3E Plus Program Software Insulation Thickness Calculator Benefits, Usage and Evaluation U.S. EPA Grant Number NP – 00E01561

Background 3E Plus is an industrial energy management tool developed by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association. It is used to simplify the task of determining how much insulation is necessary to: Use less energy Reduce plant emissions Improve process efficiency Designed for: Facility managers Energy/environmental engineers Industrial process engineers Industrial plant managers

Background (cont’d) 3E Plus program is an integral part of several private sector and governmental-sponsored energy efficiency programs Featured in the National Insulation Association’s (NIA) Insulation Energy Appraisal Program (IEAP) IEAP provides detailed instruction on how to use 3E Plus as well as a complete energy appraisal on pipes and ducts The Department of Energy also used 3E Plus to develop its Industrial Insulation Guidelines No training is necessary, but many users find attending a training session through the NIA helpful

3E Plus Program Overview Determines economic thickness of insulations based on ROI for chosen fuel cost, installed cost, tax rates, maintenance, etc. Calculates amount of insulation needed for personnel protection Calculates amount of insulation needed for condensation control Calculates greenhouse gas emissions and reductions

3E Plus Program Overview (cont’d) Determines surface temperature and heat loss/gain calculations of individual insulation thicknesses up to 20 inches (250 mm) Solves for outside insulated surface temperatures for all types of insulation applications Calculates bare vs. insulated heat loss efficiency percentages for horizontal and vertical piping, ducts and flat surfaces

3E Plus Program Details The 3E Plus version 4.1 operates in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, 8, 10 environments Customized program details such as insulation materials, jacketing, fuel types and base metals can be easily saved and imported Can easily export insulation audit data to an Excel spreadsheet Provides simple payback calculations

3E Plus Program Details (cont’d) Performs calculation for most types of insulation materials and accepts performance data provided by the user for other materials Provides calculations for many fuel types and five different surface orientations. User can add own fuel combinations Uses calculations and default values from independent sources Allows user to customize program by adding and saving individual company’s insulation installed cost estimates

3E Plus Program Details (cont’d) Has all the latest thermal curves contained in the ASTM material standards Automatically calculates thickness tables Calculates in both metric and inch-pound units Updated thermal curves and new insulation materials

Calculation Features 3E Plus can perform a wide range of calculations including: Energy The thermal performance of both insulated and uninsulated piping and equipment The energy (Btu) currently being saved with existing insulation systems and the actual dollar value of those savings The potential Btu savings with an insulation upgrade

Calculation Features (cont’d) Economics All calculations involving money or economics are in the Economics section of the program Cost of energy Simple payback Economic thickness The cost of operating systems with existing insulation in terms of Btu and dollars The potential cost reduction of operating those same systems with an insulation upgrade

Calculation Features (cont’d) Environmental The number of pounds (or metric tons) of greenhouse gases [CO2, NOx] currently being prevented from release into the atmosphere due to reduced fuel consumption resulting from greater insulation thickness The potential number of pounds of greenhouse gases that could be prevented from release through an insulation upgrade, resulting from greater reductions in fuel consumption

Incorporating the 3E Plus Software into an Assessment During the Onsite Assessment: Assessment team determines if there are opportunities for energy savings for un-insulated or under insulated piping or equipment, such as: Hot water distribution piping Steam distribution piping

Incorporating 3E Plus Software into the Assessment During the Onsite Assessment Completes data collection checklist as needed Type of surface (pipe or tube, flat surface, etc.) Process temperature Ambient Temperature Wind Speed Pipe size and material Fuel type, fuel cost Operating hours per year

Incorporating the 3E Plus Software into the Assessment After the Onsite Assessment: Use data from checklist with the 3E Plus software to calculate recommended insulation and/or energy savings Note savings to be included in the report

Example of 3E Plus Software (Energy Calculations)

Example of 3E Plus Software (Environmental Calculations)

Example of 3E Plus Software (Economics Calculations)

Incorporating the 3E Plus Software into the RETAP Assessment After the Assessment Report: Note ECMs included in the report and determine their combined resource and dollar savings

How will the 3E Plus Software be Evaluated? Evaluation Criteria Time requirement for effective software use Number of software ECMs included in the assessment reports Resource and cost savings associated with these ECMs Optimize use and collection of evaluation data during five pilot assessments Make determination to continue or discontinue based on data from ten assessments

Useful Links 3E Plus Insulation Thickness Computer Program www.pipeinsulation.org MIDG – Mechanical Insulation Design Guide - www.wbdg.org/design/midg.php The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) through the National Mechanical Insulation Committee has developed the Mechanical Insulation Design Guide (MIDG) to provide a comprehensive source of information on the performance, use, testing and standardization of mechanical insulation in buildings and industrial facilities. It is intended to be a comprehensive resource to assist specifiers and users of mechanical insulation in the design and specification of mechanical insulation systems for a wide range of applications and is continually being updated.

U.S. EPA Grant Number NP – 00E01561 Summary The 3E Plus Insulation Thickness software is a readily available energy efficiency assessment tool It will be used to: Assist with recommendation quantification for piping insulation opportunities U.S. EPA Grant Number NP – 00E01561