introduction
Advancements and Innovations Continue in Energy Sector
R
egardless of whether you’re at home, in a business or a manufacturing environment, energy is an important as well as necessary expenditure. As I’m sure every- one does, every month, as my utility bill comes in, I always review it and ask myself, “How can we save more on our en- ergy costs?” Because energy prices are always on the rise, many high-profile companies, like Walmart, Kohl’s, Costco, Apple and IKEA, are asking themselves that same question and have subsequently taken steps to lower their energy costs by installing solar energy systems at their facilities. “Collectively, the 25 companies with the most solar capacity in the US now have 1110 systems totaling 569 MW, generat- ing enough electricity to power more than 115,000 homes… Since 2010, US businesses have installed solar systems at their facilities more than 32,000 times” (
seia.org). While we look to solar to lower our energy costs, others
are moving toward utilizing advanced materials to create more energy. The US Department of Energy’s new Institute for Ad- vanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI; Knox- ville, TN), led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is new to this arena, but has an important focus. It will lower “
...the overall manufacturing costs of advanced composites by 50%, reducing the energy used to make composites by 75%, and increasing the ability to recycle composites by more than 95% within the next decade.” For the wind energy industry, its “... advances in low-cost composite materials will help manufac- turers build longer, lighter, and stronger blades to create more energy. In fact, doubling the length of a turbine blade can quadruple the amount of electricity generated” (
iacmi.org). Not only is alternative energy making inroads into lower-
ing energy costs, etc., it’s also “
...generated nearly $200 billion in revenues in 2014 in the United States alone—a 14% increase over 2013” (
nrdc.org). At the end of 2013, it had made a significant impact in the workforce as well with 6.5 million “green jobs” (625,000 in the US alone), according to
irena.org. From these statistics, it’s obvious why this particular industry is so important, and why SME has been involved
Wayne F. Frost, CMfgE 2015 SME President
in this arena for many years now. In particular, its biannual HOUSTEX event is a key indicator of the draw that the oil and gas industry has. HOUSTEX 2015—with over 6500 total at- tendees—was a record-setting event showcasing more than 105,000 ft2 (9755 m2
) of exhibit space; the largest since its
inception. There were also keynotes from ExxonMobil on the outlook for energy and Fluor Federal Petroleum Operations on the cybersecurity threat in oil and gas. To highlight the versatility of additive manufacturing/3D printing and how it’s being used in oil and gas engineering, new tactical/strategic sessions by T.A. Grimm & Associates were introduced at HOUSTEX. Barry Calnan, a blogger on
oilpro.com and advocate of the technology, recently pointed out that the oil and gas industry is one of the last industries to embrace additive manufacturing. “It is time that O&G pick up the stick and run with a technology that has been embraced by the aerospace, military, automotive and product design industries.” To continue sharing SME’s wealth of knowledge in this
arena, this particular yearbook has an article dedicated to how additive manufacturing can help improve electric motors. Also included are all-inclusive articles on: • Oil and gas; • Wind turbines; • Solar panels; • Software for energy manufacturing; • Machining; and • Workforce development.
Since 2010, SME and its Advanced Manufacturing Media
group have published five very comprehensive Energy Manufacturing Yearbooks, and we’re happy to be sharing the sixth with you now. As a valued SME member and customer, I hope you’ll enjoy reading the in-depth and timely articles contained here, as well as all of the technical information housed on
advancedmanufacturing.org and its industry- specific energy channel. I would also encourage you to visit
sme.org to learn more about how SME can support you, your company and manufacturing.
1 — Energy Manufacturing 2015
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