How Certified Plants Achieve Efficiency
It take more than just projects to become a leader in energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR certified plants have achieved top performance in industrial efficiency by actively managing energy to continuously improve. Get started with ENERGY STAR to create or enhance energy management in your organization.
Below is just a small sample of specific efficiency activities these plants have implemented:
Operations and Maintenance
- Nissan North America’s Canton, Miss., vehicle assembly plant formed a team to track compressed air leaks, leading to an annual reduction of approximately 1,700 cubic feet per minute of compressed air. The company’s Decherd, Tenn., powertrain assembly plant created scorecards to benchmark the shutdown performance of facilities, assigned countermeasures to shops not meeting targets, and provided recognition to top performers.
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Anacortes, Wash., refinery reduced steam trap failures by more than 20% by equipping operators with handheld trap-testing devices to instantly identify leaks. The St. Paul Park, Minn., refinery completed a three-year effort to reinforce insulation across the entire site, cutting carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by close to 16,000 metric tons per year.
- Koch Fertilizer’s Beatrice, Neb., fertilizer plant reduced steam use and the number of continuously running pumps, while the Enid, Okla., plant improved steam utilization and implemented advanced process controls.
Heat Recovery/Combined Heat and Power
- Astra Zeneca’s Newark, Del., pharmaceutical plant installed a heat recovery system that reduced natural gas usage by approximately 20% and a heat exchanger that provides free chilled water during winter months.
- General Motors’ Fort Wayne, Ind., auto assembly plant recovered waste heat from the engine jackets and exhausts ducts of its landfill gas cogeneration units, reducing the plant’s winter natural gas consumption.
- Primient’s Loudon, Tenn., and Lafayette, Ind., wet corn mills reduced their CO2e emissions by installing and optimizing combined heat and power systems.
- Flowers Baking Co. of Henderson implemented a waste heat recovery project, to heat ingredient tanks, pipe jackets, proof boxes, hot ingredient water, and even the water that washes baskets used in the production process. Flowers Baking Company of Batesville also implemented waste heat recovery, among other energy efficiency projects.
Automation
- Ash Grove's Seattle, Wash., cement plant automated the support equipment in their grinding mills to cease operation when the mills do.
- Bimbo Bakeries USA installed advanced controls and high-efficiency burners in ovens, oxidizers, and boilers and expanded investments in metering systems, enabling real-time monitoring and control of energy usage.
Lighting
- General Motors’ Flint, Mich., assembly plant updated more than 90% of its lighting, installed LEDs with motion sensors to decrease light levels after a period of inactivity, and continued to focus on reducing energy during non-production periods.
- Nissan North America, Inc., replaced more than 20,000 light fixtures with LEDs across all U.S. manufacturing sites and conducted a combination of energy treasure hunts and third-party assessments targeting energy efficiency.
- Ardagh’s Houston, Texas, container glass facility operated a highly efficient furnace, used recycled glass, and installed energy-efficient lighting fixtures, among other initiatives.
Investments in Technology and Product Design
- Titan America’s Troutville, Va., and Medley, Fla., cement plants have completely converted production to Portland Limestone (Type IL) cement, with up to 15% less embodied carbon than standard Portland Cement, while respectively achieving a 12% reduction in electricity use and 18% reduction in CO2 since 2015 from improved energy management.
- Cemex’s Miami, Fla., cement plant increased its energy performance in 2022 by modifying a finish mill, optimizing the ball charge on the largest mill, and identifying and correcting potential energy losses while also increasing the production of Portland Limestone (Type IL) cement.
- Lynchburg Organic Baking Co. installed advanced energy efficiency technologies during its upgrade to an all-organic bakery in 2020, including high-efficiency ovens, an energy-efficient air compressor, and a new HVAC system with variable frequency drives (VFDs), resulting in a 22% annual energy reduction.
- Ash Grove’s Seattle, Wash., cement plant saved energy by increasing the amount of limestone in its Portland Limestone cement, thereby reducing energy needed for clinker production, and improving equipment automation.
- J.R. Simplot Company’s Helm, Calif., nitrogenous fertilizer plant commissioned an on-site, one-megawatt solar photovoltaic project, reducing source energy consumption and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.
- GCC’s Rapid City, S.D., cement plant upgraded its preheater and improved kiln combustion efficiency. This plant and GCC’s Pueblo, Colo., cement plant integrated alternative fuels, lowering carbon dioxide emissions while maintaining high levels of energy efficiency.
Also watch this pre-recorded webinar series to get an inside look at how ENERGY STAR certified plants, the most energy-efficient manufacturing plants in the nation, have achieved top performance.
Webinar 1: Cement and Glass
While there are no volcanoes in Arizona or New Jersey, the plants featured in this webinar need to reach temperatures as hot as lava to make their products. Learn how they stay efficient both on the thermal and electrical sides of their facilities. This webinar featured:
- CalPortland’s Rillito, Arizona cement plant
- Ardagh Glass’s Bridgeton, New Jersey container glass plant
Webinar 2: Paper and Petroleum
Achieving top performance is more than just installing energy-efficient equipment. It involves actively managing operations and engaging staff. See how these two plants have made investments in equipment and energy management to reach top performance.
- Georgia Pacific’s Brewton, Alabama containerboard mill
- Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Robinson, Illinois Refinery
Webinar 3: Cars and French Fries
Cars and French Fries are two of the most common products found in the U.S. But did you know that Frozen Fried Potato Processing Plants are one the most energy intensive plant types within the food processing sector? Or that assembly plants are most energy intensive plant-type within the motor vehicle manufacturing sector?
Join this third webinar in the America’s Most Energy-Efficient Plants series to learn what makes these plants energy intensive and why energy efficiency is a key strategy for both cost savings and decarbonization. This webinar will feature two ENERGY STAR certified plants from the food and automotive sectors are leading the pack in energy efficiency among their peers:
- Lamb Weston’s Park Rapids, MN frozen fried potato processing plant
- Nissan’s Smyrna, TN automobile assembly plant