Otter Tail Power Company Program Results In Significant Energy Efficiency Improvements For Potlatch Corporation

Company Provides Rebate For Energy Upgrades

This month Otter Tail Power Company completed a year-long project to help Potlatch Corporation reduce its energy consumption.

Otter Tail Power Company’s Industrial Focused Efficiency program outlines opportunities for potential end-use efficiency, energy management, and process-focused improvements proven to reduce energy consumption. “We partner with Envinta to provide this highly specialized energy efficiency program for large commercial and industrial processes and facilities,” said Otter Tail Power Company Senior Industrial Services Engineer Kevin Disse. “The Potlatch team’s proactive approach will save their company more than 1 million kilowatt-hours in energy annually—and approximately 8 percent on their energy bills.”

The program begins with an energy management benchmark session and a plant technical assessment to identify opportunities for efficiency improvement. As a result, Potlatch Corporation made energy-saving compressed-air system improvements including air compressor replacements, zero-loss condensation drain installations, and air leak fixes. The corporation also retrofitted all lighting to LED fixtures, which use less energy and last longer. Installation of motion sensors that turn lights off in areas of the building that aren’t in use further reduced energy costs and will lengthen LED life.

Results of a second energy management benchmark session following project completion reflected significant energy use improvement. “Identifying and grouping energy efficient projects improved our efficiency on a per-production unit basis,” said Potlatch Corporation Mill Manager Wade Semeliss. “This program provided energy and money savings for our facility.”

Otter Tail Power Company provides rebates, grants, education, special programs, and financing to encourage individuals and businesses to use electricity wisely. To learn more visit otpco.com.