Beyond Measurement and Monitoring
Using emissions, process and energy data to improve facility performance
Industrial facilities generate enormous volumes of process, equipment and emissions data. The challenge is not collecting more data, it is converting existing data into timely, reliable information that supports compliance, operating performance and better decisions.
Drawing on more than a decade of industrial emissions and energy experience, VL Energy developed ES-DAHS and ES-PEMS to address this challenge.
VL Energy’s partnership with Intrepid Group Ltd. combines this advanced software capability with practical facility, instrumentation and emissions-monitoring expertise. Together, the companies can support the full monitoring lifecycle; from site assessment and system integration through commissioning, validation and ongoing performance improvement.
Technology Profile
ES-DAHS provides a centralized platform for collecting, validating and reporting continuous emissions monitoring data. It automates calculations, quality-assurance checks, alarms and regulatory reports, helping operators reduce manual effort while improving the traceability and reliability of compliance information.
ES-PEMS can be deployed alongside a conventional Continuous Emissions Monitoring System as an independent performance-verification layer. Comparing predicted and measured values can help operators identify analyzer drift, sensor degradation, process anomalies and emerging equipment issues earlier. Where authorized under a facility’s regulatory approval, PEMS can also support backup monitoring and data continuity during physical monitoring-system downtime.
Validated Results
At an Alberta cogeneration facility, ES-PEMS validated its performance against reference analyzer data. The system demonstrated that operational variables could be used to predict emissions reliably and was accepted for a facility-specific regulatory application by Alberta regulators.
Blind test results for relative accuracy (R²):
- NOx: 0.958%
- Flow rate: 0.956%
- Temperature: 0.872%
- All models exceeded regulatory target R² of 0.64
Impact Beyond Emissions
The same operating conditions that influence emissions, fuel consumption, combustion performance, production rates and equipment health also determine a facility’s energy efficiency and operating costs. Recognizing this connection, VL Energy has extended its data-driven approach through Opti Energy, its Energy Management Information System.