District Energy - 2010 4th Quarter

Chair’s Message

and know-how that those employees possess. They are our go-to people for problem-solving, and they know how to get the work done because of their experience – not just because of what they read in a manual or on a schematic.

Is your knowledge base planning to retire? Lately we’ve heard about a number of major items affecting us in some way.

Pending EPA legislation on Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (see the feature story in this issue), the BP oil spill and uncertainty about congressional passage of an energy bill are just a few of them. At the same time, we must focus on running our businesses and serving our customers. When running a business, one of the most important assets is our human talent – the people who truly understand the ins and outs of the day-to-day operations, resolve issues, contribute to the organization’s success and provide inspiration to their colleagues. These are the people who are innovative, always finding ways to improve systems and increase efficiency. They can function alone or in a team environment, ensure that our customers are being served, display honesty and integrity, and do it all without complaining because they understand that the work must get done.

How do you take the knowledge and abilities of an experienced person and pass those characteristics on to others? Now, more than ever, we need an answer. The baby boomers’ retirement looms in the near future. While this will affect every industry to some degree, district energy plants and universities stand to lose 25 to

30 percent of the existing workforce over the next five to seven years. Just consider for a moment the vast amount of insight

District energy plants and
universities stand to lose 25

to 30 percent of the existing workforce over the next five to seven years. Just consider for a moment the vast amount of insight and know-how that those employees possess.

I know that automation, computers and technology can provide solutions to some of our issues. But can we count on them to guarantee a rapid response to highly stressful situations, such as a power loss or equipment failure?

My friend was in a grocery store recently when the power went out. Two dozen customers were in line with no way to check out because the prices are computerized via the product bar codes. When asked how to do check-outs manually, one clerk’s answer was “I don’t know how.” Some of the clerks didn’t know the pricing of the items. Some of them were unable to get the cash drawers open. Some did not even know how to make change.

In our industry, this situation would
not be acceptable. We have obligations
to provide 24/7/365 service. At Perry K,
hanging on the side of our large boiler,
we have a long steel rod with a basket
on the bottom to attach rags to be used
as a torch. When we asked some of our
operations personnel what it was for, they
had no clue. We haven’t had to use it in
over 20 years. This made me think – yes,
controls are more reliable today. We have a
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back-up system, and some of us have generators or uninterruptable power supplies for emergency situations. But I’ve always had the notion that if you don’t understand how and why it works, you may have trouble starting it up when you suddenly need it. Remember, the majority of us are not tied to a grid like the electric utilities. We are it.

How many of us have gone through the experience of starting up a system with no power, or had disaster and response training to simulate a start-up under difficult conditions? Who in your group has the knowledge to do this? Most likely, it’s that baby boomer who will soon be retiring.

How do we harness this knowledge and pass it on to our newer employees? You may need different job skills today, but you need yesterday’s knowledge and commitment to make sure the systems operate 24/7/365, unlike my friend’s grocery store experience.

How do we do this? We can encourage our younger employees to attend the valuable workshops led by seasoned professionals at IDEA conferences every year. A number of electric utilities are working with trade schools, technical colleges and universities for classes in power plant theory – specialty classes on leadership, project management, budgeting and financing for the nonfinancial person. But the core knowledge of your plant comes from you and your existing personnel. Passing it on may require a training video, on-site class work, hands-on creation of drawings and running “what-if” drills. The more knowledgeable our employees are about our operations, the better we will be able to service our customers, today and into the future.