Advanced electric boilers offer output equal to fuel burning units with 100% energy efficiency, zero emissions, and minimal installation, operation, and maintenance costs In many areas of the U.S. and Europe, district heating remains popular for space and water heating of residential and commercial buildings. Although the source of the heat supplied can vary, one Read more
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Advanced electric boilers offer output equal to fuel burning units with 100% energy efficiency, zero emissions, and minimal installation, operation, and maintenance costs
In many areas of the U.S. and Europe, district heating remains popular for space and water heating of residential and commercial buildings. Although the source of the heat supplied can vary, one common approach is to utilize fuel-burning boilers that produce steam. Unfortunately, conventional boilers present several challenges, including low efficiency when transforming fuel energy to heat; high installation, operating, and maintenance costs; environmental impact from harmful emissions; and some inherent safety issues.
There is growing interest in utilizing a new generation of jet type electrode boilers as an environmentally friendly solution. Due to considerable advances in the technology, these electric boilers can match the capacity (up to 65 MW) and output (270,000 pounds of steam per hour) of traditional gas or oil-fired boilers. When more output is required, multiple electric boilers can be connected to provide hundreds of megawatts of steam for district heating, and effectively replace gas fired boilers in a much smaller overall footprint.
There are a growing number of compelling reasons for municipalities to utilize high voltage, jet type electrode boilers for district heating, according to Robert Presser, Vice President of Acme Engineering, a manufacturer of industrial and commercial boilers with operations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
“Jet type electrode boilers can match the heating output of fuel burning boilers while converting almost all the energy to heat,” says Presser. “Electrode boilers also resolve many of the inherent drawbacks of fossil fuel burning boilers: they are much smaller, put out zero emissions, and minimize installation and maintenance costs.”
Today, the spiking cost of gas and oil is often a factor when considering an upgrade of an existing district heating system. In some cases, the concern is minimizing environmental impact. Natural gas-fired boilers and furnaces emit dangerous nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxide (N2O), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), and the notorious greenhouse gasses carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).
Regardless of the motivation, upgrading entails retrofitting or replacing boilers (the heat source) with cleaner, more efficient electric alternatives, along with the heat distribution network (pipes/heat exchanger stations).
Designed for Optimal Performance
Jet type electrode boilers have existed in various forms for many decades. However, recent design improvements have closed the output gap while surpassing conventional units in terms of efficiency, simplicity, responsiveness, and safety.
Modern jet type electrode boilers utilize the conductive and resistive properties of water to carry electric current and generate steam. An A.C. current flows from an electrode of one phase, through neutral, to an electrode of another phase using the water as a conductor. Since the water has electrical resistance, the current flow generates heat directly in the water itself.
“The more current [amps] that flows, the more heat [BTUs] is generated and the more steam produced. Nearly 100% of the electrical energy is converted into heat with no exhaust stack or heat transfer losses,” says Presser.
As an example, in the CEJS High Voltage Jet Type Steam Boiler from Acme Engineering, the electrodes are vertically mounted around the inside of the pressure vessel, which enables the unit to produce maximum amounts of steam in a minimum amount of floor space. The units operate at existing distribution voltages, 4.16 to 25 KV with exceptional efficiency – up to 99.9% efficient at converting energy into heat. Models can produce steam in capacities up to 270,000 pounds per hour, with pressure ratings from 75 psig to 500 PSIG. All CEJS boilers are designed to ASME Section VIII Division1 and are certified, registered pressure vessels.
The advanced steam boilers also have a 100% turndown ratio, the ratio between a boiler’s maximum and minimum output. Most gas boilers have a 10:1 or 5:1 ratio.
“The turndown means you can leave the boiler in standby at low pressure and, when needed, bring it to full capacity in about 90 seconds, which no other boiler type can achieve today,” says Presser.
“With the electric boilers, the energy input and adjustment are very precise and virtually immediate. In contrast, increasing or decreasing the temperature in a gas fired boiler is a slower process because it takes time for the heat in the boiler to rise or dissipate before reaching the targeted output,” he adds.
Jet type electrode boilers also lower costs for installation, operation, and maintenance. Gas-fired boilers require fuel lines, storage and handling equipment, economizers, and emission control equipment. Advanced jet type electrode boilers have a minimal number of components and electrical controls, with fewer parts. Under normal operation, the absence of excessive temperatures and electrode burnout also assures long operating life.
The units further lower operating costs with automatic controls that reduce the need for operating personnel.
