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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

    Qualified Specialist Helps Canandaigua Wine Company Save Money

    April 1, 2005

    ITP's BestPractices just released its first Performance Spotlight, highlighting energy improvements at Canandaigua Wine Company that add up to annual savings of 218,000 kWh and $27,000 in energy and maintenance costs.   

    The improvements at Canandaigua came about with the help of Mark Kiser, a sales/systems engineer with Atlas Copco Compressors, Inc. Mark is a Qualified AIRMaster+  Specialist who has evaluated compressed air systems for more than 10 years. Mark's use of the DOE-developed AIRMaster+ tool was instrumental in analyzing Canandaigua Wines' compressed air system data and validating the results of the project.  

    When an industrial facility is retooled or about to undergo a production increase, its compressed air system should be reevaluated to determine whether the system is configured efficiently and whether additional compressors are necessary. The wine company planned an expansion of the crush facility to increase output by 40%. Had they simply added a fixed-speed 75-hp compressor, the system would have been less efficient because the new unit would have used a less efficient control strategy. Instead, plant personnel decided to install a variable-speed compressor that can adjust its output more closely to the system's demand.  

    The choice of this compressor was inspired by a system-level evaluation Mark performed with the AIRMaster+ tool that helped the plant develop a comprehensive strategy to improve the system's efficiency. This resulted in significant annual savings for energy and maintenance while effectively supporting the production increase. Such an approach can be applied in a wide variety of industrial facilities that use compressed air.

    Performance Spotlights are brief two-page summaries describing industry projects supported by the know-how of Allied Partners and Qualified Specialists. Allied Partners are manufacturers, trade associations, industrial service and equipment providers, utilities, and other organizations that agree to help promote increased energy efficiency and productivity. Qualified Specialists are DOE-recognized industry professionals who identify cost-cutting and efficiency opportunities in industrial plants.  

    To learn more, read the Canandaigua Wine Performance Spotlight (PDF 205 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.

    Contact the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Information Center at eereic@ee.doe.gov or 877-EERE-INF(0) for technical assistance and to learn more about ITP resources.