Getting Started with ENERGY STAR

Many manufacturers are looking to save money and become more energy-efficient but don’t know where to begin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) voluntary ENERGY STAR® program website is a good place to start.

According to the EPA, most organizations can save 2 to 10 percent annually through better energy management. It also says that the most energy-efficient buildings in the U.S. that are ENERGY-STAR certified use 35 percent less energy than typical buildings. Companies looking to cut energy costs can take a look at the ENERGY STAR for buildings and plants website or its industrial energy management website.

Established in 1992, the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program is designed to help businesses and individuals to save money and reduce energy usage. For industrial sites to be ENERGY STAR-certified, a professional engineer must verify that the information used to calculate a plant’s energy performance is correct. It also must satisfy an EPA environmental compliance screen. For commercial buildings to be certified, verification of a portfolio manager is carried out by a licensed professional engineer or registered architect. Both industrial sites and commercial buildings must achieve an energy score of 75 or higher.

Building and plants. The buildings and plants website provides information on building an energy program, improving energy performance, earning recognition, benchmarking energy use, learning about programs and policies, and communicating and educating employees and customers.

Visitors to the site will find a continuous-improvement road map using the following steps: make a plan, assess performance and set goals, create an action plan, implement the plan, evaluate progress, recognize achievements, and do it all over again starting from performance assessment.

The EPA has provided calculators to help companies to make financial decisions: the cash flow opportunity calculator addresses the common argument that there is no money in the budget to address energy efficiency, the financial value calculator is for corporate real estate, and the building upgrade value calculator is for commercial real estate.

The site also explains how to benchmark against peers and provides benchmarking tools for industrial plants as well as commercial buildings and commercial building design.

Industrial energy management. Like the buildings and plants site, the industrial energy management site provides guidance on building an energy program; measuring, tracking, and benchmarking; improving energy performance; and earning recognition.

It also makes the business case that improving energy usage saves money for the business and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It offers tips on how to build a business case for upper management and determine the financial value of improved energy management and explains the risks and opportunities associated with better energy management. It also provides examples of successful energy management programs, including those of 3M, GM, Toyota, and Boeing.

Finally, it provides tools and other resources such as how to communicate meaningfully about energy efficiency and how to comply with certain EPA regulations such as boiler rules and GHG emissions. The industrial energy management information center contains resources for industrial energy managers, external resources for program support, industry-specific resources, and process and plant utility improvement resources.

Hear Walt Tunnessen CEM, National Program Manager, ENERGY STAR, speak about the Top 10 Energy Savings Opportunities for Manufacturers in a Sustainable Manufacturer Network webinar March 6 from 12:15 – 1 p.m. CST