Energy Efficiency Resources for the Industrial Sector

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The Eight Best Practices for Manufacturers

1. Increase Efficiency of All Motors and Motor Driven Systems

Planning ahead is the key to motor upgrades. For scheduled upgrades like conversion to variable speed drives—plan ahead so these can be scheduled when they will not interfere with production. For unscheduled upgrades that occur when motors fail—plan ahead so any replacement motors you keep in stock are high efficiency and make arrangements with any suppliers you count on for replacements so they have high efficiency motors in stock in the sizes you use.

2. Improve Lighting

Lighting improvements usually have some of the shortest paybacks. If you can combine your lighting improvement project with other efficiency improvement projects with longer paybacks, you can frequently create a more comprehensive project that meets your companies financial requirements. The sleeper bonus here is increased productivity—this is not well-quantified yet, but the data is growing.

3. Upgrade Heating, Ventilating and Cooling Systems

Technology keeps improving and energy costs keep changing. Even if you upgraded your systems ten years ago it is time to evaluate upgrading these systems again.

4. Capture the Benefits of Tracking Your Utility Bills and Utility Competition

For most energy users, closely tracking your energy bills pays for itself just from the billing errors it uncovers. It also prepares you for capturing the benefits of utility competition by making clear the details of how your company uses energy. This information puts your company in good strategic position to effectively negotiate with potential suppliers and to explore how increased energy efficiency and load management can make your company a more desirable energy customer and reduce your energy costs.

5. Communicate Your Company's Good Deeds

Your company pays a lot of money for marketing—your company should get the full marketing value out of its good deeds. Compare your company's marketing budget with your company's energy efficiency and environmental budget. If you are not leveraging one off of the other, your company is not getting full value for the dollars spent in either category.

6. Reduce Water Usage

Water is a growing issue. Water use reduction saves money in multiple ways: it reduces the cost of water, the cost of sewage treatment, and reduces the energy costs for pumping and heating water. It also reduces the uncertainty your company faces about water supply when droughts occur.

7. Explore Energy Savings Through Increased Use of the Internet

It is new, but there is a lot worth exploring. Examples include telecommuting and remote Internet-based training and sales. Telecommuting can be an economic and workday improvement benefit for your company’s employees, reduce vehicle energy use, and improve air quality in your community. Remote Internet-based training for both your staff and your customers may be a way of reducing your company's travel costs and energy used by the transportation providers. The same is true for remote Internet-based sales.

8. Implement Comprehensive Facility Energy and Environmental Management

To maximize the energy savings and its overall benefits to your company, implement a comprehensive facility management program that addresses all seven of the previously listed steps in an integrated fashion. You can accomplish this by outsourcing it or combining internal and external resources.

Return to Energy Efficiency Resources

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Industrial Technology.

The Manufacturing Institute is the research and education arm of the National Association of Manufacturers, created to help make saving energy a part of manufacturers' and employees' daily routine. Leonardo Academy helped the Manufacturing Institute develop an Energy Efficiency, Water and Waste-Reduction Guidebook for Manufacturers. Download the Guidebook (PDF).

Manufacturing Extension Partnership A nationwide network of nonprofit organizations that provide technology support to small and medium size manufactures. Sponsored by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Telephone: 1-800-MEP-4MFG

Outsourcing Efficiency Improvements

If you want to outsource your project from beginning to end, consider using an energy savings performance contractor. They are willing to develop, implement, and guarantee the performance of energy efficiency improvement projects. Many companies including equipment manufactures, utilities, engineering firms and others have formed units that provide energy savings performance contracting services to help their clients save energy.

Energy Services Coalition (ESC) - A coalition of representatives of ESCOs, facility owners, finance companies, and state energy offices. Web site includes guide to using energy service companies, as well as contact information for ESCOs and other service providers.

NAESCO – an industry trade association for the energy service company industry.

Use High Efficiency Motors

* Specify high efficiency motors for replacement motors and in new equipment.
* Upgrade large existing motors

The key to success is to have your plans in place for using high efficiency replacement motors and arrange for availability of high efficiency motors so they are available when needed fast.

Use free, readily available software such as the U.S. DOE’s MotorMaster to begin to track your motor-driven systems. When equipment needs to be replaced, use software to pick the most efficient available equipment within your cost range.

Visit U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) website. This Office has many programs and resources on energy efficiency improvement, and the website includes free software downloads.

Improve Efficiency of Your Motor-Driven Systems

* Compressed air
* Fluid pumping
* Fans

The Energy Solutions Center promotes the use of new technologies that increase manufacturing productivity and competitiveness.

Three Software Packages Downloadable from the U.S. DOE OIT Best Practices Website

Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT)
The Pumping System Assessment Tool helps industrial users assess the efficiency of pumping system operations. PSAT uses achievable pump performance data from Hydraulic Institute standards and motor performance data from the MotorMaster+ database to calculate potential energy and associated cost savings.

Decision Tools for Industry - CD
The Decision Tools for Industry CD contains both the MotorMaster+ 3.0 (MM+ 3.0) and Pump System Assessment Tool software packages described above. In addition, it includes MM+ 3.0 training. The training walks you through the fundamentals and the advanced features of MM+3.0 and provides examples for using the software to make motor purchase decisions. You can order it order from the EERE Information Center by email (eereic@ee.doe.gov) or phone (877-337-3463).

