Findings and Presentations from the March 6, 2007 "Achieving Superior Energy Performance" Meeting

Over 50 representatives from US manufacturing companies, the Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program, the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Program for Industry, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership met to discuss a variety of approaches for engaging the industrial sector in promoting greater energy efficiency in US plants. The meeting participants critiqued a preliminary concept proposal (pdf link) and considered the characteristics of a framework (which described levels of plant energy performance achievement which include ENERGY STAR, Partner Plant, Certified Plant) to help achieve superior energy performance. They also identified potential barriers and suggested innovative incentives to assist industrial plants in initiating or accelerating their energy management programs.

Preliminary comments received from attendees to the meeting included the following:

  • Participants expressed both a strong interest and a need for a voluntary program to assist all US manufacturing plants in improving energy efficiency, regardless of size or internal resources;
  • Existing information and tools are useful, but more needs to be done to provide and streamline access to this information so that plants can save energy in the near-term;
  • Many plants need assistance in developing and implementing energy management plans, especially if the program is pushed up the supply chain;
  • Attendees perceived a value in the certification of an industrial facility's energy management program that produces sustainable results and ensures the engagement of all levels of plant personnel;
  • Any plant certification would address the measurement and verification of savings by the facility being certified;
  • Individual energy efficiency projects could have energy savings validated, and therefore, could potentially provide tradable benefits.
  • Any program to certify plants for energy efficiency has to "make the business case" for participation;
  • Certification requirements should achieve a balance between documenting performance and the cost, in both time and money, of doing so;
  • Financial incentives, such as- a tax credits, loan guarantees, would help to level the playing field for access to capital needed for implementing energy efficiency projects and increase program attractiveness for "early adopters".

As the result of the meeting, an industry-led steering committee is being formed to further develop the framework for achieving superior energy performance.

Findings

Agenda and Attendees

Presentations