Welcome to Progress Energy News.  This newsletter presents articles and ideas that will help to keep you informed about a variety of topics that affect your electric use, and ultimately your bottom line.

Summer 2005
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Chillers
As the summer temperature and humidity rise, expect the energy consumption of your chiller to rise and affect your electrical bill. There are several things that can be done to reduce the amount of energy consumed by the chiller. For a better understanding of how to track and reduce that energy and get the most from your chiller systems, read on...

The Basics of Electrical Safety
There are two basic principles of electrical safety: [1] protect yourself and others and [2] protect your equipment. Many concepts of the basics of electrical safety are common sense, such as wearing protective equipment. For more information on how to protect yourself and others from electrical hazards at work and at home, read on…

  115 Kb

Usage Versus Demand
To understand your monthly electric bill, you must first determine the difference between usage and demand. Demand is how fast you are consuming energy. Usage is the amount of electric energy you use. For a good understanding of how these terms affect your electric bill, read on…

Winter 2005
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Boiler Energy Savings
Natural gas prices have been steadily rising since the fall of 2003. Since the increase in prices, it is more economical to take a closer look at your processes to see if electrotechnologies may be an option for reducing the cost of production. For more information about energy savings, read on…

T-5 Fluorescent, Bright Idea or Just Another Flash in the Pan?
In recent years, the hot debate for lighting has been the use of T-5 lamps in place of traditional metal halide, high-pressure sodium or mercury vapor [you’re not still using mercury vapor are you?]. There may actually be something to this upcoming trend. To learn more about this lighting trend, read on…

Fall 2004
  96 Kb

Choosing A Commercial Builder
There are many things to consider when you are looking to rent a commercial building space. For a list of some useful items [energy saving methods, power quality, etc.] to consider about leasing a commercial building space, read on…

A Good Business Case Starts with a Sound Financial Analysis
As the economy starts to improve, you may be ready to start making investments that will improve your operation. The first step is to complete a financial analysis to determine the benefits of the proposed investment. Before you make your purchase, read on…

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Tools Of The Trade
The internet is teeming with valuable resources, ranging from general information to specific codes and standards, from raw data to analyzed statistics, from tools and calculators to implementation business plan models.

Spring 2004
  76 Kb

Are you ready to produce more product?
Poor production decisions can leave a company ill-prepared during the next manufacturing downturn. How can you ensure that you are getting the most from your production equipment? Learn more about the techniques that will increase your production capacity without increasing costs.

Winter 2004
  100 Kb

Revealing Magic Boxes
Everybody wants to save money, and nobody wants to squander potential profits. Parallel and series devices, when used with 3-phase motors, are claimed to provide energy savings, improve reliability, and increase operating life. But how well do they really stand up to these claims?

Motors Need Management, Too
What's your company's motor management policy? Do you even have one? Did you know that proper motor management could reduce downtime, maintenance costs, and energy usage? Read more about an eight-step motor management policy developed by Advanced Energy and supported by Progress Energy that benefits motor users.

Fall 2003
  100 Kb

"NC Green Power"
It's Not Easy Being Green
Or so Kermit says, but that may no longer be the case. Renewable electric power for the masses is now available to commercial and industrial entities in North Carolina. The North Carolina Green Power program makes it easy for local businesses to show their true colors in the nation's first statewide multi-utility initiative to encourage the development of renewable energy resources.

Keeping 'In Phase' with Induction Motors
As little ghouls prepare for Trick or Treating season, subtle problems in your facility may also be lurking, and waiting to give you a treat of their own. In the area of electric motors, these problems carry names such as phase unbalance and single phasing and they can create very nasty problems throughout a facility, often masking themselves as other issues.

Summer 2003
  100 Kb

Should you be Paying More Attention to Motor Reliability?
Your 10-year-old car has a blown engine and you must decide whether to have it rebuilt or buy a new car. The rebuilt engine will cost less - about half of the cost of the new car. What should you do? If that's a difficult question to answer, what about the dilemma of whether to repair or replace an industrial motor with an enormous upfront cost versus repairing it and risking its reliability. This article will help you answer the question about the motor... but you're on your own with your car question!

Vacant Spaces, Hidden Energy Loads
A little known fact is that if an office building is 80% occupied, energy costs will be approximately 85% of the costs at full occupancy. But how can an unoccupied space with dark lights and silenced equipment consume electricity? Read about the "dormant load" and how it runs up your energy costs... and how to stop it from happening.

