Utility executives worldwide face a precarious balancing act: how to plan, build, and operate assets within an increasingly challenging business environment. A global financial crisis translates to a small pool of capital available for projects, thus driving up the cost of capital while regulatory uncertainty increases risk. Raw material costs fluctuate often, but are generally […]

Process manufacturing companies in the oil and gas, utilities, chemicals and natural resource industries rely on proprietary infrastructure to run their operations. Much of this infrastructure is rapidly aging, thus increasing the risk of failure. Subsequent disruptions hamstring operations and impede opportunities for growth, with the impact of these interruptions felt worldwide. As a result, […]

It seems that just about everyone is looking for more power. As our dependency on electricity continues to grow, so does the need to design larger back-up generation systems. The transition from low voltage to medium voltage on-site generation is influenced by a mix of economic and system design considerations including: cabling distance, bus capacity, […]

Understanding Differences in Elemental Analysis Methods Elemental analysis is one of the most important tests on an oil analysis report. It determines concentrations of wear metals, contaminants, and oil additives in a sample. When reviewing metals on an oil analysis report, it is important to determine what procedure was performed to obtain the results as […]

Mitigation is defined as, “to make milder, less severe or less violent”. When applied to electrical workplace safety, arc flash mitigation involves taking steps to minimize the level of hazard and/or the risk associated with an arc-flash event. The most effective arc flash safety programs look to incorporate “safety by design” through Engineering Controls. Administrative […]

How to choose the right accelerometer for power gen applications Reliability Centered Maintenance managers at power generation plants use sensors & condition monitoring to keep their critical rotating machinery, such as pumps, motors, and cooling fans, running. Not only is it critical to monitor industrial machines, but it’s just as critical to choose the right […]

Traditionally, the choice between diesel-fueled and gaseous-fueled generators has been relatively straightforward. Power density as well as capital cost advantages in large-kilowatt applications typically favored diesel for standby power of 150 kilowatts of electricity (kWE) or more—large commercial and industrial standby applications. However, technological innovations are making gaseous-fueled generators both more powerful and more cost […]

This eBook shows how project portfolio management solutions can help utility company optimize and operate projects for success, by providing real-world answers to your toughest challenges.

Asset-intensive companies like those in the utilities, oil, gas, chemical, steel and mining industries, need to invest heavily in order to maintain operations and continue to grow their business, yet they are faced with an uncertain economic situation. Because of this challenge, it is essential that companies are able to fully optimize investment decisions and […]

Given that electricity prices present a long-term upward trend, the imperative for greater energy efficiency is becoming more urgent. While regulation and legislation do have some effect in forcing change in the business community, a compelling business case — with clear methodology, reliable return on investment and financial efficiency — is much more powerful. Finance […]