KIDC Energy Efficiency Case Studies

 

1. Goose Island Beer Company

Projects Savings of $40,000 per year in Electrical Costs

 

KIDC assisted Goose Island Beer Company in implementing an initial operational and maintenance procedure audit which resulted in the recommendation of an in-depth technical analysis audit. Of the seven energy conservation and cost reduction opportunities identified, the company is moving forward with the following:

 

·          insulating boiler feed water tank	·        replacing air compressor
·          installing heat rejection from air compressor	·        retrofitting light fixtures
·         replacing chilled water pump motor

 

Anergen is in the process of investigation cogeneration and examining whether an anaerobic system augmented with natural gas would generate electricity efficiently. Their initial analysis suggests operating the generator powered by biogas and natural gas during peak hours and switch to CornEd power during off-peak hours. This analysis projected a $40,000 a year savings in electric costs.

 

 

2. Vita Food Products

Converts Biodegradable waste into profits

 

Through the Illinois Small Business Energy Program, KIDC assisted Vita Foods in finding a solution to their high waste disposal costs by linking them to Anergen, mc, a developer of systems to convert biodegradable waste into usable energy. In addition, KIDC linked Vita to financial assistance to explore the feasibility of its new energy source.

 

Vita Foods processes 10 million pounds of Salmon and Herring a year. Its use of 19 million gallons of water contributed substantially to their operating costs due to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s surcharge for the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of their wastewater. The initial effluent analysis conducted by Anergen revealed that with an anaerobic system, Vita Food Products could completely eliminate the BOD surcharge and reduce the current sludge disposal costs. In addition, the use of the methane gas by-product to generate electrical power is projected to reduce the Company’s annual electrical energy cost by 66%. With the financial assistance of a “Rebuild Chicago Grant”, Vita Food Products is moving forward with the next phase of analysis — defining the specifications for the anaerobic system design.

 

 

3. Leon’s Sausage Company

Three year pay back period to implement energy conservation measures

 

Following KIDC’s site visit to Leon Sausage Company, an energy audit was arranged with the City’s Climate Wise program. Recommended energy conservation measures included:

 

·         replacing the company’s fluorescent lamps and ballasts with energy efficient types

·         covering the roofs above the coolers with a reflective paint .replacing an old air compressor.

 

KIDC assisted Leon’s Sausage in applying for a Rebuild Chicago Grant for the roof painting and air compressor projects. The grant was awarded and resulted in lowering Leon Sausage’s payback period to below 3 years, making the projects feasible to implement.