by Jeff Ihnen | Apr 28, 2026 | Energy Rant
Quirky nerd alert: fans and pumps are the lungs and heart of industrial facilities. They move air, oxygen, heat, particulates, as well as cool systems and equipment. However, unlike mammals, the lungs and hearts of industrial systems and facilities do not evolve to...
by Jeff Ihnen | Apr 21, 2026 | Energy Rant
Last week, I dived into the characteristics and selection factors of air compressors, focusing on full-load and part-load efficiencies. This week, I will round out my assessment of savings opportunities for compressed air systems. First, I will define a couple of...
by Jeff Ihnen | Apr 15, 2026 | Energy Rant
After taking a detour from industrial efficiency in posts one and two to evaluate electricity prices and the blame game hung around data centers like the scarlet letter, we’re moving on to the top ten list of industrial energy efficiency targets. For reference, the...
by Jeff Ihnen | Apr 7, 2026 | Energy Rant
I’m taking a detour off the industrial efficiency road this week to mention a few things about soaring electricity prices and what’s causing them. Like big oil, big tech is an easy target because trillions of dollars are involved, and who feels sorry for Elon Musk,...
by Jeff Ihnen | Mar 31, 2026 | Energy Rant
Industrial facilities love a good checklist: swap in premium motors, add variable frequency drives, call it efficiency. But when it comes to motors and drives, that plug-and-play mindset can backfire. In many cases, the difference between real savings and wasted...
by Jeff Ihnen | Mar 23, 2026 | Energy Rant
Industrial companies love to say energy efficiency is a priority. And technically, that’s true. But if you look at where the money is actually going, it’s mostly the same playbook: lighting upgrades, better HVAC units, maybe some motor replacements. Safe, familiar,...