Spring 2003
  143 Kb

Office Building Energy User and Conservation
Saving energy is today's buzzword. Saving energy saves money as well as reducing energy consumption problems. Everybody's doing their part at home, but there are simple conservation practices at the office that will help your bottom line as well as reduce your consumption of energy.

Transient Voltage Surge Suppression (TVSS)
Surge protection equipment will protect your valuable electronic equipment from potential damage from voltage surges or transients. But there are many devices to choose between. Which is best for your situation?

  156 Kb

Adjustable Speed Drives
Adjustable Speed Drives (ASDs) can increase the flexibility of an operating motor, accelerate machines in a reliable and predictable manner, and greatly reduce operating energy costs. However, these programmable devices must be carefully chosen best-fit the application and working environment, and reduce interference.

Lowering the Pressure on Boiler Operating Costs
Got STEAM? As a low cost and versatile way to provide heat to buildings or manufacturing processes, steam is excellent. What's the drawback? These systems are often poorly understood and inadequately maintained; the good news is they represent great opportunities in cost reduction. Our experience with these systems confirms several likely areas for reducing costs.

  172 Kb

Squeezing the costs of using compressed air
When cutting costs, a manufacturing facility manager may implement many cost savings in usage of utilities. But often the high cost of that other, often disregarded utility, is frequently overlooked. What is that other utility and how can those costs be minimized?

Keep Your Motors Running by Ziba Kellum, P.E.
Does your facility depend on non-stop power to its motors? Are your options limited on how to handle intermittent electricity outages without damaging your equipment, warranties or the bottom line? You'll be pleased to read this report on the motor "ride-through" project.

Summer 2002
  49.8 Kb

Putting the Big Chill On Energy Bills
Chillers are the most common method of cooling large commercial and industrial buildings; considering the amount of energy consumed by a chiller system, as well as the equipment's longevity, a chiller purchase is one of the most important energy decisions your company will ever make.  Because chiller efficiency has improved dramatically, replacing a chiller often can improve efficiency 25-35%.  If your chiller is more than 15 years old, you should consider the cost and benefits of a newer, high-efficiency chiller.

UPS Delivers Electrical Power
When most people hear the term UPS, they immediately think of brown trucks delivering packages. However, if you've ever had a power interruption cause serious problems for your business or equipment, you know that UPS also stands for uninterruptible power supply.  If your equipment is valuable to you, having a UPS to protect it against outages and other power problems is just good business.

Spring 2002
  151 Kb

Electric Power Basics, Part2
Why do the power companies use alternating current (AC) power?  Why are my outlets at home 110 Volts, while my facility runs at 480 Volts?  What is 3-phase power, and why do we use it?  Industrial electric power use often generates a number of small, nagging questions...and misperceptions.

Lowering HVAC Costs and Raising Comfort Levels
In the Southeast, HVAC systems (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) are responsible for roughly 30% of all energy used in commercial buildings.  Many low cost solutions are available to help business owners reduce HVAC energy use and increase comfort at the same time.  Summer is fast approaching, but we've gathered some of the fastest ways for you to reduce the "heat" financially.

Winter 2002
  70.9 Kb

Basics of Electricity
People use electricity every day, at work and at home. And yet most people don't really understand basic electrical terms like Volts, amps, Watts, and power factor.

In Search of Power Quality
All electricity may be created equal, but by the time it reaches the end user, that may no longer be the case. The term power quality refers to how closely the electric signal received by the consumer matches the original signal produced by the generator.

How Much Light is Enough?
When calculating energy use for lighting, many people use a typical figure of 1-2W per square foot of floor space. However, the accuracy of this figure can vary greatly depending on how efficient the lights are, how much light is needed at different locations within the facility, and how the light will be directed to the workspaces.

Fall 2001
  75.6 Kb

California Saps Momentum of Electricity Deregulation
Just a year ago, it seemed inevitable that deregulation would gain momentum and sweep the country. What a difference a year can make! The California deregulation experience has completely changed the dynamics, but deregulation is still moving forward in much of the country, albeit at a much slower pace. How is North Carolina reacting to what's happened in California? What does it mean for deregulation in this state?

Motor Efficiency: Will It Save You Money?
The word "efficiency" is often used in normal conversation, meaning different things to different people. In general, it refers to how well a resource is utilized: Higher efficiency implies less waste. For many industrial motor users though, the bottom line for motor purchases isn't efficiency, but purchase price. Unfortunately, using this criteria for motor purchases is not only shortsighted, but can lead to a costly mistake.