ASDMaster: Adjustable Speed Drive Evaluation (Methodology and Application Software)
This Windows software program helps you, as a plant or operations professional, determine the economic feasibility of an ASD application, predict how much electrical energy may be saved by using an Adjustable Speed Drive (ASD), and search a database of standard drives. The package includes two 3½ inch diskettes, user's manual, and user's guide. Please order from Rick Langley at EPRI (rlangley@epri-peac.com) or from Bonneville Power Administration (sdfairley@bpa.gov). For more information see the ASDMaster Web Site.

* Install high efficiency lighting to maintain or improve lighting quality
* Include use of daylighting in facility upgrades and in new facilities
* Conduct an energy audit. Contact an energy service company if you want help.

U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR^® is a voluntary partnership between companies and the U.S. EPA to promote energy efficiency in buildings.

International Association for Energy Efficient Lighting is an information resource for high-quality, energy-efficient lighting.

Lighting Research Center maintains the National Lighting Product Information Program, a source of manufacturer-specific performance information on efficient lighting products.

Look for ENERGY STAR^® labeled products. The website includes product lists and store locators.

3E Plus
This free software program can be downloaded from the U.S. DOE Industrial Technologies website. With 3E Plus you can easily determine whether boiler systems can be optimized through the insulation of boiler steam lines. The program calculates the most economical thickness of industrial insulation for a variety of operating conditions. You can make calculations using the built-in thermal performance relationships of generic insulation materials or supply conductivity data for other materials.

Office of Building, State and Community Programs This website describes 202 energy-related software tools for buildings.

Efficient Windows Collaborative (EWC) provides all sorts of information on energy efficient windows.

Energy Solutions Center works to accelerate the acceptance of and deployment of new energy-efficient, gas-fueled technologies that enhance the operations and productivity of commercial and industrial energy users, and improves comfort and reliability for residential energy users. The site includes information on products, education and events.

 4. Capture the Benefits of Utility Competition

• Use Energy and Utility Bill Tracking Software to track your company's energy consumption and savings. There are a number of commercial software products available. Providers.
• Competitively procure your energy requirements. Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) can help you with this.
• Build energy efficiency into your strategy for reducing utility costs and uncertainty of supply. ESCOs can also help you with this process. 

Energy Service Companies

Energy Services Coalition (ESC) - A coalition of representatives of ESCOs, facility owners, finance companies, and state energy offices. The website includes a guide to using energy service companies, as well as contact information for ESCOs and other service providers.

NAESCO – an industry trade association for the energy service company industry.

Power Brokers and Power Suppliers

Ask your State Public Utility Commission  for a list of power brokers and power suppliers active in your state

Power Marketers

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission maintains a list of power marketers

Certification Programs

The Cleaner and Greener Certification Program provides whole-company certification that helps businesses communicate their energy efficiency and environmental achievements to their customers (phone: 608-280-0256, or email: info@cleanerandgreener.org).

Simply Quality and The International Organization for Standardization provide guidance for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification. Visit the web site http://praxiom.com/ for a translation of the ISO 9000 2000 quality standards into plain English.

ISO 9000 standards are management-system standards that state requirements for what an organization must do to manage the processes influencing quality. The standardized definition of "quality" in ISO 9000 addresses all those features of a product (or service) which are required by the customer. "Quality management" in ISO 9000 is defined by the management processes companies have in place to ensure that its products conform to the customer’s requirements.

ISO 14000 standards are management system standards that state requirements for what an organization must do to manage the processes influencing the impact of the organization’s activities on the environment (ISO 14000). "Environmental management" in ISO 14000 is defined by the management processes companies have in place to minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities.

Recognition Programs

ENERGY STAR (Telephone: 800-STAR-YES) In return for committing to upgrade their buildings to become more energy efficient, Energy Star Buildings Partners receive access to services, information, tools, and resources from the U.S. EPA

The Manufacturing Institute Contact the institute for information and resources on planning an Earth Day program at your plant, showing how your company is improving the air, water, and land.

Reducing water use reduces the energy needed to pump water from drawing it from its source to its disposal. Reducing hot water use reduces the energy needed for heating water as well.

WATERGY - A simple spreadsheet model that screens sites for potential water conservation opportunities and illustrates the energy savings that result from water conservation activities

* Electronic commuting
* Reduced marketing costs
* Reduced staff training costs

The State of Arizona Telecommuting Program provides background information on the significance of telecommuting and an example of the development, implementation, and results of telecommuting programs.

The Telework Collaborative combines the expertise and resources of five western states (Texas, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington) to deliver some of the most respected telework program implementation materials in the field.

 8. Implement Comprehensive Facility Energy and Environmental Management

For information on how to implement a comprehensive facility management program consult the information listed above for general information, outsourcing, and for each of the above seven specific areas of action.

US Green Building Council (USGBC) is a balanced, consensus non-profit coalition representing the entire building industry that promotes the design, construction and operation of buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, healthy places to live and work. USGBC has developed LEED™: the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. LEED is a leading-edge system for designing, constructing and certifying the world’s best buildings, offering technical assistance, and accrediting LEED professionals.

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Best Practices

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