Steam Efficiency: Impacts from Boilers to the Boardroom

Abstract

Historically, energy utilization may have received corporate industries' attention only because of fuel price shocks or regulations imposed on industries. That history obscures the potential value that energy efficiency in manufacturing can convey to the corporate bottom-line. The challenge is to present efficiency investments in the financial "language" that permits comparison to other corporate investment opportunities. This paper presents a framework for linking steam efficiency to financial goals. A systematic review of business forces acting upon the manufacturing firm reveals the financial benefits derived from applied steam efficiency. Primary benefits are related to savings in the production process and its energy inputs. Secondary impacts potentially include increased shareholder value, market branding opportunities, avoidance of emission control penalties, and improvements in workplace safety. This discussion also covers the U.S. Department of Energy's BestPractices Steam program, which is devoted to the optimization of industrial steam systems.