LibGuides: Pollution Prevention 101: Energy use & efficiency

Getting started

These sources include information related to all aspects of energy, from conservation and energy management to renewables.They're always a good place to start.

50001 Ready Program
The U.S. Department of Energy's 50001 Ready program recognizes facilities and organizations that attest to the implementation of an ISO 50001-based energy management system. The program is a self-paced, no-cost way for organizations to build a culture of structured energy improvement that leads to deeper and sustained savings that does not require any external audits or certifications. 50001 Ready partners with utilities and other organizations that support and facilitate the implementation of 50001 Ready energy management systems.
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Industry Program
ACEEE launched its industrial energy efficiency work in the early 1990s with a focus on advancing equipment efficiency, particularly for motors. It explored how utility energy efficiency programs could reduce industrial energy use. To hone policy outreach, it began building partnerships across trade associations, industry, and labor organizations.
Consortium for Energy Efficiency Strategic Energy Management Minimum Elements
The CEESM Strategic Energy Management (SEM) Minimum Elements describe, from the energy efficiency program perspective, the minimum conditions that a company or facility should have in place to effectively and continuously improve their energy performance. The Minimum Elements do not describe efficiency program strategies or delivery approaches; these are detailed in the CEE SEM Program Case Studies. SEM has been effectively applied to many types of organizations and end uses; these Minimum Elements refer to the application of SEM to businesses.
Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
Comprehensive database of state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. Excellent resource for locating funding for energy efficiency projects.

Energy Management and Conservation Handbook by Frank Kreith (Editor); D. Yogi Goswami (Editor)
ISBN: 9781466585171

Publication Date: 2016-10-03

This handbook includes chapters from leading experts on the economics and fiscal management of energy, with a focus on the tools available to advance efficiency and conservation measures. Updated coverage of renewable energy sources, energy storage technologies, energy audits for buildings and building systems, and demand-side management is provided. The appendix of the handbook provides extensive data resources for analysis and calculation.

EnergyStar Product Specifications & Partner Commitments
One of the main goals of the ENERGY STAR program is to develop performance-based specifications that determine the most efficient products in a particular category. Products that meet these specifications earn the ENERGY STAR label. Includes certification standards.
ENERGY STAR Building Upgrade Manual
The ENERGY STAR Building Upgrade Manual is a practical guide that helps you plan and achieve profitable improvements to your building.
Energy Star > Industries in Focus
Includes sector specific information for the following: Aluminum casting; Cement manufacturing; Corn refining; Dairy processing; Fertilizer manufacturing; Food processing; Glass manufacturing; Iron and steel manufacturing; Metalcasting; Motor vehicle manufacturing; Petrochemical manufacturing; Petroleum refining; Pharmaceutical manufacturing; Printing; Pulp and paper manufacturing; and Ready mix concrete manufacturing.
Energy STAR Industrial Energy Management
Manufacturing is energy intensive. Most manufacturers can improve energy efficiency by managing energy as a controllable cost and focusing on continuous improvement. Here's where you find information for energy management in industrial facilities.
Facility Decarbonization Playbook
The focus of the Facility Decarbonization Playbook is on providing guidance to less mature facilities to accelerate the journey from negative to positive impacts with regards to emissions. Because facility decarbonization needs to occur locally, this publication offers foundational information to spur local efforts and is considered hugely informative to other sectors that might be lagging. It focuses on four pillars: reduction, elimination, capture, and compensation.
Federal Energy Management Program
This program assists federal agencies with using energy wisely. Includes information on purchasing energy efficient products, deploying renewable energy technologies, identifying funding opportunities, and inventorying and managing greenhouse gases. Although federal agencies are the target audience, these resources will also be useful to companies.

Green Facilities Handbook by Eric Woodroof
ISBN: 9788770222754

Publication Date: 2020-12-17

Meeting a need in the marketplace for information on how to operate a sustainable facility and reduce carbon emissions, the Green Facilities Handbook clearly explains why green business is good business and delineates practical strategies to green your operations in energy and management.

