Energy and environmental performanceEE-001

Oro Grande kiln-fan VFD replacement

CalPortland Company · Oro Grande Cement Plant, USA · 2022

Use this record when

The decision this case can inform

Use this record when screening a kiln-fan drive replacement and deciding what must be measured before an efficiency claim can become a plant business case.

Evidence scope

EPA ENERGY STAR partner profile citing a named project result. It does not disclose the denominator, baseline period, absolute energy, or measurement protocol.

Source-supported facts

What the public record actually establishes

4 sourced points
  1. F1

    CalPortland replaced a variable-frequency drive on a kiln fan at the Oro Grande plant.

  2. F2

    EPA's 2022 accomplishment profile reports an 18% energy-efficiency improvement for the project.

  3. F3

    The public profile does not state whether the percentage applies to the drive, motor-fan system, or a wider project boundary.

  4. F4

    No baseline kWh, operating hours, production normalization, or absolute saving is published on the cited page.

Structured interpretation

Facts and reported results are kept separate from the lesson a plant may choose to test.

01

Operating context

A kiln-fan variable-frequency drive was replaced.

02

Intervention or finding

The drive replacement was completed as an energy-efficiency project.

03

Documented result

EPA award profile reports 18% energy-efficiency improvement for the project.

04

Plant interpretation

Verify fan curve, operating point, motor/drive loading, harmonics, cooling, and actual duty before and after drive work.

05

Transfer boundary

Efficiency denominator, baseline period, operating hours, and absolute kWh are not disclosed.

Before applying the lesson

Questions to verify at your plant

These are decision checks, not operating instructions. Resolve them through local risk assessment, technical review, and authorization.

  1. 01

    What exact equipment and auxiliary loads sit inside the reported energy boundary?

  2. 02

    Are fan curve, damper position, system resistance, airflow requirement, motor loading, and duty cycle measured before design?

  3. 03

    Have harmonics, motor insulation, cooling at low speed, critical speeds, and bypass strategy been reviewed?

  4. 04

    How will post-project kWh be normalized for airflow, process rate, and operating hours?