Behind the Scenes: The Methodology of Becht’s PEAK Energy Assessment

By Grant Jacobson and Jan Zander

This is the second article in a series about PEAK (Practical Energy Assessment Kit), Becht’s new energy efficiency assessment toolkit designed to help refineries unlock their full potential.

In Part 1 of this blog series, we explored how energy efficiency isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about improving reliability, safety, and overall performance. But identifying energy-saving opportunities is only half the battle. The real challenge is knowing where to start and how to make meaningful, lasting changes.

That’s where Becht’s Practical Energy Assessment Kit (PEAK) comes in. PEAK is more than just an assessment. It’s a structured, hands-on approach that helps refineries find and fix energy inefficiencies with practical, site-specific solutions. PEAK follows a three-phase process to ensure findings are grounded in real data, validated in the field, and transformed into a plan for action.

In our second article, let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at how it works.

PEAK Phase 1: Data Collection and Validation

Before Becht’s experts ever step foot on-site, we take a deep dive into the numbers. Our team works with refinery personnel to gather and validate operational data, focusing on:

• Key Energy Variables (KEVs): Metrics that measure efficiency, including furnace efficiency, stripping steam rates, heat exchanger effectiveness, flare gas recovery, steam system pressure balances, and many others
• Historical energy use: Tracking consumption patterns and identifying anomalies
• Equipment benchmarks: Comparing actual performance to industry standards to highlight where improvements can deliver the highest ROI
• Industry benchmarks: Comparing performance and best practice ideas to best-in-class refineries using Solomon Energy Intensity Index, ISO 50001/2, and US DOE Energy STAR standards
• Process control data: Reviewing Distributed Control System (DCS) trends and layouts to identify manual interventions, inefficiencies, and quick improvements
• Equipment maintenance practices: Understanding how maintenance affects current performance and which best practices can be easily applied

We also use advanced analysis techniques to identify improvement areas—including Pinch Analysis to assess heat exchanger efficiency, mass and energy balance calculations to detect fuel and steam losses, flare gas tracking/troubleshooting to determine recovery opportunities, and simulation to predict the impact of changes before they’re made.

By the time we arrive, we’ve already completed 70-80% of the assessment remotely. That means on-site time is laser-focused on validation, mentoring, and real-time problem-solving, not just gathering information.

PEAK Phase 2: On-Site Deep Dive

This is where the real discoveries happen. Over five to eight days, Becht’s team walks the refinery, talks with operators, and analyzes live system performance to uncover inefficiencies that aren’t obvious in the data.

Some examples of what we may do on-site:

• Walk down major energy systems: We physically inspect furnaces, heat exchangers, steam traps, letdown stations, and flare systems, looking for leaks, inefficiencies, or bypassed equipment.
• Interview operators and engineers: These conversations often reveal workarounds, outdated procedures, or inefficiencies that don’t show up in reports.
• Optimize KEV visibility: Our goal is to understand who can see the KEVs and if they are able and empowered to act in an easy, efficient manner.
• Workshop and mentor: We find it valuable to workshop KEV development, identification, and upkeep with key site personnel, so we can pass along the energy improvement torch as much as possible.
• Improve combustion performance: We review burner settings, excess O₂ levels, and stack temperatures to ensure furnaces and boilers are running at peak efficiency—a simple “go-do” knob for most facilities!
• Assess steam system efficiency: We analyze de-aerators, steam turbines, and pressure letdown stations to determine if this energy is being utilized as optimally as possible.
• Evaluate flare systems and recovery: Instead of burning valuable hydrocarbons, we look for ways to capture and use them—a change that has saved refineries millions via improved molecular management (turning them into a saleable product) or by reducing purchased fuel costs.
• Margin improvement wins: While we love energy improvement and utilization, we’re always on the lookout for margin wins as we investigate the equipment and systems at play. It’s common to find a strong margin win—in the magnitude of millions USD/year—on first-time PEAK applications. A cold set of experienced eyes tends to find great opportunities!

This phase isn’t just about confirming what we found remotely—it’s about uncovering the things that don’t show up in the data. Often, it’s the small, overlooked details that make the biggest impact. Perhaps it’s a process that’s been done the same way for years, but no one has questioned why. Or an operational habit that’s costing more than anyone realizes. What about equipment that’s technically working—but not at peak efficiency? This is where the broadly experienced Becht team shines!

By the end of this phase, we have a list of problems. But we also have a clear, prioritized game plan for fixing them without major capital investment—just better focus, training, and process control in most cases.

PEAK Phase 3: The Roadmap

The final phase of PEAK is where insights turn into action. The roadmap isn’t just a summary of findings—it’s a step-by-step execution plan that refinery teams can use to implement real energy savings.

Each roadmap includes:

• A high-level summary of key findings and their impact on refinery performance
• A prioritized action list, ranked by ease of implementation, cost, and return on investment (ROI)—with the goal of executing the most valuable and easy items first
• Projected energy or cost savings, backed by real data from the assessment
• Operational best practices, tailored to each refinery’s systems, culture, and workforce
• A phased implementation timeline that outlines immediate, short-term, and long-term improvements

What sets PEAK apart is the follow-through. Unlike traditional audits that hand over a report and walk away, Becht stays engaged to make sure improvements actually happen. We help refineries turn plans into results through operator and engineer training, ongoing technical support, and regular check-ins and performance tracking—because a plan is only as good as its execution.

Example of a PEAK roadmap developed for a client, mapping out key improvement priorities and milestones throughout the year.

What Kind of Results Can You Expect?

Every site is different, but the PEAK methodology consistently helps refineries achieve measurable savings like:

• 3-5% total energy savings through operational improvements alone
• Return on investment (ROI) of 10:1 or better
• Fuel savings of 2-4% by optimizing furnace oxygen levels
• Flare gas reductions of 25-40%, leading to millions in recovered value
• Steam system optimizations resulting in $250K-$500K in annual savings

These aren’t just projections—they’re real, proven results from refineries that have implemented PEAK’s recommendations with Becht’s skilled experts.

PEAK will output a score for each site, from 0-100%, for easy comparison across industry peers. The Peer Performance Matrix helps show typical progression upon application of PEAK.

The Peer Performance Matrix helps refineries see where they stand today and map out a clear path to energy excellence.

Energy Optimization Isn’t a One-and-Done Effort

Energy efficiency isn’t something you fix once and forget about. It’s an ongoing process. The most successful refineries don’t just make one-time changes; they build a culture of continuous improvement where energy optimization becomes part of daily decision-making.

That’s exactly what PEAK is designed to help you do. Becht doesn’t just find savings and walk away—we help refineries make energy efficiency a long-term success story. PEAK is built to be applied as a reassessment method every 1-2 years to continue to guide improvement and prevent backsliding.

If you’re serious about cutting energy waste and improving efficiency, PEAK is the smartest way to get started. Want to see how it can work for your refinery? Contact us and let’s talk. Becht is ready to help you unlock real savings and long-term energy excellence.