Preferred Utilities Manufacturing demonstrates the value of sustainable solutions like solar power and clean-burning renewable fuel.
DANBURY, Conn., June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Preferred Utilities Manufacturing is a provider of custom-engineered boiler solutions that reduce emissions and increase efficiency, but clean energy isn’t just something they sell. They’ve made a commitment to running an environmentally conscious manufacturing facility, too. Renewable fuels and solar panels at their Danbury plant are helping them to save money and reduce their carbon footprint, and they’re also providing a real-world example of the effectiveness of their products and services.
In 2018, Preferred’s leadership team decided to run their facility on a renewable fuel oil called Bio-Residual Oil™ (or BRO), an alternative to fossil fuel oils that has similar viscosity and behavior as #6 oil. BRO is made from biological materials like animal fats, used cooking oil, vegetable grease, and food waste. This renewable energy source has at least 70 percent lower emissions than typical fossil fuels and has the potential to reduce carbon emissions in the United States by thousands of tons per year.
They undertook the project in partnership with Renewable Energy Group (REG), the company that manufactures BRO. It was intended to be a demonstration of the capability of the fuel to power a 50,000 square-foot plant, using some of the burners and systems manufactured by Preferred. Almost four years into the BRO endeavor, the application has been a phenomenal success.
"By utilizing BRO to fuel our entire operation, we’ve had the perfect opportunity to learn all about it," said David Bohn, President and CEO of Preferred Utilities. "It’s been efficient and reliable, and now we’re using our experience to help customers make the transition."
Preferred not only reduced their fuel cost compared to burning #6 oil and #2 oil, they also achieved a 3 percent excess O2 in the stack with <5 ppm CO. The burner and boiler they utilized are more than 40 years old, and they required no modifications in order to burn the BRO.
BRO represents a promising economic and socially responsible alternative to fossil fuels, and Preferred can use their first-hand knowledge of BRO to help other facilities change over to the alternative fuel without having to purchase new boilers. "Our burners and controls have proven to be a great solution for companies making the switch to BRO," continued Bohn. "Our experience handling it, maintaining it, and using it allows us to serve our customers better than ever before."
In addition to running on clean-burning BRO, the Danbury plant also recently completed a 209 kW solar panel installation. The solar panels generate approximately 70 percent of the building’s usage and support the town of Danbury’s grid when the plant is not in operation.
"If you are going to invest in a sustainable future, you have to look at a number of solutions, fuels, and energy sources," continued Bohn. "That’s why our combination of solar power generation and non-fossil, clean burning, ultra-low carbon emission BRO is so successful, for Preferred Utilities and the planet."
In the six months since the solar panels went online, Preferred has generated 121,213 kW/hr of power. As we move into the months of the year with the most sunlight, those numbers will increase substantially.
To learn more about Preferred’s achievements and capabilities in the field of sustainable energy, visit their website at www.preferred-mfg.com.
About Preferred Utilities Manufacturing.
Founded in 1920, Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation is an engineering-based manufacturer of fuel oil handling systems, boiler instrumentation and controllers, high quality burners, nuclear power plant outage reduction tools, and related component parts for commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. Preferred applies continuous research and development to existing products, helping them to lead the industry with new and innovative power plant solutions. Their manufacturing, engineering, and administrative headquarters is located in Danbury, Connecticut, with regional sales and service offices throughout the United States.
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SOURCE Preferred Utilities Manufacturing
