Decreasing Energy Intensity in Manufacturing Assessing the Strategies and Future Directions of the Industrial Technologies Program (2005) / Chapter Skim
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3 Evaluation of Industry of the Future Subprograms
3 Evaluation of Industry of the Future Subprograms
Pages 26-43
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From page 26... ...
Prior to the IOF initiative, the DOE's industrial energy efficiency program followed a "technology push" strategy, in which research projects were selected and prioritized according to their generic potential for reducing energy consumption and waste generation. With the IOFs, a "market-pull" strategy was implemented, in which the technology needs and priorities identified by the IOFs were used to determine project selection (NRC, 1998)
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From page 27... ...
In addition, the DOE has published a baseline energy and environmental profile of the aluminum industry. This process-based profile has been used in the creation of a bandwidth analysis, which identifies energy-savings opportunities within key aluminum manufacturing processes by comparing theoretical and practical levels of minimum energy consumption with current actual values.
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From page 28... ...
The committee recommends that these two focus areas be combined into one area, which might be named, for example, "advanced reduction technologies." The term melting technologies refers to the production of secondary aluminum from recycled aluminum products. The selection of efficient melting technologies as a focus area is supported both by its identification as a top priority in the 2003 Aluminum Industry Roadmap and by the bandwidth analysis, which indicates that melting technologies are the second most energy-intensive process.1 It is important to note that although the opportunity for energy savings is larger for smelting than for melting when 2000 data are used, this gap will most likely be significantly narrower in the future as a result of changes in the industry.
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From page 29... ...
. If this grand challenge could be initiated sooner, the aluminum subprogram would engage significant involvement from crosscutting subprograms because of the large potential energy savings.
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From page 30... ...
into one area that includes the only major project currently in the alternative reduction systems area; · Leveraging of other ITP subprograms, such as sensors and materials, in the efficient melting technologies focus area; · Considering initiating the "Design and Build Advanced Furnace" grand challenge earlier than the proposed FY 2008 timeframe; · Reorganizing the focus area on advanced forming technologies into a focus area named "advanced fabrication technologies"; · Leveraging efforts through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
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From page 31... ...
Portfolio Management In FY 2003, the chemicals subprogram portfolio consisted of 41 projects with a total federal budget of $13 million and industry funding of $13 million, resulting in an industry cost-share of 50 percent.6 According to the chemicals subprogram managers, project funding should be distributed with about 40 percent directed at separations, 40 percent at reactions, and 20 percent at enabling technologies.7 Using this ratio as a basis, the present portfolio is relatively overweighted in reactions and underweighted in separations, and some adjustment is being considered in the selection of FY 2005 projects from the IOF solicitation. In FY 2004, the chemicals subprogram portfolio transitioned to fewer, higher-risk, higherimpact projects with the goal of bringing about revolutionary improvements in chemical processing efficiency (DOE, 2004h)
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From page 32... ...
These unique challenges would probably receive more attention if black liquor gasification research were part of the ITP's forest products subprogram instead of its being part of a biomass program in which the challenge of handling inorganics is not as severe. Focus Areas, Barriers, and Pathways The four focus areas identified for the forest products industry are enhanced raw materials, nextgeneration mill processes, improved fiber recycling, and wood processing (DOE, 2004a, p.
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From page 33... ...
The mission of the ITP does not completely overlap with the needs of the forest products industry. The latter is primarily focused on improved capital efficiency, whereas the ITP is primarily focused on improved energy efficiency.
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From page 34... ...
