Op-ed by Brian Morgan
In today's world, going green isn't just a trend; it's a strategic move for clients looking to thrive in a competitive landscape. But what does it really mean for an operation to adopt sustainable practices? Whether it's rethinking resource usage or minimizing waste, the journey toward a greener approach brings numerous benefits that resonate across all aspects of an organization.
From my own experience, the most impactful sustainability efforts start with practical, measurable changes. I've worked with teams who’ve successfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions, retooled processes to optimize energy use, and found smart ways to manage water resources more efficiently. It’s rarely about one big shift – it’s a series of intentional steps that build momentum. And when done right, these efforts don't just meet environmental goals – they improve operations, build resilience, and create long-term value.
At its core, sustainability refers to the responsible use of resources that avoids unnecessary depletion, and it’s not just about natural resources. For an industrial operation to be truly sustainable, a balance must be struck between environmental, economic, and human factors. After all, most ventures would fail if they completely ignored any one of these. Often, an improvement in environmental performance can mean an improvement in profitability or be advantageous to the surrounding community.
When considering your sustainability goals, it’s important to know your target. Is your company striving to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) by some factor, achieve net-zero emissions, reduce landfill waste, or conserve water? Or is there a different scale being used to measure performance? Knowing how your plant performance is scored is crucial, as the solutions to meet the goals above might vary drastically in cost and complexity.
With a clear understanding of what sustainability means for your operation and how success will be measured, the next step is to identify where your environmental impact originates – starting with GHG emissions. An effective sustainability plan begins by understanding and categorizing these emissions, which are grouped into three key scopes:
By accurately inventorying these emissions, you can pinpoint areas for improvement and set targeted reduction goals. Tools from organizations like the EPA offer frameworks for assessing, reporting, and benchmarking emissions, allowing you to compare your data against industry averages.
Reducing consumption is the first and often cheapest way to lower GHG emissions. After all, energy efficiency not only reduces emissions, but it also provides quick return on investment with low-cost solutions. Common and easy-entry first steps are switching your plant to LED lights, putting pumps and fans on VFDs, and automating plant HVAC systems. However, there are a multitude of other ways to lower energy consumption without impacting operations, starting with the plant’s utility systems themselves.
Take compressed air systems, for example – they’re notorious energy hogs. Fixing leaks can save tens of thousands of dollars a year, often with just a few hours of maintenance at regular intervals. Similarly, steam trap programs are another low-cost, high-reward solution. A single leaky steam trap can pay for itself within a week once fixed.
These opportunities, and many more, can be identified and quantified with a comprehensive energy audit. Energy audits pinpoint potential savings, and utility rebate programs can help cover much of the cost of implementing efficiency upgrades. The result? A more affordable, efficient system with minimal upfront costs and little effort required from your plant team.
If energy efficiency plucks the proverbial low-hanging fruit, then heat recovery is letting that fruit grow into another fruit-bearing tree. Capturing and reusing heat from your processes can significantly reduce energy demands and is the single largest opportunity at most facilities. By treating your plant as a “black box” and analyzing its heating and cooling needs, you can uncover significant savings. Simply look at your inputs and outputs, and how to redirect waste heat back to the input side of the “box.” Implementation can pose challenges, but the payback is often worth the engineering effort.
For example, many industrial processes release waste heat through flue gases, wastewater, and cooling towers – all of which can be recovered with heat exchangers. Flue gases ranging from 300 to 650°F can be harnessed to preheat water or air used in the same system. Similarly, wastewater and cooling tower water can provide usable heat, reducing the need for additional energy inputs. Since most process heating relies on fossil fuels, heat recovery offers a powerful way to cut both emissions and costs.
Transitioning to low-GHG fuels is a key strategy for reducing overall emissions. Fuel switching means replacing high-carbon fuels with cleaner alternatives, like natural gas, renewable electricity, or biofuels. As the electric grid evolves with more carbon-free energy sources coming online and coal plants retiring, transitioning from fossil fuels to electricity can lead to substantial GHG reductions. Technologies such as heat pumps and evaporators can further optimize electricity as a heat source.
