Alaris Companies (Alaris) says it is
helping the U.S. Coast Guard to save taxpayer dollars, decrease energy usage,
and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a unique fleet energy management
program.
Working under a previously announced Michael Baker Jr. Inc.
(Baker) Department of Homeland Security/Coast Guard contract for architect/engineering
services, engineers from Alaris completed an assessment and report for the
110-foot patrol boat and 225-foot seagoing buoy tender class of cutters.
Through an extensive energy audit and report, Alaris
identified opportunities to reduce energy consumption by 25 to 48 percent a
year for the two classes of vessels assessed. These reductions can be achieved
through implementation of a list of proposed energy conservation measures for
each class of cutter.
The first part of the report, presented to the Coast Guard’s
Civil Engineering Unit in Juneau, Alaska, consisted of a thorough assessment of
the vessels’ baseline in-port energy use. The second part of the report
outlined energy conservation measures, potential changes to equipment,
operations and crew behaviors, which will result in financial savings and
emissions reductions. These include utilizing heat pumps and heat recovery
loops, ventilation energy recovery systems and lighting changes throughout the
vessels to name a few examples.
The report also includes return on investment details such
as initial investment, annual savings and payback period so operators can
decide which measures will yield the biggest benefit. Alaris’ in-house Equate energy
modeling program system quantifies how much energy, money, and emissions each
potential energy conservation measure would save and compares it to the financial
cost and the inconvenience that each measure would incur.
Currently, Baker and a team of Alaris engineers are
completing an assessment and subsequent report for the U.S. Coast Guard
National Security Cutter class of vessels.
“I am passionate about vessel energy management as there is
great potential for high returns from low investments,” says Michael Gaffney, executive
vice president of engineering with Alaris, in a company press release.
Gaffney is a certified energy manager, a certified energy
auditor, and a chief engineer, unlimited horsepower. He sees the major issue
facing vessel owners and managers as the lack of a good baseline of energy
usage and energy cost at a micro level.
“Because of this, financial analysis of operational changes
and equipment upgrades is not possible,” Gaffney says. “The result is,
cost-effective operational changes and equipment upgrades are not implemented.
“Baselining a vessel is much more complex than shoreside
facilities as vessels can use different fuels, operate at varying engine loads
and periodically use shorepower,” Gaffney continues. “To deal with the
complexity, Alaris has developed Equate, our shipboard energy modeling software
program which provides predictions of energy consumption. The tool calculates
energy consumption following a specific methodology and defined assumptions. This
program provides a baseline and financial analysis in which management can make
an informed decision. In this economy, it makes more sense than ever for
companies and governments to have an energy management policy.”