In addition to fuel costs gobbling up 96 percent of your boiler room's operating costs, an average of 10 to 20 percent of energy input is lost in the form of heat escaping to the atmosphere. Ever calculate how much waste heat you are losing? And how much you could save with an economizer solution? If your company is weighing the benefits of an economizer and heat exchanger solution, here's proof that it's worth the investment.
We recently completed a case study with the Newark Housing Authority (NHA), a project that is bringing 607,926 more BTUs per hour and an annual savings of 35,000 from the VHX economizer and heat exchanger alone. There was zero upfront capital expense and program payback of $80+ million guaranteed through the contractor, Constellation Energy.
Whether you’re decentralizing boilers in a retrofit application or looking for the best waste heat recovery solution for a new boiler room, the VHX economizer is a surefire way to save energy costs and cut down on emissions.
How do economizers work?
Boiler economizers (or heat exchangers) reclaim BTUs from the combustion process, normally wasted out of the boiler vent. The economizer uses the hot stack gas from a boiler and transfers the waste heat in it to the boiler feedwater. Because the boiler feedwater is then at a higher temperature, the boiler does not have to add as much heat to create steam, thus using less fuel and saving money.
In addition to boiler efficiency gains (generally five to 10 percent), an economizer also allows a boiler to respond more quickly to rapid load demands, due to higher initial feedwater temperature.
Waste heat recovery in a boiler as pre-warmed water, or for storage economizers, can often reduce fuel requirements by five to 10 percent, with the economizer solution paying for itself in less than two years.
Economizers help the environment, too
Economizers are highly effective at reducing environmental impact. In the case of the NHA, this massive energy-saving solution will, in its first year, eliminate more than:
In addition, the reduction in electric and fossil fuel consumption at NHA minimizes the creation of pollutants, the impact of which is equal to turning off approximately 31,154 100-watt light bulbs for a year, eliminating the average daily use of water for 2,800 persons, removing 2,800 cars off the road each year and planting 76,212 trees each year.
How did they do it?
Get the whole story in this case study with the NHA, Constellation Energy, ENERVEX, UEP, and Miller & Chitty:
“ENERVEX VHX Economizer Solution to Save $35,000 per Year with Zero Upfront Capital”
Or contact ENERVEX to learn how much you can save with an economizer and heat exchanger: 800.255.2923