Optimize Insulation Levels and Assess Opportunities:
What Can 3E Plus Do?

3E Plus is a free tool designed by the North American Insulation Manufacturers
Association (NAIMA) to help engineers and designers easily calculate the appropriate
insulation thickness for any mechanical and industrial application.

The tool features several customizable inputs to assess pipes, tubes, flat surfaces, ducts, vessels, and tank shells for both hot and cold systems. This enables users to determine the amount/thickness of insulation needed to achieve project objectives, such as protecting workers from hot piping (personnel protection) or preventing condensation on cold
piping (condensation control). Perhaps the most-used calculations are the ones that
help designers optimize projects with the most cost-effective amount of insulation to
apply (Heat Loss per Hour and Economic, Thickness tables). 3E Plus also calculates the greenhouse gas emissions avoided using insulation—a feature that is growing more
important as reporting on expected carbon reductions becomes more common.

3E Plus Online Platform Capabilities

After much user feedback, the online version of 3E Plus launched in 2022, with several
new features designed to save users time and increase productivity. It was developed for use on a laptop or desktop monitor, but it is accessible on smartphones and tablets.

New capabilities of the online version include the following:

• Calculate over a range of inputs. The ability to perform calculations over a range of pipe/tube sizes saves users the headache of multiple iterative calculations, taking hundreds of calculations down to one click.
• Save calculations and share projects. The new project structure saves user projects to the cloud and permits users to quickly share their project or custom materials with others via link.
• Provide enhanced reporting and downloading data capabilities. Users can create formal 3E Plus PDF reports, and the software now includes the ability to quickly download results in a CSV file format for use with spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Users can still copy data directly from the results table as well.

If you haven’t revisited 3E Plus since its launch in 2022, based on feedback from users, NAIMA also has made some useful updates. New features since the original launch include:

• Weather data. For users unsure what average outdoor weather or wind speed to use, 3E Plus has the answer. Based on project location, the tool provides a set of options for designers, depending on project specifics (e.g., temperatures not exceeded 99% of the year versus 99.6%).
• Energy cost data. Up-to-date energy cost data is pulled from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
• Training videos. Training videos are available outlining all of the features of 3E Plus, so users can familiarize themselves with the software and the range of calculation options.
• Specification tables. Users can create specification tables listing minimum insulation levels over the range of pipe sizes and temperatures. These can then be easily dropped into project specifications.

Guidance on how to get started is available at www.3eplus.org.

3E Estimator Makes Calculating Savings Easy

Building on the capabilities of 3E Plus, NAIMA developed a simple calculator for use
by non-engineers and designers to see how the use of insulation can help save money.
Key characteristics that make it beneficial for the user base include:

• Accessible to any user. The inputs for 3E Estimator do not require technical information—anyone familiar with a facility will know them: square footage of the building, location, and fuel type used (if unknown, there are standard values available). The 3E Estimator takes that information and gives users projected cost savings, expected payback period, and emission reductions capacity (see Figure 1).
• Designed to encourage action. The results of the 3E Estimator are easy to share with a link or report, giving users values to help decision makers rank insulation against other investments as they move forward with budgeting.
• Useful for existing facilities as well as new construction projects. NIA estimates that 10% to 30% of mechanical insulation originally installed in facilities is missing or damaged. The 3E Estimator can assess the value of insulation repair or replacement, helping decision makers prioritize facility upgrades as appropriate.

The tool is accessible by desktop/laptop and on mobile devices. In addition to enabling users to share results via a customized link, it helps users create a report to share with other stakeholders. Access to NAIMA’s 3E Estimator is available at www.3eplus.org/estimator.

The underlying assumptions for various facility types (e.g., pipe length, size, and
temperatures) are taken from the ICF Energy Efficiency Opportunity Study published
in 2022, which is available at www.insulationadvocacy.org/insulationopportunitystudy.
A coalition of trade associations, including NAIMA, NIA, and the Insulation Contractors Association of America, the American Chemistry Council (Plastics Division), and the
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association, commissioned the study, which quantifies the benefits of completing insulation retrofit projects across residential,
commercial, and industrial buildings.

Download the free 3E Plus pipe insulation thickness calculator for commercial and industrial facilities at www.3eplus.org. Download the free 3E Plus Estimator at www.3eplus.org/estimator.