DOE Tallies 500 Energy Assessments for Industry
The U.S. Department of Energy has completed the 500th Energy Saving Assessment at the nation's largest industrial facilities.
These assessments have helped companies identify opportunities to save over an estimated 80 trillion British Thermal Units of natural gas – roughly equivalent to the natural gas used in more than 1 million American homes – more than $800 million in potential energy savings. If all of the recommendations from the assessments conducted are fully implemented by the industrial facilities, the department estimates that 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be saved annually.
Since 2006, teams from the government's Save Energy Now program have visited some of the most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities to analyze the efficiency of pumps, fans, compressed air systems, and heating and steam systems. Each assessment type uses its own software tool specifically designed to analyze and identify annual cost and energy savings. In addition, teams provide plant personnel training in the use of the software tools. Training a team within a plant allows companies to replicate savings throughout other plants. Assessments typically show savings opportunities that amount to 5 to 15 percent of a plant's total energy use.
The 500th assessment was conducted at Dow Chemical Company's Freeport, Texas plant. Dow Chemical participated in Save Energy Now assessments at 16 of its facilities in 2006 and 2007. The assessments identified $31 million per year in potential savings.
The 2008 Energy Saving Assessments will be selected through an on-line application process now under way. Plants interested in applying for a 2008 assessment should visit the Save Energy Now Web site, www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/.