September 6, 2006—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the first-ever energy efficiency ratings for corn refineries and cement plants. EPA says the ratings will enable those industries to cut energy usage, save money, and prevent greenhouse gases.
The plant Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs), part of a national energy performance rating system, are reportedly the first of their kind for these manufacturing facilities. They provide critical information for driving energy savings by enabling the comparison of energy efficiency for a specific facility in the US to that of the entire industry.
According to EPA, US cement manufacturers and corn refiners spend more than $2 billion annually for 626 trillion BTUs of energy. If energy use for both of these industries were reduced by 3%, the energy saved could reportedly produce electricity for 187,000 households—preventing the emissions of more than 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.
For more information about the Plant Energy Performance Indicators, visit EPA’s Energy Star site.
