In the last issue of BIC Magazine, I stated that the mechanical insulation industry often refers to our product as the "forgotten technology."
The benefits of mechanical insulation are instantaneous and continuous and can be installed this afternoon, in most cases, by simply using insulation that is called removable/reusable blanket insulation. Mechanical insulation is a simple technology that traps air, but it is also an amazing marvel when one considers the economics described below.
Of course, mechanical insulation came to my mind when reading about the U.S. DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 2024 Partner Forum. According to the NREL, two questions took center stage: "How do we transition from today’s energy-gobbling, emissions-spewing built environment to one where buildings help move our national clean energy and climate goals forward? And how do we do it in a way that benefits everyone — without breaking the bank?"
Insulation is a pretty good answer to these questions. Remember, an axiom of our industry is that the cheapest form of energy is the energy you don’t use in the first place, so insulate. It’s like a penny saved is a penny earned.
The NREL, like many entities in the U.S., is trying to figure out the best ways to reduce its carbon footprint. If companies cannot do this on their own, they turn to carbon offsets. Carbon offsets are tradable "rights" or certificates linked to activities that lower the amount of CO2 already present in the atmosphere.
Cost to remove a ton of CO2. Remember, the current goal of the U.S. is to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 — a path that starts with companies reducing emissions as much as possible through conservation and new technologies. Technologies for implementing carbon removal are called Negative Emissions Technologies (NETs). Here are examples of initial costs to remove a ton of CO2 based on specs of some current technologies:
• Climeworks direct air capture and storage in Iceland — $2,954/t
• Vaulted Deep biomass slurry injection in Kansas — $1,054/t
• Charm Industrial biomass carbon removal and storage in California — $2,304/t
• Lithos Carbon enhanced rock weathering in the U.S. — $1,140/t
• Heirloom Carbon limestone CO2 direct air capture in the U.S. — $962/t
• CarbonCapture swappable sorbent cartridge in the U.S. — $1,333/t
The average cost to remove one ton of CO2 for these sample technologies comes to approximately $1,600. And this number does not account for the operating costs of these facilities.
Forgotten technology is a good answer. Offsets are fine, but the reality is the world needs to cut emissions. Negative emissions aren’t a substitute for emissions reductions. Reducing emissions is where mechanical insulation comes into play.
Perhaps the easiest insulation upgrade for any facility is to simply add insulation to a valve in a piping system. Shannon Global Energy, a removable cover fabricator based in Buffalo, New York, stated that installing a 1.5-inch-thick removable insulation cover on a 4-inch gate valve operating at 350°F can save the owner 2 tons of CO2 emissions. This comes at a cost of just $600 while reducing BTU loss by 90%. This amounts to a removal cost of just $300 per ton. Additionally, the removable cover that saves 2 tons of carbon emissions in 2024 will save the same amount every year thereafter. Now consider the impact of treating hundreds or thousands of fittings on the same system, which is typical for commercial systems like hospitals.
A ton of CO2 not generated because of properly insulated mechanical equipment is a ton of CO2 that is not in the sky.
For more information, visit insulation.org.
