Recently in Industrial Sector Category

The number of commercial and industrial organizations joining ENERGY STAR almost tripled in 2008, accounting for more than 2,000,000,000 (2 billion!) new committed square feet. By the end of 2008, there were more than 2,400 organizations that have committed to adopt continuous energy management practices.

Partnerships between EPA and organizations such as the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest industrial trade association in the U.S., have signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) to work together to improve the energy efficiency of their sectors of the U.S. economy.  NAM helps  educate U.S. manufacturers that they CAN and SHOULD  strategically manage energy in their operations.  The savings make this a win-win message and contributes significantly to the total reduction of energy use in the U.S.

If you would like to partner with EPA to improve your energy efficiency, visit: www.energystar.gov/joinbuildings

Buildings earn the ENERGY STAR by achieving a score of 75 or higher on EPA's energy performance rating system and meeting relevant requirements for indoor air quality.


More than 6,200 top performing buildings earned the ENERGY STAR rating through 2008 for being energy all-stars. Total labeled floor space topped over 1 billion square feet for the first time, an increase of more than 55% over 2007.

Industrial Sector:  45 plants have also qualified for the ENERGY STAR since that recognition became available in 2006. They include

• 15 auto assembly plants,
• 19 cement plants,
• 3 wet corn milling plants, and
• 8 oil refineries.

According to Energy Star calculations, the 2008 achievements in Energy Star labeled buildings and plants reflected an overall annual utility savings of more than $1.7 billion and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 2 million cars a year.

Ten major industries participate in Energy Star's Industrial Focuses to pool ideas and work toward energy efficiency improvements.

Industrial Focuses provide an opportunity for companies within each single manufacturing industry to network with peers and share industry-specific energy management tools and resources.

The goal of each industrial focus is to:

• Improve energy efficiency of the industry
• Create momentum for continued improvement
• Provide energy guides to uncover energy efficiency opportunities
• Encourage sharing of ideas
• Develop an energy performance indicator to evaluate the energy efficiency of their plants relative to the typical efficiency levels of their industry and to recognize the high performers with the ENERGY STAR label.

Industries that participate in Energy Star's Industrial Focus programs include:

• Cement Manufacturing
• Corn Refining
• Food Processing
• Glass Manufacturing
• Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
• Petrochemical Manufacturing
• Petroleum Industry
• Pharmaceuticals
• Pulp & Paper
• Steel

EPA's online tool Portfolio Manager enables building owners and managers to rate their individual commercial buildings on a scale of 1 to 100 against similar buildings, track energy performance over time, and target investments in energy efficiency.

States and local government agencies, professional associations, and vendors offer training, expertise, and networking opportunities to make benchmarking buildings easier for their constituents, and they are tapping into ENERGY STAR to accomplish this task.

This partnership has resulted in continued growth across the country, reflecting a 50%  increase in rated floor space from over 7.5 billion square feet in 2007 to more than 11.5 billion square feet in 2008.

Regular Assessment Becoming SOP
 
About 60% of this space is being repeatedly rated for its energy use, which indicates that regular assessment is becoming a standard practice for many.

Benchmarking By Building Type

EPA's energy performance rating system is now available for 11 specific building space types that account for around 60% of the carbon emissions resulting from commercial buildings.

• Offices
• K-12 Schools
• Retail Stores
• Hospitals
• Hotels / Motels
• Supermarkets / Grocery Stores
• Banks / Financial Institutions
• Warehouses
• Medical Offices
• Courthouses
• Residence Halls / Dormitories

By building type, offices and schools experienced the largest increases in benchmarking in 2008. Offices close to doubled the number and floor space rated; rated schools increased by almost 80% with floor space almost doubling.