Consulting Services

Energy Management Strategies

FSI helps clients develop strategies for the management of energy (e.g. electricity, natural gas, other fuels and steam). These strategies can be developed at the corporate or facility level. Each different operating level has different requirements. An energy strategy will outline how energy should be purchased, identify changes to how energy is used and or what types of energy are used for what purposes. FSI's energy strategies are predicated on a thorough understanding of the client's operations and decision-making criteria. Our final recommendations are made at a level of detail that spells out each action required and by whom. By their nature, each facility is unique, so each assignment is unique.

FSI's energy savings recommendations are based on our experience in the development of energy strategies for a wide range of organizations and facilities. FSI's recommendations improve operational reliability and/or production capability, while decreasing energy cost. The development of an integrated energy strategy improves our client's understanding of energy purchasing, production, conversion, and transmission. For examples, see Projects.

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Energy Systems Reviews

FSI Energy's consultants have designed, operated or analyzed almost all types of energy systems. This experience allows FSI to quickly define and perform comprehensive systems-level reviews of energy utilization, generation, conversion, and/or transmission. Energy systems reviews are performed for several reasons:

• Quantify the overall economics of energy use at a facility
• Identify situations which limit plant expansion capabilities
• Identify lost work recovery opportunities
• Identify optimal use of all available energy supplies for use in existing production facilities
• Define the impact of proposed energy-related projects on plant production rates, product costs, and operating and safety margins
• Assess the impact on plant production and reliability caused by variations in energy supplies
• Provide input into conceptual engineering, design basis development, and preliminary design for individual energy projects
• Provide data for development of a site energy strategy

FSI thoroughly researches the client's situation before determining the most appropriate scope, focus, and depth for an energy systems review. We utilize a mixture of document reviews, interviews, and plant walk-throughs to obtain the information needed to properly execute an energy systems review. Our energy analyses are complete, accurate, concise, and comprehensive. We can present our findings to address a wide range of audiences within the organization.

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Energy Procurement

FSI will provide energy procurement options that generate savings. FSI will evaluate your total energy procurement program. This analysis will become the benchmark against which your energy procurement options will be measured. Defining an energy procurement strategy requires a comprehensive look at your facility, its operations and the factors affecting it. This review may include energy procurement options such as cogeneration and fuel switching.

• Customer Benefits from Energy Procurement Analysis Include:
• Evaluation of existing energy supply situations
• Evaluation of alternative energy supply situations
• Natural gas or petroleum purchasing and hedging strategies
• Electric utility rate reduction strategies
• Support for utility and regulatory agency negotiations
  

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Deregulation Strategies

Deregulation of the electricity industry in the United States and abroad presents great opportunities and great risks. FSI's intimate knowledge of utilities and the factors affecting deregulation are used to assist clients when choosing power providers. FSI can identify and quantify the risks to make the best choices.

Some of the issues FSI analyzes are:

• Which options will provide the highest reliability?
• How much is reliability worth to the energy consumer?
• What will the market-clearing price be?
• What will determine the market-clearing price?
• What will be the determining factors for access to power?
• Will there be distribution limitations and if so at what level?
• How will power factor be incorporated into pricing?

FSI addresses all these questions and more. We understand the technology underlying the issues, and can therefore provide guidance based on appropriate analysis. We will help you understand the real value of reliability so that you can make informed choices based on accurate data.

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Negotiation Support

Negotiation support can mean the difference between a successful resolution and a frustrating experience. FSI knows what is required to negotiate effectively on behalf of our clients. We have developed comprehensive packages for different clients in different states with very different energy use profiles and different forms of energy. We know the technology, and can therefore assemble the analysis that defines our client's position.

We have testified before regulatory commissions, and have presented papers to national organizations of regulators on topics relevant to our client's needs. We understand the rate making process, and can therefore propose rate structures that are responsive to our client's needs, while being acceptable to the regulators who must adopt them. We clearly define the facts related to a given situation and understand the supporting data in a way that allows us to support our client's position.

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Motor Conservation

Electric motor drive systems consume over one-half of the electrical energy generated in the United States and more than 70% of electrical energy used by industrial facilities. Most industrial motor applications require a constant speed driver, and little can be done to obtain maximum efficiency after the configuration of the load and driver have been specified by the facility designer. Constant-speed motors that are utilized to drive variable or cyclic loads (e.g., compressors) often operate well away from their maximum efficiency point.

FSI is familiar with a variety of products intended to improve the efficiency of constant speed induction motor applications. FSI's motor energy conservation analysis includes a review of all existing motor applications within your facility to identify those that are good candidates for installation of energy savings devices. For this select group of motors, measurements of motor operating parameters are made to obtain the data necessary to predict the actual energy savings obtainable with specific energy savings devices. We are also able to advise our clients on the expected benefits and risks associated with the use of these devices, and can provide engineering support for their installation.

As part of our motor energy conservation analysis we also evaluate the feasibility of repowering existing motor applications with steam turbine drives. Turbine drives, where feasible, offer significant reductions in electrical energy use and the ability to recover work lost in the plant steam system, thus further leveraging your energy expenditures.

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Financing

Today's business environment challenges companies to be more productive with fewer resources. Lack of project capital or the desire to use funds elsewhere need not prevent you from implementing energy savings strategies.

FSI's project financing will provide you:

• With a total financing package for identified projects.
• With off-balance sheet project financing options.
• With financing alternatives to recover the value added.
• The opportunity to pursue all energy savings options.
• The ability to implement your Integrated Site Energy Strategy and reduce your energy costs while preserving your investment capital for other plant improvements or additions.

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Other

• Outsourcing energy supplies
• Identifying potential partners or external sources of supply
• Valuation of energy supplies or energy facilities

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