Recent advancements in electric boiler efficiency

[buckman]

I am an industrial account rep for an electric utility. One of my customers has approached me about a possible swicth to elctric heat from an oil fired steam boiler. Here is his email below. Just looking for a little food for thought.

"In a period of time when the cost of our fuel has increased 250%, the electrical rates have gone up a small amount compared to this. We made a quick calculation to see that the current cost of recycled fuel oil has a cost just a bit higher than electricity at our current rate per joule. This is not counting for water treatment chemicals and boiler maintenance.

This effect has come from 2 facts; 1) the virgin oil prices has gone up rapidly and 2) the recycled oil has gone up at an even higher rate as the demand got higher from more and more companies switching from virgin to recycled. To think about an investment to switch from a steam boiler to something else (electrical heater) would require a risk to be taken according to the future trend of electrical rates vs fuel cost.

Some questions: 1) what do you think about this concept and 2) do you know of any standard type of technology in direct electrical heating for an industrial application (200 HP tube fired boiler in our case)?

 

[dpc]

You can certainly buy an electric boiler in this size range, but not as a retro-fit to an oil-fired boiler. I think you would be looking at a new boiler.

Electric boilers are a terrible waste of energy if other options are available. I would think oil would have to get even more expensive than it is now to make an electric boiler pencil out.

 

[buckman]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to go to his plant today to see exactly what his application is and get some more detailed information.