Spreadsheet tool for the Small Air Compressor Market

Presented by: Paul Warila – Cascade EnergyTom Osborn - BPA

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Discussion Topics

• Regional EE collaboration targeting opportunities in small compressed air systems.

• Why a small compressed air calculator?

• Demo of spreadsheet tool

• Results to date

• Approval of tool requested

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Regional Collaboration Effort

Discussions in 2007 between BPA, ETO, PacifiCorp, PSE, Idaho Power, Tacoma, SnoPUD, SCL, others to explore opportunities to collaborate in the small compressed air market (<100HP). Meet monthly for 1 hour calls.Original Goal:• “For small compressed air systems (less than 100HP) make the utility programs easier for vendor/trade allies to implement. Seamless from one utility’s service territory to another.”

Decided utilities would work together on small CA information, tip sheets, CAC training (via IEA), analysis method, case studies, etc.

Decided that incentive rates and structure are utility dependant.

Cofunded market evaluation study by Cadmus (July08)-Cadmus study suggests over 10,000 small compressed air systems in PNW....however, very little attention or projects.

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CADMUS Study - Participation

“Willingness to participate in potential efficiency programs is low, with 40% of market actors describing themselves as “not likely” to participate. The primary cause for this result is low perceived savings, which were not deemed commensurate with the time and resources required to participate.”

pg 2, Executive Summary• Time and resource requirements significantly reduced with

current approach• Savings values custom calculated for each job and presented

with project economics

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CADMUS Study – Vendor Involvement

“Vendors were consistently identified as the most important factor in the success of compressed air programs. Without educated and enthusiastic vendor support for energy efficiency, projects will not be submitted to the program.”

pg 42

• Spreadsheet tool supports the program concept of designing around vendor needs and desires

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Why a small compressed air system analyis tool?

Customer and Ally Perspective• Minimal time investment

– Limited application documentation– Vendor assistance with technical detail and no logging

requirement allows on-the-spot information gathering• Project economics presented

– Customer can review project economics soon after initial consideration to allow an informed decision without having to spend additional time reviewing

• Uses existing end user contacts– makes use of existing vendor relations to limit number of

contacts a customer must know– customer feels a compressed air specialist familiar with

their situation is helping them– third party neutrality

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Regional Small CA Tool

Team agreed to use common tool developed by Cascade Energy Engineering...

• 1-       Limit of 75 hp single compressor • 2-       Make a standard baseline for new units load/unload, not inlet modulation• 3-       “genericize” the tool so it can be used across multiple utility service territories• 4-       Add training requirements of trade allies before using the tool

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Small Compressed Air Spreadsheet

• Demo of spreadsheet

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Results to date

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Number of VFD Air Compressor ProjectsSII, first half 2008 (29 total projects)

5

11

4

7

1 10

2

4

6

8

10

12

7.5 15 25 30 40 50Compressor Size, hp

# P

roje

cts

Results to Date – Compressor Size

Average Size = 30.1 hp

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Results to Date – Vendor Participation

Trade Ally Share of VFD Air Compressor ProjectsSII, first half 2008 (29 total projects)

43 3

21

3

13

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

RogersMachinery

Atlas Copco PortlandCompressor

Pacif ic AirCompressor

DickinsonEquipment

Beckw ith &Kuffel

Ingersoll Rand

# P

roje

cts

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Results to Date – Baseline Compressor Control Type

Distribution of Compressor Control Type

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Existing New

Nu

mb

er o

f P

roje

cts

inlet modulation

load/unload

mod w/ unload

2/3 of projects 1/3 of projects

53%load/unload

47% inletmodulation

40% inletmodulation

60%load/unload

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Results to Date – Relevant Averages

• Average savings/project, kWh:

• Average incentive/kWh:

• Average compressor size:

• Avg savings as % of baseline, kWh:

• Average system demand for airas percent of full load:

35,506

$0.135

30.1 hp

39%

40%

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Vendor Feedback

• “I’ll get out there and bring you some more projects!”

• “I totally think you guys have made a big step forward.”

• “Only about 2 of the 25 projects we brought you would have moved without this program.”

• “I have a customer not in your territory, but in _____. His compressor just went down. Can _____’s utility turn a project around as fast as you guys?”

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Next Steps

• Approval by RTF• Approval by Pacificorp and PSE• Post tool on BPA and PTR websites• Market tool to other allies• BPA hire Cascade to train new users on tool• Get more projects going!!!• Collect M&V data (eg from run hours and total

kWh from VFD machines)• Report success to RTF (if warranted)

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Got Questions?

• Call Tom Osborn – BPA• 509-527-6211or• Paul Warila – Cascade Energy• 503-928-3212