Greening Work Styles: Analysis of Energy Behavior Programs in the Workplace
This report focuses on energy behavior programs in the workplace, which aim to reduce building energy use through change in employees’ attitudes and behaviors.
Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS)
The Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. manufacturing establishment, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. MECS is currently conducted on a quadrennial basis.
OSTI.gov
OSTI.gov is the primary search tool for DOE science, technology, and engineering research and development results and the organizational hub for information about the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
OurEnergyLibrary
The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations.
Saving Energy: A QuickStart Guide for Small to Medium Manufacturers
The QuickStart Guide is an introduction to energy efficiency for small and medium manufacturers and connects readers to the tools and resources available from DOE to help them drive energy savings and sustain their progress.
U.S. DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office
Manufacturers use these resources to reduce energy costs and chart a path to continuous improvement in energy efficiency and performance.
U.S. DOE Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Resource Library
Database of reports and publications from the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and its predecessor, the Advanced Manufacturing Office. AMMTO releases a variety of reports and publications to describe the results of its research and development, summarize data collected, and educate the public about the state of advanced manufacturing and domestic supply chains.
U.S. DOE Better Buildings Solutions Center
Better Buildings is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) designed to improve the lives of the American people by driving leadership in energy innovation. Through Better Buildings, DOE partners with leaders in the public and private sectors to make the nation’s homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants more energy-efficient by accelerating investment and sharing successful best practices.
U.S. DOE Better Buildings Webinar Series
The Better Buildings Webinar Series takes on the most pressing topics facing energy professionals, with new experts leading the conversations on proven best practices, cost-effective strategies, and innovative new ways to approach sustainability and energy performance.
U.S. DOE Industrial Technologies Office Technical Publications by System
Technical Publications are available for Steam, Process Heating, Compressed Air, Motor, Pump, Fan, and Plant Wide. These publications include Sourcebooks, Handbooks, Market Assessments, and other technical documents. Technical publications are also available for Combined Heat & Power.
U.S. DOE Industrial Technologies Office Tip Sheets by System
Two-page tip sheets give engineers and equipment operators advice to quickly make improvements. Learn how to determine air-fuel ratios for burners, evaluate adjustable speed drive efficiency, inspect and repair steam traps, benchmark fuel costs, and handle other system efficiency issues. Available for pump, steam, motor, compressed air, process heating, and plant wide systems.
U.S. DOE Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Analysis Training
The Industrial Technologies Office (ITO), alongside the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, has created a repository of resources for assessing emerging technologies on the basis of their potential cost and impact in the commercial marketplace. These resources—including short training videos, tools, and examples—can help users understand impact drivers and quantify the impact potential of a new technology compared to technologies currently available in the marketplace.
U.S. DOE Technical Assistance and Workforce Development
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) provides technical assistance and develops partnerships with industry to upskill workers and promote better energy management practices. The office’s efforts focus specifically on increasing the adoption of energy efficient practices, energy management programs, and water and waste reduction strategies across the industrial sector.

E3: Economy, Energy and Environment

U.S. EPA E3 Home Page
E3: Economy, Energy and Environment is a federal technical assistance framework helping communities, manufacturers and manufacturing supply chains adapt and thrive in today's green economy. EPA and five other federal agencies have pooled their resources to support small and medium-sized manufacturers with customized assessments. E3 is helping communities across the country reduce pollution and energy use while increasing profits and creating new job opportunities.
Community How-to Guide
The Community How-to Guide is intended to help companies, local government agencies, and community organizations team up to implement E3. While this guide gives a general overview of the process, E3 can be customized to meet the needs of each community and its manufacturers.
Manufacturer How-To Guide
The Manufacturer How-To Guide is intended to help small or medium-sized manufacturers navigate the assessment process. While this guide gives a general overview of what a manufacturer can expect, an assessment team can completely customize the process to meet individual manufacturers' needs.
How-To Guides To Assemble Your E3 Team
Interested in expanding your sustainability efforts through the E3 framework? Our "How-To Guides" lead communities and manufacturers through the process of assembling your E3 team and preparing for an E3 assessment, the heart of the E3 effort. The community, manufacturer, and supply-chain guides offer key steps, resources, and strategies to implement your E3 project.
E3 Supply Chain How-To Guide
The Supply Chain How-To Guide presents large manufacturers with key steps for initiating a project for their supply chain, including resources for recruiting suppliers and recognizing supplier achievements.
About E3's Green Suppliers Network
Part of the E3 framework, Green Suppliers Network helps manufacturers and supply chains nationwide enhance competitiveness, reduce cost, and improve performance.

