Cereal craftsmanship, a flour mill in North Portland, produces 720,000 pounds of flour each day, which is then packaged and delivered to commercial bakeries in the Pacific Northwest. In its efforts to improve energy efficiency and sustainable operations, the company has committed to Energy Trust’s strategic energy management offering. During a scavenger hunt around the plant for energy saving opportunities, the SEM account manager noticed steam lines that would benefit from insulation, especially with the free supply of direct installation of pipe insulation.
Chris Rodriguez, Grain Craft Plant Manager, accepted and selected Boyter Brothers Inc.., an Energy Trust approved pipe insulation trade ally, for the job. “I liked how easy it was,” Rodriguez said. “Bouter Brothers was so independent and professional. All I had to do was show the pipes. They knew what to do and ran with it.
For Boyter Brothers, a mechanical insulation and firestopping contractor founded eight years ago by Mark Boyter, becoming a business ally for the direct install pipe insulation offering was a positive move for their company. “We considered promoting the pipe insulation upgrades ourselves, but found that wasn’t a profitable sales effort for us,” said Matt Grider, Senior Project Manager at Boyter Brothers. “As a business ally of Energy Trust and a company registered with Oregon’s Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity Certification (COBID) program, we receive referrals for jobs that have been identified as a good fit for the service. Plus, for the customer, it’s as simple as saying yes. There is no charge for them and we take care of all the paperwork.
Pipe insulation offers many benefits to industrial customers, from energy and cost savings to improvements in safety and aesthetics. Without insulation, the hot water in the piping system will lose heat to the cooler air around the pipes. Insulation minimizes heat loss and helps prevent energy waste. Thanks to the generous incentive of Energy Trust, the upgrade is free and the savings take effect immediately.
At Grain Craft, the project involved insulating 400 linear feet of steam lines leading from the main floor mechanical room to the eighth floor milling area. “Our goal was to enclose exposed heated pipes to keep people safe and create a more professional look,” Rodriguez said. It is estimated that the project will save over
“Every business has a unique piping system and our approach to their installation should reflect that,” Grider said. “With the pipe insulation direct installation offer, we have the flexibility to assess the situation and provide a professional installation. It’s been a pretty satisfying day’s work.
To start saving today, visit www.energytrust.org/industrialpipeinsulation or call 503.928.3154.