DOEs Save Energy Now Initiative Recognizes High-Performing Plants
September 27, 2007
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is recognizing 180 U.S. manufacturers for making significant improvements to the way their plant uses energy. Over the past year, these industrial plants have participated in and implemented recommendations from DOE's “Save Energy Now” initiative to save 13.8 trillion Btu—worth over $73 million.
Through the Save Energy Now initiative, DOE's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) offers industrial plants the opportunity to work with a DOE energy expert or university-based team in assessing key industrial process systems. These assessments identify cost-effective opportunities and recommend actions plants may take to reduce their energy use and shrink their carbon footprint in the near term. In 2006, more than 700 plants applied for and received assessments. The manufacturers to receive awards from DOE reported their results after six months and met the criteria in one of the following categories:
- Energy Saver Plant—More than 75,000 million Btu total energy savings or more than 7.5 percent total energy savings.
- Energy Champion Plant—More than 250,000 million Btu total energy savings or more than 15 percent total energy savings.
DOE is honoring 115 plants as Energy Saver Plants, and has ascertained that 65 plants deserve recognition as Energy Champion Plants. All of the award-winning companies will be publicly recognized at major industry meetings or ITP events throughout the year and on the Save Energy Now website. To see the list of 2006 Save Energy Now award recipients, visit www.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/recognition.html.
After another six months, DOE hopes that some of the plants assessed in 2006 will qualify as an Energy Champion Team. This designation requires a plant to achieve more than 10 percent total energy savings in the original plant and replication in two or more plants.
The Industrial Technologies Program leads national efforts to improve industrial energy efficiency and environmental performance. It is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and contributes to its efforts to provide reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy for America today and in the future.