Energy assessments & audits

50001 Energy Management Systems
ISO 50001 is an energy management system standard designed to support organizations in all sectors and provide a practical way to improve energy use. The standard gives organizations a recognized framework for developing an effective energy management system. Like other ISO management system standards, it follows the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” process for continual improvement.
50001 Ready Navigator
The 50001 Ready Navigator is an online application that provides step-by-step guidance for implementing and maintaining an energy management system in conformance with the ISO 50001 Energy Management System Standard.
Establishing an Energy Management Program and Identifying Energy Savings Opportunities: A Guidebook for Small Manufacturers
This guidebook is intended to encourage manufacturers to develop a strategic plan for energy decisions, just as they would for other key business decisions. A major focus of an energy management plan is performing a self-assessment to identify energy savings opportunities.
A Guidebook for Performing Walk Through Energy Audits at Industrial Facilities
The purpose of this guide is to introduce the user, both technical and non-technical, to common opportunities that may be found in an industrial facility to reduce the electrical energy consumption.
Guide to Industrial Assessments for Pollution Prevention and Energy Efficiency
This document, published by U.S. EPA in 1999, presents an overview of industrial assessments and the general framework for conducting an assessment. It describes combined assessments for pollution prevention and energy, "industrial assessments", providing guidance to those performing assessments at industrial or other commercial facilities. In addition, basic information about waste generating industrial operations and energy consuming equipment is provided. This guide can be used by both facility personnel to conduct in-house assessments of operations and by third parties who are interested in providing industrial assessments.
Guiding Principles for Successfully Implementing Industrial Energy Assessment Recommendations
Traditionally, implementation has been viewed as a follow-up step to an energy assessment. However, a key element to achieving real results from an energy assessment—“savings in the ground”—is to view the assessment as an initial step to implementation. This can be achieved by applying the 11 "implementation principles" presented in this guidebook prior to, during, and after an energy assessment. The Appendices included in this document provide information about additional implementation resources, including a self-assessment checklist of activities for overall implementation improvement.

Handbook of Energy Audits, 8th Ed. by Thumann, Albert
ISBN: 1439821453

Publication Date: 2010

Industrial Energy Audit Guidebook: Guidelines for Conducting an Energy Audit in Industrial Facilities
This guidebook provides guidelines for energy auditors regarding the key elements for preparing for an energy audit, conducting an inventory and measuring energy use, analyzing energy bills, benchmarking, analyzing energy use patterns,opportunities, conducting cost-benefit analysis, preparing energy audit reports, and undertaking post-audit activities. The purpose of this guidebook is to assist energy auditors and engineers in the plant to conduct a well-structured and effective energy audit.
Industrial Training and Assessment Centers Case Studies
ITAC Case Studies are detailed summaries of ITAC assessment success stories involving both assessments and recommendations of significance.
ITAC Database
The Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) Database is a collection of all publicly available assessment and recommendation data. This includes information on the type of facility assessed (size, industry, energy usage, etc.) and details of resulting recommendations (type, energy & dollars savings etc.). The Database can be searched by: Assessments: Industry Type, Size, Year, Energy Costs, Products; Recommendations: Type, Savings, Cost, Implemented; Industry Type: SIC and NAICS.
Lean & Energy Toolkit
A targeted guide for using lean tools to achieve cost savings through energy savings
Managing Your Energy: An ENERGY STAR® Guide for Identifying Energy Savings in Manufacturing Plants
The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers achieve cost-effective energy reductions while maintaining product quality.
Plant Energy Profiler Excel
The Plant Energy Profiler Excel, or PEPEx, is an excel based software tool provided by the U.S. Department of Energy to help industrial plant managers in the United States identify how energy is being purchased and consumed at their plant and identify potential energy and cost savings.
Power and Energy Basics: Calculating Energy Use & Savings
Provides basic information about power and energy, along with examples of simple electricity and natural gas calculations, which are useful when trying to calculate baseline energy use.
Static Manufacturing Energy Sankey Diagrams
Static Manufacturing Energy Sankey Diagrams map energy supply, demand, and losses in the U.S. Manufacturing sector using data from the AMO Manufacturing Energy and Carbon Footprints. The Sankey diagrams visually complement the Footprints by presenting weighted energy flow lines, capturing the pathways from energy source to facility end use in succinct images, and displaying the amount of energy applied directly to an end use and the energy losses.
U.S. DOE Manufacturing Energy and Carbon Footprints (2018 MECS)
Manufacturing Energy and Carbon Footprints map the flow of energy supply, demand, and losses as well as greenhouse gas combustion emissions in diverse U.S. manufacturing industries. Based on 2018 data.

