C.J. Miller Uses VFDs to Pave the Way to Energy Savings

Savings at a Glance

Participating in the BGE Energy Solutions for Business program allowed C.J. Miller to install VFDs on the motors that power its asphalt production facilities in Finksburg and Westminster.

< 2 years until payback on project costs

233,910 kWh/year in energy savings

$30,000/year in cost savings

$24,858 in incentives paid

The folks at C.J. Miller have been in the site development business for more than 50 years. In addition to site clearing and demolition, the company churns out asphalt at rates in excess of 300 tons per hour for its paving business. To reduce its environmental footprint, the company uses recycled asphalt in its pavements and is taking steps to reduce energy use at its asphalt plants.

At its Finksburg and Westminster plants, for example, C.J. Miller installed variable frequency drives (VFDs) to provide greater control of the high-horsepower motors used in asphalt production. With the help of incentives from BGE’s Smart Energy Savers Program^®, the company cut the cost of the VFD installation in half. What’s more, the energy savings made possible by the VFDs will save more than $30,000 a year in energy costs.

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The VFD on the left operates a 150-horsepower burner blower, while the one on the right controls a baghouse exhaust fan.

View of the Westminster plant, with a row of aggregate bins in the foreground.