance of meeting IAQ standards been regarded in the context of energy recovery in HVAC systems, and has raised some interesting questions:

• Are energy costs of compliance to ASHRAE 62.1 being considered during the building design process?
• With the prospects of increased fuel and energy costs, how do users limit usage during peak load periods in summer and winter?
• Does compliance to IAQ standards require additional heating or cooling capacity in existing buildings?
• How will Congress’ recent economic stimulus package affect industrial, institutional, and commercial construction with its emphasis on energy and the environment?
• How can facilities designers and operators recover lost energy while meeting IAQ standards?
• What technologies exist to recover lost energy in HVAC systems, and how efficient are they?

Who is Presenting This Seminar?

These and many other questions will be addressed in the upcoming seminar, presented by Klas Haglid, PE – President/CEO of Haglid Engineering Incorporated. Mr. Haglid is past Chairman of ASHRAE Technical Committee 5.5 Air to Air Energy Recovery and past Chairman of ASHRAE Technical Committee 7.8 Owning and Operating Costs. As an active member of ASHRAE, Mr. Haglid has moderated forums and seminars and presented at several ASHRAE Annual Meetings, and has published extensively on issues surrounding energy recovery and building-related HVAC issues. Prior to forming Haglid Engineering and founding Building Performance Equipment, Mr. Haglid worked in research for DuPont focusing on heat transfer. He has also worked for Atlantic Electric and the US Department of Energy. Mr. Haglid also holds a number of patents for systems combining energy recovery devices with innovative controls for building performance improvement. Mr. Haglid is a National NCEES Record certified engineer.

What Will Be Covered In This Seminar?

This seminar will focus on issues of ASHRAE 62.1 compliance and energy recovery, and will cover the following topics:

1. Introduction to IAQ Standards
2. Understanding ASHRAE 62.1-2004
3. IAQ Effects on Energy Usage
4. Air to Air Heat Transfer Technologies
5. Case Studies

During the seminar, we will also examine three identical outdoor air HVAC systems, located in four different areas of the country. Each location had a base system, a heat recovery system, and an enthalpy control system. Initially, a base system was installed in each location. Then a heat recovery system was added, and the change in heating and cooling loads were tested. The systems were then revised with an enthalpy system, and again the energy savings were tested and recorded. Infrared thermal analysis is also used to explain and further evaluate the detailed thermal performance and characteristics of different HVAC components. At a national ASHRAE seminar session, this presentation was well received and peer reviewed. Seeing the actual energy savings is very interesting.

Who Should Attend?

• Facility Managers & Directors, Facility Engineers, HVAC Professionals, Consulting Engineers, Building Owners & Operators, Government Agency Representatives, School District Representatives, Utility Representatives, Energy Service Providers.
  

Attendance is limited to the first 40 registrants. Contact Michelle Worsham to reserve your seat.