The U. S. Department of Energy is accepting applications for a third round of 250 Save Energy Now targeted energy assessments in 2008.

Save Energy Now - the industrial portion of DOE's Easy Ways To Save Energy program - was introduced during late 2005 to help reduce natural gas consumption and stabilize market prices and supply. Over 450 industrial operations will have received assessments through 2007.

Companies can apply for a 2008 assessment online.

Save Energy Now provides support for large industrial operations. Program participation requires facility-wide energy consumption to approach or exceed 0.3 trillion Btu (300,000,000,000Btu) annually. Applicants select the energy system to be assessed. Options include process heating, compressed air, steam, motor, pump, or fan systems.

Eligible businesses can receive one free assessment. Cost-sharing is required for companies requesting additional assessment support. Requests from ineligible industrial operations will be automatically referred to the Industrial Assessment Center nearest the applicant's location. DOE's 26 university-based IAC's provide no cost full-facility energy assessments for mid-sized manufacturers nationwide.

Businesses that participate in the assessment program report energy savings between 10 and 15 percent within the assessed system. Perhaps a more valuable benefit, the assessment process focuses on training plant staff to apply DOE's Industrial Technology Program software tools to similar plant systems or in sister operations. This facet of the program provides opportunities to enhance energy savings several times over.

Results from 200 industrial assessments conducted in 2006 include energy saving recommendations exceeding $500 million in annual cost savings. Individual industries, on average, received recommendations for savings exceeding $2 million or nearly 250 billion Btu per year. Implemented savings from 265 completed assessments to date totals $75 million with another $180 million in energy savings planned or under construction.

DOE's Save Energy Now webpage provides a full report on 2006 assessment results. All industries assessed in 2006 are listed as well as public summary reports for each assessment. Webpage links provide direct access to DOE's Industrial Technology Program Best Practices resources.

9/28/2007