Manufacturing key industry for energy efficiency programs
Fierce Energy, January 15, 2014The manufacturing sector, which accounts for about one-third of the energy consumed in the United States, is increasingly relying on generating energy savings to meet efficiency targets set by states and energy utilities, and more energy efficiency programs are beginning to address the needs facing small to medium-sized manufacturers (SMM), according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
SMM make up about 90 percent of manufacturing establishments and use about 50 percent of the energy consumed by industry, according to ACEEE. Despite using less energy at a given facility than their larger counterparts, SMM are good targets for energy efficiency programs. Not only do they pay higher prices for energy and are less likely to have dedicated onsite energy managers, but smaller energy savings projects tend to save a higher percentage of total consumption.