Going Green

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“Green engineering” and “green design” are good sounding buzz words, but what do they really mean? According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “going green” is defined as:

Green engineering is the design, commercialization, and use of processes and products, which are feasible and economical while minimizing 1) generation of pollution at the source and 2) risk to human health and the environment. Green engineering embraces the concept that decisions to protect human health and the environment can have the greatest impact and cost effectiveness when applied early to the design and development phase of a process or product.

Principles of Green Engineering*

  1. Engineer processes and products holistically, use systems analysis, and integrate environmental impact assessment tools.
  2. Conserve and improve natural ecosystems while protecting human health and well-being.
  3. Use life-cycle thinking in all engineering activities.
  4. Ensure that all material and energy inputs and outputs are as inherently safe and benign as possible.
  5. Minimize depletion of natural resources.
  6. Strive to prevent waste.
  7. Develop and apply engineering solutions, while being cognizant of local geography, aspirations, and cultures.
  8. Create engineering solutions beyond current or dominant technologies; improve, innovate, and invent (technologies) to achieve sustainability.
  9. Actively engage communities and stakeholders in development of engineering solutions.

*as developed by more than 65 engineers and scientists at the Green Engineering: Defining the Principles Conference, held in Sandestin, Florida in May of 2003. The preliminary principles forged at this multidisciplinary conference are intended for engineers to use as a guidance in the design or redesign of products and processes within the constraints dictated by business, government and society such as cost, safety, performance and environmental impact.

Facilities are constantly looking at ways to reduce cost and minimize waste, while at the same time trying to increase their equipment productivity and “go green”.  This is often easier said than done; however, the Powerex Scroll systems can do just that.  Utilizing multiple compressors with a completely oil-less design, our systems do not add contaminants to the air stream, there is no oil to change, and electrial consumption is minimized.  The heart of the system is the proven technology of the scroll compressor.  Quiet, efficient, and completely oil-less, the scroll compressor will provide reliable, clean compressed air for years to come.  By utilizing multiple compressors within one system, energy consumption is reduced.  This is achieved by powering the horsepower required based on demand – “staging” one compressor at a time as needed rather than turning on one large compressor for low air requirements.  Our systems automatically cycle through each compressor so wear is kept equal.