Conclusions and Recommendations for the Forest Products Subprogram The committee finds that the forest products subprogram is mature and that the research portfolio is consistent with the missions of the ITP and is likely to support achievement of ITP goals. The committee recommends the following actions to sharpen the focus on energy, environmental, and competitiveness issues: · Involve small companies, entrepreneurs, suppliers, and equipment manufacturers to a greater extent in the strategic process of defining focus areas and barriers, as well as participating in and providing constructive comments during proposal reviews; · Undertake a critical review of the results of the 2004 paper technology summit, with the goal of updating the industry roadmap and identifying grand challenges; · Include energy and exergy balances, as well as economic constraints of the industry, in analysis when selecting portfolio directions; · Develop a mechanism for obtaining ideas and concepts from relevant sources outside the forest products industry, its related academic programs, and the traditional suppliers and equipment manufacturers; and · Require key ITP personnel to attend conferences and meetings related to the forest products industry, as well as to travel to forest products companies; discussions with operations and R&D personnel need to be included.
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From page 35... ...
Portfolio Management In FY 2003, the glass subprogram portfolio consisted of 13 projects with a total federal budget of $3.8 million and industry funding of $3.2 million, resulting in an industry cost-share of 46 percent. 12 The priorities of the glass subprogram are to achieve maximum energy savings.
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From page 36... ...
tends to reduce energy consumption, some emphasis should be put on this area. · The idea of recycling as it pertains to energy savings should be included in the glass subprogram, in collaboration with other ITP subprograms and with agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
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From page 37... ...
Regarding a specific effort for improvement, the committee recommends: · Augmenting the project portfolio in the advanced melting focus area, for example by adding aluminum melting, since opportunities for energy savings are substantial; and · Leveraging the metal-casting subprogram through past and current R&D from the aluminum area to gain maximum benefit from DOE and industry funds. MINING Each year, nearly 47,000 pounds of materials per capita are mined in the United States (DOE, 2004c, p.
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From page 38... ...
In addition, the bandwidth analysis showed significant opportunities for improved energy efficiency in these areas. Overall, the three focus areas are of high priority and are appropriate to the ITP's mission.
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From page 39... ...
The committee recommends: · Clarifying the definitions of focus areas, barriers, and pathways in the MYPP, and soliciting additional input from TMS, particularly its extraction and processing division; · Providing more detailed information on the assumptions and calculations used in the footprint and bandwidth analyses; · Considering research on solid-liquid and solid-solid separations despite the fact that these processes are not common to all sectors of the mining industry; · Considering risk-benefit analysis in project selection in order to take into account the environmental impacts of energy efficiency measures; 19S. Richlen, DOE, 2005, personal communication to the committee, March 8.
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From page 40... ...
The potential energy savings from activities within the third focus area, advanced process development, are more than twice as great as those in any other focus area.21 However, some of the changes required would be difficult to implement across the broader industry sector, so success would 20S. Friedrich, DOE, 2004, "ITP Corporate Peer Review: Steel Sub-Program," Presentation to the Committee, Washington, D.C., May 20.
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From page 41... ...
While this is a worthwhile goal for the steel industry and will clearly lead to energy savings, the committee believes that this focus area might be better addressed as part of a power systems portfolio within another DOE office. Portfolio Management In FY 2003, the steel subprogram portfolio consisted of 11 projects with a total budget of $15.8 million.
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From page 42... ...
The majority of the projects in the subprogram portfolio appear to be appropriate for the achievement of ITP goals. The committee recommends improvement in the following areas: · Obtaining better independent reviews of data sources and facts and figures to provide a strong foundation for policy decisions; · Moving the power-delivery modeling focus area from the ITP steel subprogram to another DOE unit; · Increasing the subprogram emphasis on secondary processing and specialty steels -- areas in which maximum benefits can be derived from both energy and economic standpoints; · Clarifying mechanisms and providing guidance for protecting intellectual property arising from ITP-funded projects; · Defining more clearly what constitutes a successful project and how underperforming projects are handled; · Leveraging of efforts through SBIR and STTR mechanisms to involve R&D organizations and universities in the early stages of project development; and · Leveraging of resources within the EERE and other programs and with the National Science Foundation's Steel Research Centers.
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From page 43... ...
· Managing intellectual property. The intellectual property arising from the development of energy efficiency technologies must be managed in a policy environment that is currently contentious.
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