Presser points out that the most advanced types of these boilers, such as Acme’s CEJS, also offer greater safety than traditional fuel burning models.
“With the jet type electrode boilers, there are no combustion hazards because there are no flames, fumes, fuel lines or storage tanks. There are no problems with heat buildup or electrode burnout even if scaling should occur, and thermal shock is eliminated. Also, there is no low water danger since the current cannot flow without water,” says Presser.
Communities utilizing district heating appreciate the eco-friendly nature of these boilers as well. Without combustion, jet type electrode boilers are clean and emission free. The design also eliminates many environmental issues associated with fuel burning boilers such as fuel fumes, fly ash, and large obtrusive exhaust stacks.
Finally, the electric units are exceptionally quiet compared to fuel fired boilers. Unlike gas-powered burners that throttle like turbine engines almost continually, electric boilers keep operational noise levels down. Because the loudest boiler component is a circulating pump motor, it is easy to have a conversation next to one without having to raise your voice.
With all the advantages of high output jet type electrode boilers, a growing number of communities are selecting them for district heating.
Presser concludes, “We have spoken to utilities with massive boiler plants that are traditionally stuck feeding steam lines all over major city cores like New York City. In urban centers, they really want to get away from the associated emissions. A large utility has been talking to us about putting a 60 MW steam boiler in the center of Manhattan to replace gas-fired boilers, providing a centralized theme to several buildings.”
For more info, contact Robert Presser at Acme Engineering via e-mail: rpresser@acmeprod.com; phone: (888) 880-5323 or (514) 342-5656; or web: https://www.acmeprod.com/jet-type-steam-boiler
The No. 1 price generating software company helps owners create efficient, effective businesses that increase revenue during annual event The New Flat Rate, the No. 1 price generating software for home service contractors, will be helping contractors develop self-sufficient businesses that create freedom in their professional and personal lives during the fourth annual Freedom Builders Read more
The No. 1 price generating software company helps owners create efficient, effective businesses that increase revenue during annual event
The New Flat Rate, the No. 1 price generating software for home service contractors, will be helping contractors develop self-sufficient businesses that create freedom in their professional and personal lives during the fourth annual Freedom Builders Mastermind, May 2-6 in Camdenton, Missouri.
During the four-day event, entrepreneurs will spend time with some of the top minds in the Home Services industry while learning how to multiply their revenue over the next 12 months. Attendees will workshop in small groups while writing processes to help fix pain points and build towards having more freedom in their business.
“When we started Freedom Builders Mastermind, we wanted it to be different from other business building events or workshops,” said Matt Koop, vice president of The New Flat Rate. “We wanted people to feel comfortable speaking about their business pain points and concerns. With Mastermind, we get to workshop in small groups at the dinner table, in private lobbies, or we may even do so while taking a hike. This is much more like an intimate gathering with friends that happen to be working toward maximizing their business.
“The premise of the Freedom Builders Mastermind is to create the freedom that contractors want by identifying any problem areas in their businesses and providing actionable steps toward real solutions. Over the course of the event, we know that our attendees will have the added tools to turn their companies into a vehicle that drives revenue up and brings them one step closer to the life they want and deserve.”
The Mastermind will offer insight from coaches and consultants that will assist attendees in small groups to work on key priorities of their business. The seven key areas of focus during the event include:
- Building your best exit strategy
- Developing processes using your skills and abilities to bridge the current gaps
- Fully understanding your marketing needs
- Growing into the leader that the best hires want to work for
- Creating generational wealth by investing your profit right
- Workflow changes that will give you maximum results
- Building a culture that attracts customers and team members
“Running a successful business is hard, but it can be even more difficult without the right leadership skills or having proper processes in place,” Koop said. “With the Freedom Builders Mastermind, we want to help develop those skills and introduce strategies that make contractors successful. If you are struggling to keep your business afloat, then you need to be at Mastermind because the problems aren’t going to go away on their own. You have to work to fix them.”
This event is open to all business owners. For more information on the Freedom Builders Mastermind event, please visit: https://freedombuildersuniversity.com/attend-a-mastermind.
For more information about The New Flat Rate, please visit: https://thenewflatrate.com/.
The New England Patriots create a green dynasty at Gillette Stadium. In addition to being the home of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium is a world class entertainment facility that hosts everything from international soccer matches to concerts by Jay Z, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney. During what they call a full-stadium event Read more
The New England Patriots create a green dynasty at Gillette Stadium. In addition to being the home of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium is a world class entertainment facility that hosts everything from international soccer matches to concerts by Jay Z, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney.
