(378e) Development of a Total Assessment Audit Protocol for the Chemical Industry

Focusing on the sustainable supply of energy alone is not likely to enable industrial plants to meet their needs sustainably because of the shortage of sustainable energy sources compared to industrial energy demand. If energy is to become a sustainable commodity, every effort must be made to reduce the amount of energy needed by industrial users. This will extend limited sustainable energy sources and maximize the industrial output from these sources. In an effort to drive manufacturing energy efficiency, the Total Assessment Audit (TAA) process has been adapted to meet the unique needs of the chemicals industry. The TAA process involves performing on-site, multi-day audits designed to improve industrial energy efficiency and investigate alternative energy sources such as cogeneration. During the audit process, every aspect of business operations is analyzed to determine if any steps can be taken to improve the energy efficiency of the plant. The TAA approach to improving energy efficiency had proven its value previously in a program of manufacturing plant audits for the metal casting industry. The current TAA program is an 18-month effort principally funded by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) through the State Technologies Advancement Collaborative (STAC) that is focused solely on the chemicals industry and was designed to tailor the TAA protocol to the unique needs of this varied sector. The protocol was put to use in the seven chemicals industry audits conducted in three Midwest states. Audits showed that significant reductions in energy consumption can be achieved while maintaining current levels of production. As the audits were completed, the audit protocol was continuously refined. This paper presents the results of the 18 month research grant and the benefits to the chemicals industry.