In June, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Washington, D.C., sent Congress a report that highlights various issues that keep industry from achieving better energy efficiency. “Barriers to Industrial Energy Efficiency” also pinpoints opportunities to address many of these factors.
The report and the study that underpins it were prepared in response to Section 7 of the American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act; it directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study, in coordination with industry and other stakeholders, of barriers to better industrial energy efficiency.
The report examines three areas that could improve industrial energy efficiency:
end-use efficiency;
demand response (i.e., changes in consumption patterns due to pricing or economic incentives); and
Protecting electrical controls and equipment within food and beverage plants presents unique challenges due to the sanitation requirements of the hygienic environment.