During what they call a full-stadium event, nearly 70,000 people crowd the stands—and use the restrooms.
Since 2009, Gillette Stadium has used XLERATOR high-speed, energy efficient hand dryers to cut costs, meet sustainability goals, promote restroom hygiene and improve the guest experience.
“The XLERATOR is a win-win-win-win for us,” says Jim Nolan, Chief Operating Officer. “First, it’s better for the environment. Second, we are saving money while our staff is spending less time cleaning paper off the floor and refilling dispensers. Third, staff is freed up to respond more quickly to fan issues. Fourth, and most important, fans prefer it to paper, giving them a better experience.”
Big Money Player
Originally equipped with paper towel dispensers, the stadium used an average of 6,264,000 paper towels per year, at a cost of more than $50,000 for paper, maintenance and waste removal. In September 2009, Gillette installed more than 125 XLERATOR dryers featuring exclusive, custom digital imaging cover technology throughout Gillette Stadium.
When you do the math, that means 125 XLERATORs do the work of 6 million paper towels.
“The XLERATOR hand dryers reduce the cost and maintenance associated with paper towels in the stadium’s restrooms,” says Jim Nolan.
The XLERATOR represents a 95% cost savings when compared to paper towels, eliminating their labor, maintenance and waste. It is the only hand dryer Made USA Certified® with a dry time of 8 seconds* — tested to guidelines from the Global Hand Dryer PCR published by UL Environment — and it uses 80 percent less energy than conventional hand dryers. The XLERATOR is BuildingGreen Approved and helps facilities qualify for the most LEED credits.
“We want to make sure our operations are as efficient as possible,” says Jason Stone, Senior Director of Operations. “Having the XLERATORs, we’re able to be more efficient in the bathrooms and provide our customers with a great experience.”
A Strong Defense Against Dirty Restrooms
In addition to cost savings, the XLERATOR has helped increase restroom cleanliness and hygiene—while freeing maintenance staff to focus on other areas.
“With the XLERATOR hand dryers, we’re not finding paper towels all over the floors, toilets, urinals and sinks,” says Stone. “We had to have staff continually monitor the bathrooms. Now, if we have a spill out in the concourse area or in a seating section, they’re able to get to those issues a lot quicker and enhance the experience of our guests.”
While the XLERATOR hand dryers make the restroom experience faster, cleaner and more efficient for fans, they also hold up like workhorses against high traffic and usage.
“One thing we really like about the XLERATOR hand dryers is that they’re very reliable,” says Stone. “With the millions of people who have come through the facility, we really haven’t had to change any of the units out since they were first installed. We’ve just changed the covers on them, from a branding perspective, but the main components have not been switched out.”
Gillette makes great use of Excel Dryer’s custom cover option—keeping the branding fresh with updated designs and communicating their sustainability mission to fans. Excel Dryer’s cover finish options are the most diverse in the industry, including custom cover options for corporate branding or environmental messaging. Exclusive patented Kolorfusion digital image technology is used to customize covers with graphics, team colors, corporate logos, green messaging or any other high-resolution image.
Championing Sustainability
From the stadium’s inception, the designers and contractors focused on long-term sustainability, energy efficiency and ecosystem management. In 2002, they won the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England Environmental Merit Award for the stadium’s design.
“When we built Gillette Stadium, we used a lot of recycled materials, from concrete to steel. We daylighted a portion of the Neponset River that was going through the horse track that was here,” says Jason Stone. “Sustainability and green initiatives are a big part of our operation.”
Gillette Stadium employs several cutting-edge sustainability practices, including:
• Timing devices installed on the electrical distribution system that enable all nonessential lighting after hours to be automatically shut down, minimizing energy use.
• An on-site wastewater treatment facility that treats the stadium’s sanitary drainage such as wastewater generated from hand washing, laundry and bathing. This water is then reused in thousands of toilets throughout the facility, saving millions of gallons of water annually.
• During the construction of the stadium, more than 130,000 cubic yards of blasted open rock was processed through on-site crushers and reused on site. This process resulted in more than 90% of the residual product being reused as opposed to being added to the region’s diminishing landfill capacity.
• A photovoltaic power system that generates approximately 525 kilowatts of clean, renewable solar power at Patriot Place, the 1.3-million-square-foot entertainment, retail and dining destination adjacent to the stadium. The system supplies approximately 30% of Patriot Place’s power and approximately 2,800 crystalline photovoltaic panels span seven building rooftops at the complex.