Best Practices for Compressed Air Systems by William Scales; David McCulloch
ISBN: 9780615386829

Publication Date: 2007-07-01

The manual is developed to provide the reader with the tools they need to reduce the operating costs associated with the use of air compressors and compressed air systems and to improve reliability.

Compressed Air Challenge
The Compressed Air Challenge is a voluntary collaboration of industrial users; manufacturers, distributors and their associations; consultants; state research and development agencies; energy efficiency organizations; and utilities.
Compressed Air System Audit Specifications: Minimum Elements for Compressed Air System Audits
A compressed air audit is a holistic evaluation of the performance of a compressed air system, including both the supply and demand side, with an overall goal of identifying all available energy efficiency and performance improvement opportunities. This document lists minimum audit actions for all sizes of compressed air systems. It applies to three-phase electrically-driven compressed air systems in commercial and industrial facilities.
Compressed Air Systems
Approximately 70% of all manufacturers have a compressed air system. These systems power a variety of equipment, including machine tools, material handling and separation equipment, and spray painting equipment. Compressed air is one of the most expensive uses of energy in a manufacturing plant. About 8hp of fuel is used to generate the electricity required for 1hp of compressed air, making it the least efficient and sustainable plant utility. While there are applications that require the use of compressed air, many uses of compressed air can be eliminated to save money. Calculating the cost of compressed air in your facility can help you justify system improvements that increase energy efficiency. This page offers tips for increasing your compressed air system's efficiency and decreasing costs.

Compressors: How To Achieve High Reliability & Availability by Heinz P. Bloch; Fred K. Geitner
ISBN: 0071772871

Publication Date: 2012-06-12

Energy Efficiency for Compressed Air
Developed by the NH P2 Program (2020).
Improving Compressed Air System Performance: A Sourcebook for Industry
This sourcebook is designed to provide compressed air system users with a reference that outlines opportunities for system performance improvements.
Motor Efficiency, Selection, and Management: A Guidebook for Industrial Efficiency Programs
This Guidebook is an informational resource that identifies motor-related considerations that affect the overall efficiency of motor-driven systems.
U.S. DOE Industrial Technologies Office Technical Publications by System
Technical Publications are available for Steam, Process Heating, Compressed Air, Motor, Pump, Fan, and Plant Wide. These publications include Sourcebooks, Handbooks, Market Assessments, and other technical documents. Technical publications are also available for Combined Heat & Power.
U.S. DOE Industrial Technologies Office Tip Sheets by System
Two-page tip sheets give engineers and equipment operators advice to quickly make improvements. Learn how to determine air-fuel ratios for burners, evaluate adjustable speed drive efficiency, inspect and repair steam traps, benchmark fuel costs, and handle other system efficiency issues. Available for pump, steam, motor, compressed air, process heating, and plant wide systems.

Industrial Facility Lighting Standards & Layouts: Complete Guide for 2025
Meeting industrial lighting standards isn’t just about checking boxes, it’s about creating a safer, more productive environment for your team. Whether you’re managing a warehouse, manufacturing floor, or distribution center, the right lighting helps reduce accidents, improve task accuracy, and lower long-term energy costs. When lighting supports your operations, everything runs more smoothly..
LampRecycle.org
Lighting manufacturers, through their trade association the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), maintains this web site as a one-stop source of information about recycling mercury-added “lamps” – the traditional industry terms for light bulbs.
Lighting Controls
Lighting controls can help save energy – and money – by automatically turning lights off when they're not needed, by reducing light levels when full brightness isn’t necessary, or otherwise controlling the lighting in and around your home or office. Common types of lighting controls include dimmers, motion sensors, occupancy sensors, and photosensors, and.timers. Before purchasing and using any lighting controls, it's a good idea to understand basic lighting terms and principles. Also, it helps to explore your indoor and outdoor lighting design options if you haven't already. This will help narrow your selection.

