The Efficiency of All Things

The concept of efficiency can be surprising at first, but can eventually lead to understanding and focus on how to improve things. A focus on this can lead to new ways to approach overall design. Also examines relevant US Energy Policy, existing efficiency standards, and the need for new SE ones. That a seemingly straightforward process design on paper that would cost, say $100 dollars to purchase, would in fact cost as much as $500 to install and get up and running when all was said and done was bad enough. The energy to operate pumps, motors, columns, etc., and the actual delivered power can cost anywhere from two to five times more than the theoretical estimates. The importance is on comparing theory versus practice through use of adjustable or, tunable models, e.g., Aspen, ChemCad, and others, in order to better represent a process. This chapter looks at some pertinent economic comparisons applicable to SE, onsite power generation as an SE efficiency booster, hidden issues affecting SE, various equipment efficiency considerations, an SE efficiency rating system, some DOE overviews for refining energy consumption, and initial electric grid plant interconnection challenges.