Think saving energy will require costly new equipment or complicated changes to your operating practices? Think again!

Here are twenty steps you can take this year for little or no cost, using in-house expertise. You'll be amazed to discover how some simple changes can cut your energy bills.

All Combustion Systems (Steam Tip Sheets)

Operate furnaces and boilers at or close to design capacity
Reduce excess air used for combustion
Clean heat transfer surfaces
Reduce radiation losses from openings
Use proper furnace or boiler insulation to reduce wall heat losses
Adequately insulate air or water-cooled surfaces exposed to the furnace environment and steam lines leaving the boiler
Install air preheat or other heat recovery equipment

Steam Generation Systems (Steam Tip Sheets)

Improve water treatment to minimize boiler blowdown
Optimize deaerator vent rate
Repair steam leaks
Minimize vented steam
Implement effective steam trap maintenance program
Use high-pressure condensate to make low-pressure steam
Utilize backpressure turbine instead of pressure-reducing or release valves
Optimize condensate recovery

Process Heating Systems (Steam Tip Sheets)

Minimize air leakage into the furnace by sealing openings
Maintain proper, slightly positive furnace pressure
Reduce weight of or eliminate material handling fixtures
Modify the furnace system or use a separate heating system to recover furnace exhaust gas heat
Recover part of the furnace exhaust heat for use in lower-temperature processes