Lighting Upgrades by Damon Wood
ISBN: 9781000382549

Publication Date: 2021-01-07

This guide is designed for use by anyone who needs to understand the principles of lighting and light's impact on conservation, productivity and safety.

Procedure to Measure Indoor Lighting Energy Performance
This document provides standard definitions of performance metrics and methods to determine them for the energy performance of building interior lighting systems. It can be used for existing buildings and for proposed buildings. The primary users for whom these documents are intended are building energy analysts and technicians who design, install, and operate data acquisition systems, and who analyze and report building energy performance data. Typical results from the use of this procedure are
Recycling and Disposal of CFLs and Other Bulbs that Contain Mercury
EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local options for recycling CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury, and all other household hazardous wastes, rather than disposing of them in regular household trash.
Solid-State Lighting Solutions
Solid-state lighting (SSL) technology has the potential to reduce U.S. lighting energy use by 75% by 2035 and contribute significantly to our nation's energy security. The Federal Energy Management Program's (FEMP) SSL initiatives offers a unique opportunity for the federal sector to lead large-scale implementation efforts focused on SSL applications ripe for near-term implementation through a process that recognizes the technology's potential and challenges to adoption.

Calculators & software tools

Buildings Performance Database
Users can compare performance trends among similar buildings to identify and prioritize cost-saving energy efficiency improvements and assess the range of likely savings from these improvements. Registration required.
50001 Ready Navigator
Facilities or organizations that achieve sustained excellence using their energy management systems (EnMS) may get certified to the Superior Energy Performance 50001™ (SEP 50001™) program and achieve elevated levels of DOE recognition.
Buildings Performance Database
Users can compare performance trends among similar buildings to identify and prioritize cost-saving energy efficiency improvements and assess the range of likely savings from these improvements. Registration required.
Energy & Materials Flow and Cost Tracker (EMFACT)
EMFACT™ is a software tool designed to be used within companies for systematically tracking materials and energy use; releases, discharges, and wastes; and associated costs in ways that can create value for their business. In 2013, NEWMOA and MA OTA released the EMFACT™ source code by creating an open source site, SourceForge, to encourage interested software developers to help improve and enhance the tool and to enable companies and consultants to customize it to address their needs.
Energy Star Portfolio Manager
Guide to gathering data and setting up an account in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
ENERGY STAR Economic and Financial Calculators
Making the business case for energy efficiency-related capital expense requires economic analysis. The Building Upgrade Value and Cash Flow Opportunity Calculators will either help you get started or provide a double check against your own internal analysis.
MEASUR Calculators
The MEASUR software contains over 40 equipment and property calculators for simple energy-related calculations and analyses. These calculators can aide users in identifying, assessing, and quantifying simple energy-saving opportunities within a variety of systems, including: pump, fan, process heating, steam, motors, compressed air, and lighting systems. In addition, there are a number of general engineering calculators included to perform energy-related calculations and conversions.
U.S. DOE ITO Strategic Analysis Team Manufacturing, Materials and Life Cycle Energy Tools
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Office's (ITO) manufacturing, materials, and lifecycle energy tools use a cross-sector and prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) approach that anticipates future benefits and impacts. These tools consider at all life cycle phases (material, manufacturing, freight and distribution, use phase, and end of life) as well as evaluate the energy impacts of the U.S. supply chain.
U.S. EPA Power Profiler
Electricity is produced by many different sources of energy, including, but not limited to, wind, solar, nuclear, and fossil fuels. The type and amount of emissions produced depend on how electricity is generated in your region. Type in your zip code (or select a region) to view your power profile.
Visualizing Energy Reporting Information and Financial Implications (VERIFI)
Provides an easy-to-use dashboard for plant managers to track carbon emissions produced by industrial processes. Developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Pollution Prevention 101

On this page

Getting started

E3: Economy, Energy and Environment

Energy assessments & audits

Efficient equipment and lighting

Calculators & software tools