Since its acquisition in 2001, Cortec Coated Products in Eau Claire has prided itself on finding smart business solutions. The manufacturer has built on its knowledge and experience to become a global supplier and forerunner in the coated paper and film industry. With the help of Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, Cortec Coated Products has also been able to build on Focus’ knowledge and experience to become a leader in energy efficiency.

Cortec Coated Products, manufacturer of coated specialty paper, board and film products for the printing and packaging industry, received $99,000 in financial incentives from Focus on Energy after installing an innovative heat-recovery system, a variable-frequency drive on a process fan, plant-wide lighting and steam trap upgrades. These improvements will save the company more than 223,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 175,000 therms of natural gas annually — enough energy to power 200 Wisconsin homes for a year. The manufacturer will also benefit from $210,000 in savings on its energy bills each year.

The biggest energy saver is a unique heat-recovery system installed last year that provides extraordinary energy savings. The system captures “waste” heat from the facility’s oven exhaust system. Instead of venting that hot air outside of the facility, the system extracts heat from the outgoing air and returns it to the oven inlet to start the process again. Reusing this heat enables the manufacturer to significantly reduce its natural gas use and saves $170,000 a year. Focus on Energy awarded $82,000 to help get the project off the ground and also provided technical expertise prior to installation to assure the project would provide significant energy savings.

Additionally, Cortec Coated Products recently upgraded more than 75 standard light fixtures to high-performance T8 fixtures in its 56,000-square-foot facility. A high-performance T8 system can save up to 40 percent more energy and last 4,000 hours longer than a standard system because it uses advanced high-lumen, long-life T8 lamps and low-ballast-factor electronic ballast. This combination results in strong energy savings without reducing light output. Cortec Coated Products has also attended Focus on Energy training sessions over the years to keep energy savings and high efficiency at the forefront of its operation.

“It took us a few years to implement the heat-recovery system,” says Mike Galatowitsch, plant manager at Cortec Coated Products. “The cost savings are great, but we had to spend the money to save the money. We have a corporate-wide initiative to save energy and help our environment, and with the help of Focus on Energy we are able to do so.”

Not only do these upgrades save Cortec Coated Products money, but they are also environmentally friendly. The annual environmental benefits are equivalent to offsetting 3,500 barrels of oil from being burned – eliminating the release of 2.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

“Heat-recovery systems offer incredible savings to facilities of all sizes,” says Ken Williams, Focus on Energy’s business programs director. “It’s amazing to see how much heat can be reused — providing businesses with free energy.”

Start “recovering” savings at your facility

Focus on Energy offers specialized support for businesses across Wisconsin, including yours. To learn how to save energy and money, visit focusonenergy.com or call 800.762.7077. Our energy experts will assist you in identifying opportunities to help you control costs, improve operating efficiency and protect your profits. We can also help your business develop an energy management plan, arrange technical training on energy efficiency and offer financial incentives.