The facility management team at Gillette Stadium continues to search for new ways to expand its conservation efforts. “Some of our latest sustainability initiatives include our food waste diversion program where we recycle approximately 200 tons of food waste per year,” Stone says. “We send that off-site where it gets converted to electricity. We’ve also incorporated LED lighting throughout the facility, including converting the lights that illuminate the game field to LED.”
“While our primary focus remains on creating the ultimate fan experience, we’re continually looking for new areas to make environmental improvements,” says Jim Nolan. “Updating the restrooms with XLERATOR hand dryers represented another large step in reducing our carbon footprint.”
A Bright Future in the NFL
“The NFL currently has XLERATOR hand dryers installed at its New York headquarters, NFL Network Studios in Los Angeles and is encouraging the use of high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers at stadiums as part of the league’s ‘Green Initiative’,” says David Krichavsky, Director of Community Affairs, National Football League.
“We are proud of our relationship with one of the most respected organizations in professional sports,” says William Gagnon, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Excel Dryer. “The Kraft Group has created the model franchise in the NFL. Its team, operations, business and green initiatives are a proven blueprint for success.”
A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) announced today that Eddie Goodwin, senior vice president, president of Lochinvar, will retire July 1, and Stephen O’Brien, chief operating officer, has been named the successor. “Since joining the company over 40 years ago, Eddie’s vast experience and steadfast leadership has helped shape Lochinvar into the industry-leading, high efficiency boiler and Read more
A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) announced today that Eddie Goodwin, senior vice president, president of Lochinvar, will retire July 1, and Stephen O’Brien, chief operating officer, has been named the successor.
“Since joining the company over 40 years ago, Eddie’s vast experience and steadfast leadership has helped shape Lochinvar into the industry-leading, high efficiency boiler and water heater manufacturer it is today,” said Kevin Wheeler, chairman, president and CEO. “He has built a strong team committed to designing, manufacturing and selling high quality, innovative products that meet our customer’s needs. We thank him for his vision and commitment to our customers, our employees and the A. O. Smith values over the past four decades.”
Eddie Goodwin
In his new role, O’Brien will build on the strong foundation Goodwin and his team have established, by implementing the strategic vision for the organization and further expanding Lochinvar’s innovative product lines. O’Brien has served as chief operating officer for Lochinvar since August of 2021 and is uniquely qualified to assume the role of president going forward. O’Brien joined Lochinvar from Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) and prior to that, worked for A. O. Smith Electrical Products Company for 14 years before the company was sold to Regal Beloit Corporation. He holds an MBA from the University of Dayton in Ohio and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from State University of New York at Potsdam.
Stephen O’Brien
“With his extensive experience in the HVAC industry, his strong leadership skills and focus on customer satisfaction, Steve is the ideal person to lead our Lochinvar business unit going forward,” Wheeler added. “I am confident the transition will be seamless, and Steve’s extensive background and business development skills will further strengthen Lochinvar’s channel partnerships and our presence in the market.”
Saniflo will support the international philanthropic work of Plumbers Without Borders with donations of its above-floor plumbing solutions, as well as technical installation guidance. Saniflo North America, a division of Group SFA, the world leader in above-the-floor macerating and grinding toilets and drain pumps, has announced a partnership with Plumbers Without Borders (PWB) as a Read more
Saniflo will support the international philanthropic work of Plumbers Without Borders with donations of its above-floor plumbing solutions, as well as technical installation guidance.
Saniflo North America, a division of Group SFA, the world leader in above-the-floor macerating and grinding toilets and drain pumps, has announced a partnership with Plumbers Without Borders (PWB) as a Mission Supporter Sponsor. The ultimate goal is to support the group’s mission to connect volunteer plumbers and industry resources with organizations working to increase access to safe water and sanitation worldwide.
As a Mission Supporter Sponsor, Saniflo North America will support the philanthropic work of PWB with product donations and technical support on a case-by-case basis. Based on past projects, the organization predicts one or two projects that could benefit from Saniflo’s innovative, above-floor plumbing solutions.
“We look forward to partnering with Plumbers Without Borders on NGO projects that could potentially benefit from Saniflo’s above-floor macerators, grinders and drain pumps,” says Regis Saragosti, CEO of SFA Saniflo North America. “Plumbers Without Borders has done so much to advance community empowerment and improve sanitation around the world, and we are proud to be a part of that mission.”