Save Energy without Investing Capital

It is hard to get excited about saving energy during periods when energy prices are low, because the return on investment for energy efficiency projects is poor. However, not all energy savings require capital investment. Moreover, there are often additional benefits from improving energy efficiency, most notably increased plant throughput and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

This paper examines various ways of saving energy in refineries and chemical plants without investing capital dollars, and the additional benefits that accrue from the efficiency improvements that are obtained. The discussion is illustrated with examples from recent projects around the world.