Understanding Peak Shaving & Why It Matters

Nov 13, 2020 | Peak Shaving

Winter is quickly approaching, which means the demand for natural gas is rising. For facilities or manufacturing processes that use natural gas on a regular basis, this time of year usually includes preparing for heightened fuel consumption and costs. With peak shaving, however, you can maximize your resources and keep your processes running unimpeded. Discover how our peak shaving natural gas services can help your business prepare for the winter season.

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Supply and demand is a major aspect of energy costs. Like anything else, natural gas for power generation can rise in price when the demand is high and the supply is low. In the same way, having a low energy supply can cause blackouts or service interruptions that could impact the overall performance of your operation. LNG systems use peak shaving, or load shedding, to guarantee consistent power overtime. With a solution to guard against those peak times of energy usage, your business can not only reduce utility costs but ensure reliability long term.

Defining Peak Shaving

In the energy industry, peak shaving refers to leveling out peaks in electricity use for all consumers. During high demand, natural gas companies will essentially reduce the amount of power consumption at small increments to avoid peak loads. Also known as load shedding, companies will either scale down production or rely on a source of backup power until power is restored.

Peak shaving is one of the most common uses of liquidated natural gas or LNG. By storing LNG at a power plant during months of low usage, customers can tap into that source of energy during peak demand to maximize the performance of their power grids.

There are two different types of peak shaving systems that customers can use, onsite liquefaction or LNG transportation. While companies solely rely on LNG storage tanks to hold their fuel, having the onsite capabilities of a liquefaction facility ensures that your business will retain power at all times. For those who don’t have a liquefaction facility, the LNG storage tanks can be filled by having tanker trucks provide delivery.

Reduce Your Utility Costs

One of the greatest benefits of peak shaving is fuel savings. Essentially, taking advantage of peak shaving will help guard against high demand charges since you’re proactively reducing your fuel consumption. In addition, since your fuel usage will remain consistent throughout the year, facilities can better estimate utility costs and set realistic budget expectations.

Ensure Reliability

Electrical power surges can occur during times of high demand, especially when relying on offsite energy storage systems. With peak shaving, the amount of power that is being consumed is monitored to achieve maximum performance. Instead of having electrical power delayed or interrupted, you can ensure that your operational processes are kept running smoothly at all times.

Peak Shaving for Natural Gas Applications

Whether it’s supplying heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summertime, natural gas is a versatile use of utility power. During these times of high power demand, it’s important for your company to have a way to receive energy. Sapphire’s customized natural gas systems are designed to keep your applications running during high and low peak times. With supply systems with horizontal or vertical cryogenic storage tanks, you can trust that our solutions will be configured for your specific space requirements.

Does your facility need a power generation solution? Contact our team for a quote customized to your needs.