DOE Launches Energy Resource Center: New Online Resources to help Manufacturers Improve Energy Performance

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) recently launched a powerful set of online tools that enable industrial stakeholders to better track energy performance and determine strategies for continual improvement. The Energy Resource Center, also known as the eCenter, gathers software tools, technical publications, and information about energy efficient technologies and sector analyses onto a single website. Among other resources, the eCenter contains energy management tools, industrial system-related tools and an energy efficiency project-tracking tool. By providing these resources from a single point, manufacturers can now more easily access a wide variety of tools, materials and training information.

Energy Management Tools: The Big Innovation

Of all the tools the eCenter offers, three energy management tools stand out: the Plant Energy Profiler (PEP), the eGuide for ISO 50001 implementation and the eGuide Lite. The PEP tool is an update to an existing software package that enables plant-level personnel to identify how energy is procured and consumed within their plant, as well as potential energy and cost savings. The updated PEP includes an improved user interface, a streamlined data entry process, and generates a cleaner report. These features make the tool easier and quicker to use — allowing most end users to complete an energy profile of their plant in approximately an hour.

Both the eGuide for ISO 50001 and the eGuide Lite modules are designed to help manufacturers develop energy management systems and adopt a continual improvement approach towards energy efficiency. The eGuide for ISO 50001 is an online, electronic implementation guide for the ISO 50001 energy management standard. The eGuide for ISO 50001 takes end users through all of the elements of ISO 50001 to establish a fully functional Energy Management System (EnMS). The guide includes forms, checklists, templates, examples and guidance to assist an energy manager and energy team throughout the ISO 50001 implementation process. Sean West, EH&S Project Manager for United Technologies Corporation (UTC), said they “use the eGuide for ISO 50001 all the time” and have found the “Implement Resources” section of eGuide for ISO 50001 particularly useful.

The eGuide Lite is a downloadable tool that provides the basics of energy management to help industrial end users understand their energy use and determine how to assess their industrial systems. Based on the "learn-by-doing" model, the eGuide Lite helps manufacturers new to energy management better understand their energy sources as well as how much energy is used so that they can identify, initiate and sustain energy improvements on an ongoing basis. The eGuide Lite is configured to allow companies to use the tool to engage their supply chain in energy management, especially those suppliers that are new to the concept of energy management.  This tool can be a stepping-stone to establishing a more formal energy management system.

More on the eCenter and AMO Resources

All industrial companies can take advantage of the resources available through the eCenter and AMO whether they are involved in programs such as Better Buildings/Better Plants or Superior Energy Performance (SEP). In addition to a wide range of case studies, sourcebooks and trainings, end users can learn about technology solutions and implementation principles of energy efficiency recommendations.