Energy and Environment Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

07/04/2011 Advanced agitator design shaves 60% off plant energy bill Process engineers at AkzoNobel's Birmingham coatings plant are reporting energy consumption cut by more than 60%, with batch times reduced by 20 minutes, since installing EKATO agitators. » Read More

09/02/2011 Maintec 2011 preview This year's tightly focused maintenance technologies event is aimed at engineers, technicians and managers specialising in plant assets. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

09/02/2011 Bioenergy:the next generation Biomass plants are more advanced and more prolific than many realise. Birmingham City University's head of bioenergy research Dr Lynsey Melville looks at what's out there – and the future » Read More

09/02/2011 Downsizing CHP Combined heat and power has come a very long way since Battersea Power Station. Dr Tom Shelley looks at some of the advances and offers engineering advice » Read More

09/12/2010 Steaming ahead Engineering innovation has the propensity to change plant practice, and that applies to boilers and steam generation too. But improvements can also be made by going back to basics. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

06/10/2010 Sands of time Punitive new legislation could prove the high noon for industrial plants that have so far failed to calculate their carbon footprint and formulate a plan to effect improvements. But it isn't too late to get it right, as Brian Wall reports » Read More

10/08/2010 Energy Event Energy efficiency and energy saving are right up there on plant engineers' agendas. Brian Wall previews the forthcoming Energy Event 2010 conference and exhibition » Read More

10/08/2010 Making sustainability pay Following last year's launch of sustainability guidelines by the Engineering Council, Steed Webzell takes a look at today's key issues and responsibilities » Read More

07/06/2010 Money for new energy Building energy strategies are changing thanks to the latest government incentives. Dr Tom Shelley reports » Read More

01/03/2010 Wasting away The Carbon Trust reckons that UK companies are still wasting €1 billion worth of energy per year, largely due to unresolved plant optimisation issues and inefficiencies in energy generation plant itself. Brian Wall reports on ways ... » Read More

01/03/2010 Latent heating As UK government ups the ante on going green and slashing emissions, air- and ground-source heat pumps are rearing their heads again. Brian Tinham examines the issues » Read More

01/03/2010 Hose pump distils solution Plant engineers at whisky manufacturer Chivas Regal say they selected a Verderflex Dura 10 peristaltic hose pump for a lime-dosing water treatment application at the Glenlivet plant, because of its suitability for dosing abrasive and ... » Read More

01/01/2010 Not just hot air With the announcement late last year that Atlas Copco compressors can now recover 100% of their energy input, Peter Lattaway provides in-depth insight into the technology » Read More

01/01/2010 Efficient energy Combined heat and power plants are anything but new. However, evolving technologies are revolutionising their scope and HM government likes the sound of it. Brian Tinham reports » Read More

01/01/2010 Engineering appeal soars Anyone who has spent any time in plant engineering cannot fail to have been struck by its accelerating rate of change, not just in terms of the technologies - drawing on developments from across the engineering disciplines - but also, ... » Read More

01/12/2009 Zero waste? In Europe, 10% of electricity consumed by industry is for compressed air, yet much of that energy is wasted. In a carbon-conscious era, something has to change, says Steed Webzell » Read More

01/12/2009 Reaching the parts Environmentally friendly and synthetic lubricants are creeping into mainstream plant applications as alternatives to conventional mineral oils – and for good, solid economic reasons, as Brian Wall reports » Read More

01/10/2009 Saving the earth In the rush to save energy and reduce emissions, it's easy to forget the sheer range of potential solutions. Dr Tom Shelley reviews some of today's most powerful options » Read More

01/10/2009 Babies and bathwater Plant, equipment, instrumentation and the regulatory frameworks have all been evolving to meet the challenges of pollution and climate change. Brian Tinham examines the issues » Read More

01/08/2009 The Energy Event 09 What: The Energy Event Where: The National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham When: 9-10 September 2009 How: Go to www.theenergyevent.co.uk » Read More

01/08/2009 Sustainable engineering 'Sustainability': that word is rising up the engineering agenda even faster than 'environmental' did before it. The latest development was last month's release of the Engineering Council's new guidelines on sustainability. Others, however, ... » Read More

01/08/2009 Motor Madness Man enough, simple and lowest cost have been the rules of thumb for specifying electric motors on plant. Brian Tinham explains how the guidelines are changing » Read More

01/06/2009 Blowing hot and cold Last summer's government energy strategy - which called for power generation from renewables to rise to 20% by 2020 and for CO2 to be reduced by 60% before 2050 - is going to have a profound effect on plant, and that includes HVAC ... » Read More

01/06/2009 Better crystal balls With a breakdown in plant sometimes so catastrophic (failures of lubrication pumps have resulted in shutdowns of more than a year before new parts could be made), it is astonishing that so few plant engineers make use of increasingly ... » Read More

01/04/2009 Cut the energy hype Although oil prices have come down, the recession is forcing organisations of all kinds to keep on cutting energy costs. One consequence is increasing numbers of companies seeing energy saving as a business opportunity - and hence the ... » Read More