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What are the motives for managing energy in today’s lean competitive environment? (Hint: It’s not all about fuel bills.) Industry’s motives and rewards for managing their energy include plant reliability, speed, flexibility, product quality, and greater capacity to generate revenue. |
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Take advantage of these articles about the practice of energy management. Click on the titles below to download the full articles in PDF format. |
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One of industry’s biggest—and most misunderstood—business opportunities is the recovery of income lost to energy waste. A conservative estimate claims that 31 percent of industry’s purchased energy is lost in combustion, distribution, and energy conversion activities. With 2004 fuel prices of about $7 per MMBtu, those losses equated to over $38 billion. |
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Trying to manage energy without a blueprint—or in effect, a business plan—will yield results that at best fall short of expectations. At worst, it can interfere with the facility’s core mission. Energy assessments serve as the crucial blueprint to successfully controlling energy costs. |
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There’s an old witticism that goes like this: if the only tool you have is a hammer, then you spend all your time looking for nails. All too often, that kind of thinking colors industry’s approach to energy management. |
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Energy efficiency in the form of behaviors, procedures, and applied technologies represent the balance of savings potential. An energy management plan—like any good savings plan—organizes these elements to build wealth. |
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The most durable barrier may simply be an organization’s business culture. Growth-oriented projects are favored over expense-reduction initiatives. Decision-makers that dismiss energy efficiency overlook opportunities to grow revenue through the redirection of energy waste to more productive purposes. |
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