Preferred Utilities partnered with Emerson to deliver the first UL-certified industrial burner shutoff valve designed for use with 100% biodiesel, marking an important milestone in clean combustion. Read the Emerson Press Release here. Key Highlights Regional and state-level initiatives in the northeastern United States are accelerating the adoption of biodiesel in heating systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. […]
Today’s Boiler: Visibility and Control in the Boiler Room
SCADA Systems: The Backbone of Modern Boiler Room Operations Managing a modern boiler room means juggling burners, fuel systems, feedwater equipment, pumps, valves, and instrumentation all at once, all in real time. One missed signal can mean downtime, safety risks, or worse. So how do today’s operators stay ahead of it all? The answer is SCADA. Supervisory Control […]
SCADA Deployment for a Mission Critical Facility — Ahead of Schedule
Mission critical infrastructure depends on reliable fuel oil handling where there is no margin for error, and no room for delays. That’s why we’re pleased to share that Stage 2 of an ongoing large-scale deployment for a mission critical facility has been successfully completed, and it came in ahead of schedule. Project Background A year ago, Preferred was […]
Renewable Biofuel Success in Brooklyn Makes the News
Preferred is helping New York City go greener, one boiler room at a time. This Brooklyn high school recently converted from traditional fuel oil to renewable biofuel, supporting NYC’s broader push to modernize buildings, cut emissions, and keep heat reliable through the winter. In the video, you’ll hear firsthand how this upgrade supports sustainability goals while keeping the […]
SCADA Integration for a New York Hospital: Reliable, Connected, and Built to Last
Our latest SCADA deployment for a major New York hospital is a testament to our commitment to excellence and delivering solutions – a fully integrated system designed to keep mission-critical operations running safely, efficiently, and with complete visibility. Project Overview The system was engineered to monitor and control four boilers and one feedwater center, pulling and integrating data […]
10 Years of Energy Savings from One Smart Investment
When it comes to boiler room efficiency, even a small upgrade can lead to major, long-term savings. That’s what happened at a central plant in Maryland, where a simple retrofit led to over a decade of energy and cost reductions. The project started with the facility installing a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) on an aging linkage boiler, paired […]
Measuring the Flow of Progress: Then and Now
Before microprocessors and digital control systems dominated boiler rooms, industrial automation relied on precise analog instruments like those pictured below from Republic Instruments and Controls of Chicago. Their line of mercury U-tube electrical flow meters, pressure/llevel gauges, CO₂ analyzers, and boiler meters helped operators monitor everything from steam and air flows to combustion efficiency, all without today’s electronics. […]
Introducing the EnergySaver Payback Analysis Tool: Quantify Your Boiler Room ROI with Confidence
When considering a retrofit for efficiency upgrades, project engineers, facility managers, and energy teams are all being asked the same question: What’s the return? To help answer that question, Preferred Utilities has developed the EnergySaver Payback Analysis Tool, a free, engineering-grade web application that calculates fuel, electricity, and emissions savings from combustion and fan system upgrades. A Smarter […]
Reintroducing the Draft Regulator with Linear Actuator: A Legacy Product Backed by Preferred
Following our acquisition of Hays Cleveland, we are pleased to reintroduce the first updated product in the Hays line: the Draft Regulator with Linear Actuator. This unit is a direct replacement for the Hays Cleveland R-9502-1012, combining draft control, sensor, and actuator into one compact, proven solution. And now, it’s backed by Preferred’s 105 years of industry experience […]
Burner Management Series V: Common Flame Detection Methods:
Knowing when a flame is present in a boiler furnace is a fundamental safety function of the burner management system. If a flame is present and the BMS does not detect it, there will be nuisance trips and the boiler cannot operate reliably. Alternatively, if the flame detection is too sensitive and does not recognize when there has […]