Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
generally toward a more sustainable direction. There is, however, the risk of a
“lock-in” in obsolete technologies and concepts. It is essential therefore that build-
ing codes be dynamic in nature, continuously adopting state-of-the-art efficiency
levels.
In global terms, industry accounts for about 35% of power consumption and has a
25% potential for efficiency gains, 30% of which is possible in engine efficiency.
There are several “horizontal technologies,” such as components, which are
common to many industrial areas. Examples are engines, gears, compressors, boil-
ers, membranes for separation of substances, laser processors for cutting and per-
foration of steel, as well as solar heating for refrigeration and air conditioning.
There are also “specialized technologies” for the production of steel, chemical
products, nonferrous metals (such as aluminum and zinc), paper and pulp, and food
and beverages. Such technologies, for example, packaging of goods or water puri-
fication for the production of beer, are very specific and are not applicable across
the board.
Usually industries in developing countries (such as China) do not perform as
well as similar industries in the OECD. But even the best performing practices are
still worse than the best methods available. For example, in ammonium production
the energy intensity in China is 39-65 and in the OECD it is 33-44, while the best
available practice is 19.1. Energy intensity in this context is the energy spent for
each unit of product, usually measured in kilogram of oil equivalent for kilogram
of product.
In different industrial sectors, adopting the best achievable technology can result
in savings of 10-30% below the current average. The payback period for these
measures ranges from less than 9 months to 4 years. A systematic analysis of ma-
terials and energy flows indicates significant potential for process integration, heat
pumps, and cogeneration; for example, savings of 30% are seen in dairy, chocolate,
ammonia, and vinyl chloride.
Energy management standards from the International Organization for Stand-
ardization (ISO) are likely to be effective in facilitating industrial end-use effi-
ciency. Effective management of the demand side can be facilitated by a combin-
ation of mandated measures and market strategies. ISO is an international organ-
ization based in Geneva and founded in 1947. It is the world's largest developer
