Top 5 Plant Engineering articles, April 20-26

Were you out last week? Miss something? Here are Plant Engineering's five most-clicked articles from last week, April 20-26, including articles about reducing HVAC energy consumption, manufacturing safety hazards to avoid, operating NEMA Premium motors, electric motor power, and evolving SCADA toward energy management.

By Jessica DuBois-Maahs, CFE Media April 28, 2014
1. Reducing HVAC energy consumption
Reducing an HVAC system’s energy usage can often mean a costly equipment upgrade, but new products on the marketplace can assist in reducing an HVAC system’s energy consumption with add-on software.
Almost no work environment is as hazardous as manufacturing, but if you know what to look for, you may be better able to protect yourself and your workers from injury.
The operating load of any motor depends on a number of factors and it can have a major impact on its efficiency
4. Electric motor power measurement and analysis
Energy is one of the highest cost items in a plant or facility, and motors often consume the lion’s share of plant power, so making sure motors are operating optimally is vital. Accurate power measurements can help to reduce energy consumption, as measurement is always the first step toward better performance and can also help extend the life of a motor. 
Monroe County Pure Waters, the association responsible for protecting water resources in Monroe County, N.Y., implemented a new SCADA system to protect itself from Y2K threats and continues to reap benefits even 14 years later.
The list was developed using CFE Media’s web analytics for stories viewed on plantengineering.com, April 20-26, for articles published within the last two months.
– Jessica DuBois-Maahs, associate content manager, CFE Media, jdmaahs@cfemedia.com.