The 2016 Better Buildings Summit convened at the Washington Hilton last week, and brought together Department of Energy (DOE) experts, Better Buildings, Better Plants program and Challenge partners, and stakeholders to discuss future opportunities for greater efficiency in America’s factories, homes and buildings. Attendees benefited by learning first-hand from other organizations what energy efficiency strategies are proving most successful for reducing their energy use. Speakers from the commercial, industrial, public, and multifamily sectors were also invited to share how they draw on energy efficiency technologies, business practices, and partnerships to save money on utility bills, create new jobs, and improve their organization’s competitiveness.

Dr. Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at DOE, opened with remarks and a message to listeners on how to “Move our Nation Forward, Faster” on energy efficiency. She touched on local, national, and global benefits of energy efficiency, the importance of leadership to “bust barriers”, DOE energy efficiency goals and the progress of the Better Buildings program since launching five years ago.

DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) leads the Better Plants program, which is part of DOE’s Better Buildings Initiative. Better Plants focuses on energy efficiency in manufacturing and industrial-scale organizations. As part of the 3-day summit, AMO hosted several events for Better Plants partners, including:

  • The Better Plants Technology Transfer Lunch – A networking opportunity that allowed AMO experts across nine subject areas to share research and development partnership opportunities with manufacturers.
  • AMO Armchair Discussion – An informative dialogue on market and energy trends impacting manufacturers between AMO Director Dr. Mark Johnson and Neal Elliott, Senior Director for Research at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
  • Better Plants Awards Ceremony – An awards ceremony to recognize new Better Plants and Better Plants Challenge partners, goal achievers, and Superior Energy Performance (SEP) certified facilities.
  • Seminar Series – The “Leading Technical Solutions for Energy Systems” seminar series focused on compressed air, steam, pumping, and process heating. The seminars were back-to-back and each lasted 30 minutes and covered the proven savings opportunities for four cross-cutting industrial systems: steam, process heating, pumping and compressed air.

Better Plants partners currently represent 175 industrial organizations and more than 11.4% of the total U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, and that number is continuing to grow. That growth is demonstrated in some greats successes achieved over the last 12 months.

  • 26 new partners have joined Better Plants
  • 18 manufacturing plants were certified to DOE’s Superior Energy Performance Program (SEP), including seven from Schneider Electric, seven from 3M, and one each from Nissan, Bridgestone, Cummins, and Detroit Diesel
  • Five Better Plants partners have met their 25% energy-savings goals: Sherwin-Williams, Kingspan, Graphic Packaging, Expera, and Ingevity

And our growth trajectory continues. Better Plants is now focusing on the importance of the water-energy nexus and is expanding into the water and wastewater treatment sector. Since 2014, 19 water and wastewater treatment agencies have joined Better Plants, including six as Challenge partners. Also, six agencies are seeking SEP certification in a pilot cohort for SEP. In addition, industrial partners of Better Plants are participating in the Better Buildings Challenge’s new Water Savings Initiative to help manufacturers develop corporate water management strategies. Better Plants is also targeting industrial and wastewater partners as markets for the introduction of combined heat and power (CHP) systems. We aim to constantly improve the experience for partners. New training opportunities and improved energy system assessment tools are constantly being developed. Also look for a new online eGuide tool for energy management that will be available in the fall of 2016.

To join Better Plants program and reduce energy efficiency in the U.S., visit the Better Plants website.

Also check out the Better Buildings Solutions Center. DOE now offers more than 400 solutions including strategies, tips, and best-practice models.