About ENERGY STAR for Industrial Plants

American manufacturers have embraced ENERGY STAR to build successful energy programs, engage in and learn through its vibrant peer networks, and improve their facilities' energy performance. Hundreds of companies have deployed ENERGY STAR strategic energy management (SEM) resources, such as the Guidelines for Energy Management, to foster an organizational culture focused on continuous improvement of energy performance.

To help specific industrial sectors become more energy efficient, EPA has convened 33 “Industrial Sector Focuses” to foster collaboration and develop industry-specific tools and resources. These sectors span the U.S. economy—from cookie and cracker bakeries and pharmaceutical plants to integrated steel mills and petroleum refineries. Unique products of an Industrial Focus include a plant Energy Performance Indicator (see below) and an Energy Guide that documents effective energy efficiency measures for the sector. To date, 19 Energy Guides have been published.

Plants achieve ENERGY STAR certification and reductions

Popular ENERGY STAR tools for the industrial sector include plant Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs), which quantitatively evaluate how energy-efficient a plant is and provide companies with the information they need to make smart investment decisions. EPA provides ENERGY STAR certification for twenty types of manufacturing plants, and 95 plants earned ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy performance in 2020.

In addition, 42 industrial plants achieved energy use intensity reductions in 2020 in the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry campaign, in which industrial sites commit to reducing their energy intensity by 10% within five years. Also, 183 plants registered baseline energy use intensity with the Challenge for Industry in 2020.

Program savings

In 2019, the ENERGY STAR program for industrial plants helped businesses save 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid $2 billion in energy costs, and achieve 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions.

For additional details about ENERGY STAR achievements see ENERGY STAR Impacts.

Spotlight On:  Nissan’s Smyrna Assembly Plant

Nissan North America’s Smyrna, Tennesse automobile assembly plant is over 6 million square feet and produces over 600,000 vehicles annually, making it one of the largest in North America. The plant contains two assembly lines that produce cars, SUVs, and electric vehicles.

Nissan’s involvement with ENERGY STAR began with the Motor Vehicle Industrial Sector Focus. In 2006, the company became an ENERGY STAR Partner to demonstrate its commitment to energy management. Following ENERGY STAR guidance, Nissan established cross-functional energy management teams to identify energy performance improvement opportunities at its Smyrna Plant. Sub-metering to allow better measurement and management of plant energy loads was made an early priority. This allowed the energy team to investigate the energy use between shifts and on weekends when the plant was not running. In return, the Smyrna plant reduced energy use by almost 50% by turning off plant equipment and lighting when not needed. Nissan has continued to identify opportunities to save energy through both equipment upgrades and better operating practices.

Through these efforts, the Smyrna plant has distinguished itself as one of the most energy-efficient automobile assembly plants in the U.S. and Canada by earning ENERGY STAR certification for 13 years in a row since 2006.

For additional details about ENERGY STAR achievements see ENERGY STAR Impacts. For ENERGY STAR facts and figures broken down geographically by state, see ENERGY STAR State Fact Sheets. For achievements by ENERGY STAR Award Winners, see the ENERGY STAR Award Winners Page.