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Outlook Wisdom


James D. Sawyer Yearbook Editor


Grows as Waste Shrinks


Waste not, want not. Or as R. Buckmin- ster Fuller noted, “Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we’ve been ignorant of their value.” We are getting wiser in this regard,


especially in terms of turning waste into energy in the manufacturing sector. Europe has had the lead up to this


point. North American manufacturers are starting to catch on, however. An example of the Continent’s com-


mitment to such resource harvesting is Rego-Fix’s use of advanced energy and resource conserving technologies at its manufacturing operations in Tenniken, Switzerland. When we reported on this facility two years ago (Energy Manu- facturing 2012) the company had just expanded the site by adding 140% more floor space. Te cost of energy use at the now 149,000-ſt2


(11997-m2 (5022-m2 ) plant. ) facility had


increased only slightly from what it had cost to heat, cool and light the original 54,000-ſt2


Rego-Fix has kept expenditures


reined in through the use of a special air- exchange ventilator system, wood pellet heating, multiple progressive air-condi- tioning units, a “green” roof, and both natural and sensor-controlled lighting. Another European concern, BMW,


has made a more modest but still sig- nificant effort at “harvesting” pollution on this side of the Atlantic. Te BMW Manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, SC, has a program aimed at using hydro- gen extracted from the methane drawn from landfills as a power source. As we reported last year (Motorized Vehicle Manufacturing 2013–2014), the program is initially using the hydrogen to power the fuel-cell material-handling equip-


ment at the production facility. Now the scene of this waste harvest-


ing has a more familiar look to it—and not just because it is happening in the US. BMW’s efforts are taking place in the auto industry, the manufacturing arena in which lean production was first and most enthusiastically embraced. Eliminating waste is certainly a step in


the right direction. Leveraging waste as an economic advantage is an even better thing to do. It keeps plants and the planet cleaner. It saves time, resources and money. It is, to carry Fuller’s thinking a bit further, the elimination of ignorance.


Eliminating waste is a step in the right direction. Leveraging waste as an economic advantage is even better.


Two of Chrysler Group’s facilities


have recently gained attention for their efforts in this direction. Te Brampton Assembly Plant (BAP;


Brampton, ON) in March became the first auto assembly plant in Canada to achieve ISO 50001: 2011 “Energy Management” standards certification. ISO 50001 sets out internationally recognized requirements for energy management systems. BAP’s energy management efforts range from lighting control projects developed in plant that deliver an estimated savings of $110,000 in annual electricity costs, to investment in an automated heating and ventilation management system and scheduler with an estimated savings of almost $2 mil- lion in annual electricity and natural gas costs, while also reducing excess negative exhaust by 1,200,000 cfm. Delivering $2 million to the bot-


tom line is no mean feat. Doing it on an annual basis—well, calling it the stuff of legends may be a bit strong, but the temptation to use the term is there. BAP is serving as the pilot plant for ISO 50001 certification among Chrysler Group’s North American automotive as- sembly plants. Tose plants are expected to be certified by the end of 2014. Chrysler’s Belvidere (IL) Assembly


Plant is one of those making that journey and is already reaping some benefits. In 2013 the facility implemented three


projects that are expected to save enough energy annually to power 1000 homes for a year. On Earth Day 2014, Nicor Gas, the plant’s natural gas provider, presented Chrysler with a check for $1.3 million, representing the savings achieved by the projects. It is the largest cumulative incentive ever awarded by the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program. Te first project reuses heated air


in more than one location in the plant. Essentially this supplements cold outside air with warm plant air rather than using natural gas to continually heat outside air to a comfortable temperature. Next, fixed-speed motors on direct


gas-fired air handling units were replaced by variable frequency drive mo- tors. Tis allows proportional speeds to reduce the volume of heated air supplied to the plant. Finally, a $500,000 incentive from


Nicor defrayed the cost of upgrading hardware and installing soſtware to connect and control 25 air supply units and exhaust fans as part of an improved Energy Management System. Tis system facilitates plant-wide air balance and non-production heating setbacks to reduce natural gas use.


Energy Manufacturing 2014 29


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