It’s worth noting that not all fuel-switching will carry direct cost savings. However, electricity tends to be more stable in price compared to the fluctuating costs of fossil fuels, which can vary greatly and be unavailable during peak demand periods. Plus, many electric utilities now offer rebates to encourage fuel switching, which can improve the return on investment of a project. As the grid continues to get greener, electrification becomes an even more sustainable and viable option.
After optimizing plant operations, the next big step is investing in renewable electricity. This can be done on site with solar or geothermal installations or by investing in renewable energy generation elsewhere and claiming the renewable energy credits. On-site solar power installations, often placed in buffer yards or unused land, can offset a significant portion of a facility’s energy needs. These systems benefit from tax credits and require minimal maintenance.
Battery storage units can provide emergency backup power and reduce peak load, allowing your facility to hedge against high energy prices and maintain operations during grid outages. Thermal storage solutions, like chilled water tanks, store energy in the form of cooling capacity, which can be tapped into during high-demand periods.
Investing in renewables not only helps meet sustainability goals but also offers long-term cost savings and boosts energy independence.
Reducing emissions through energy efficiency, heat recovery, fuel switching, and renewable energy is a powerful step forward – but sustainability doesn't end there. Water is another critical piece of the puzzle, especially in manufacturing environments where it's used extensively across processes.
Much like energy, water can be optimized, reused, and managed in ways that reduce consumption, save money, and support broader environmental goals. By applying the same strategic mindset to water that we use for energy, manufacturers can take sustainability to the next level, creating operations that are not only cleaner and greener, but also more resilient and cost-effective.
Industrial plants are often among the largest water users in a community, placing a heavy load on local water and wastewater systems. Reducing that usage doesn’t just cut costs –it can also lessen environmental impact and strengthen your relationship with regulators.
One major opportunity lies in replacing single pass cooling systems, which pump water through equipment once before discharging it as stormwater. Switching to recirculating or closed-loop geothermal systems can drastically cut this water use. Closed-loop geothermal setups, for example, transfer heat into the ground or an aquifer without actually consuming water, therefore eliminating the need for water appropriation entirely.
Even seemingly small changes can lead to big savings. In plants with multiple pumps, setting seal water flow rates properly and shutting off water when pumps aren’t running can save thousands of gallons. Just one gallon per minute reduced adds up to over 43,000 gallons saved every month.
Reclaiming and reusing water from industrial processes can be a big win if your plant is a significant water user. Recycling systems may require filtration, storage, and disinfection to meet state regulations, but even with those equipment costs, the savings on water and heating often lead to a quick payback. Addressing potential issues like high hardness or contaminants ensures the recycled water meets quality standards and protects your equipment. Implementing water recycling not only conserves resources but also aligns with regulatory requirements and community expectations. In addition to cutting costs, water recycling supports resource conservation and demonstrates your commitment to sustainability – something that resonates with regulators and the community alike.
Sustainability isn’t just about doing what’s right for the environment – it’s also about doing what’s smart for your operation. By reducing resource use, transitioning to cleaner energy, and managing water more efficiently, you can uncover opportunities to streamline processes, boost performance, and cut costs. It’s a win-win: more efficient operations that are also more sustainable.
At SEH, we partner with clients to turn sustainability into a strategic advantage. Through engineering, environmental consulting, and tailored solutions, we help you achieve your goals while improving your bottom line – building a stronger business and a better world at the same time. If you want to dive deeper into sustainability, reach out to Brian.
Brian Morgan is a senior engineer with a background in petrochemical, food beverage, and facilities management, with roles in operations, reliability, and project management. He is a Six Sigma Green Belt with a Voice of Customer emphasis, holds a minor in mass communications, has developed sustainability master plans for industrial and governmental entities, and provides a range of industrial and sustainability services for SEH clients.