DOE Kicks Off Training for Manufacturers in the Southeast Region to Demonstrate Energy Standards
August 06, 2010
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) recently kicked off a series of training sessions for seven manufacturers in the Southeast that are working to demonstrate energy management systems that meet the highest standards in energy efficiency. Representatives from the seven demonstration facilities—Nissan North America, Volvo Trucks, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Bridgestone America Tire Organization, Spirax Sarco, Eaton Corporation, and Schneider Electric—and demonstration support teams all took part in the first phase of a three-part training program. The ITP Energy Management demonstration project took place in June at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
The U.S. industrial sector consumes about a third of the nation’s energy and accounts for over one quarter of its total greenhouse gas emissions, making it a significant component of the nation’s overall energy and environmental equation. This demonstration project, which is being conducted through ITP’s broader Save Energy Now initiative, supports ITP’s mission to lead the national drive to reduce energy intensity and carbon emissions by changing the way industry uses energy.
Participating demonstration sites are testing the ANSI-accredited Superior Energy Performance certification program requirements and are working to meet future energy challenges by developing a set of skills to more effectively manage and maximize value from their energy resources. The plants receive tailored assistance from demonstration support teams to implement an energy management system that will conform to the forthcoming International Organization for Standardization (ISO) energy management system standard known as ISO 50001. The ISO 50001 standard, under development led by the United States and Brazil along with China and the United Kingdom, will serve as a roadmap that companies can use to help them achieve continual improvement in energy performance.
By demonstrating their success at meeting the ISO 50001 energy management standard, the manufacturing facilities will showcase their ability to better manage their energy use, improve energy performance, and apply an accredited methodology for measuring and validating energy efficiency and energy intensity improvements.
Find more information on the ITP Energy Management Demonstration Web site.
