CASE STUDY – Engineering VOC Control and Unlocking $350,000+ in Incentives

The challenge: expand production without oversizing VOC control

The manufacturer needed additional production capacity while addressing permitting requirements, plant air quality, operating costs, and future growth. More production would increase both process exhaust and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

Simply selecting a larger oxidizer would not resolve every part of the problem. The collection system had to capture process emissions, and the RTO had to respond to changing production conditions without continuously treating unnecessary airflow.

The engineering approach

SSE evaluated the plant’s equipment, VOC sources, airflow, operating conditions, and production requirements before establishing the collection and abatement design. The resulting regenerative thermal oxidizer system was engineered as part of the facility’s exhaust strategy.

• Expansion capacity: custom RTO sizing addressed the planned production increase.
• Process-specific collection: optimized ductwork and VOC collection supported capture at the manufacturing equipment.
• Variable airflow: operation could match production demand instead of remaining continuously at maximum capacity.
• Regenerative heat recovery: recovered heat reduced the need for supplemental natural gas.
• Automated controls: the system was designed to respond to changing process conditions and integrate with existing plant infrastructure.

For a similar application, the flexographic printing RTO application page explains how production equipment and exhaust requirements influence system selection.

Documented project outcomes

• More than $350,000 in utility incentives: the project qualified for support that helped offset the customer’s capital investment.
• Production flexibility: the design addressed expansion and changing operating conditions.
• VOC capture and energy management: process-specific collection, airflow optimization, and heat recovery helped minimize fugitive releases and unnecessary gas and fan-energy use.
• Permit-focused design: the system was designed around applicable emissions-control requirements.

The published project account does not disclose customer identity, system airflow capacity, measured destruction-efficiency test results, capital cost, or annual energy savings. Those figures are not inferred here. Incentive programs and eligibility vary; review rebates and incentives for a project-specific discussion.

Why the collection system matters as much as the oxidizer

SSE’s AM Mondays article The Air Path Matters explains how duct restrictions, leaks, dampers, and fan performance can affect capture and energy use. The Technical Corner article Clean Air in the Printing Industry adds context for printing-process emissions.

These technical resources explain the engineering principles; they do not establish additional measured results for this project.

Project video