Reducing Industrial Energy Waste

While not making the front pages like other efforts to save energy, a number of new and existing industrial energy-efficiency initiatives at the Department of Energy (DOE) and other organizations plan to have a significant impact on reducing energy consumption in the manufacturing sector, which accounts for about one-third of the nation’s annual energy consumption. These initiatives include the Superior Energy Performance partnership, DOE’s successful Save Energy Now Program and a collaborative effort by the National Association of Manufacturers and other government entities to assist manufacturing facilities with the implementation of energy management programs.

The Department of Energy is collaborating with industrial corporations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create the Superior Energy Performance partnership, an exciting new initiative seeking to develop a performance-based framework to help industrial facilities “raise the bar” and bring energy efficiency to the forefront of plant operation. An interim steering committee has been meeting for the past few months. Some of the planned outcomes include system assessment standards (for steam, process heating, compressed air, and pumping systems initially), a new ANSI energy management standard, an ISO energy management system standard, and a certification program for individual industrial plants.

DOE’s Save Energy Now program features a wealth of software tools and technical resources to complement its Energy Savings Assessments of the largest and most energy-intensive manufacturing plants in the U.S. Save Energy Now began with 200 assessments in 2006 to encourage industry to voluntarily reduce energy use and highlight energy-savings projects that are economically viable and readily replicated. The assessments are performed by DOE’s pool of Qualified Specialists using the suite of DOE software tools. In 2007, 250 assessments are being performed. Applications are now being accepted for assessments in 2008. The Save Energy Now web site provides details and lists plants that have received assessments. Smaller plants are eligible for assistance from the long-standing Industrial Assessment Centers located at 26 universities across the country.

The National Association of Manufacturers and DOE signed a Memorandum of Understanding this summer, agreeing to support each other’s efforts to promote industrial energy efficiency. The MOU encompasses a variety of activities, including the development of a web site that provides easy access to the large existing base of free tools and resources from DOE, EPA, and other organizations.

To learn more about the Alliance’s role in these and other industrial activities, contact Bruce Lung, Program Manager, Industrial Team.