Bookshelf: Plant Engineers and Managers Guide To Energy Conservation, Ninth Edition

June 9, 2008

By Albert Thumann and Scott Dunning, Fairmont Press/Taylor & Francis, 2008, 460 pages, $99.95

The guiding principle for the ninth edition is the growing significance of energy management. Emerging energy technologies, rising energy costs and shortages have made yesterday's simplistic energy management approaches inadequate, the authors emphasize. For example, the authors point out that many manufacturing plants do not maintain an electric motor inventory and only examine motors after failure has occurred.

The book's updated approach is intended to help transition management thinking into a more comprehensive systems engineering approach, one encompassing both process and product. "Only when the total picture is viewed will the solution become obvious," the authors contend.

Topics covered include cogeneration, gas-distributed generation technologies, steam system optimization, geothermal heat pumps, electricity purchasing strategies and power quality case studies.

Also covered: ready-to-apply guidelines for lifecycle costing, electrical system optimization, lighting and HVAC system efficiency improvement, mechanical and process system performance, building energy loss reduction, financing energy projects, energy purchasing, and strategies for establishing an effective energy conservation-oriented maintenance program.

Energy management rewards can be substantial. The book cites a recent survey conducted by the Association of Energy Engineers where 22.2% of members surveyed have reduced accumulated costs by $5 million or more. In addition, 36% of those surveyed indicate further savings amounting to over 10% were possible.

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