Industrial Productivity Assessment Or One of the Best Ways to Save Energy is to Find Ways to Produce More Product!

Abstract

The success of an energy program is often judged by measuring the change in energy consumption over time. It can be argued that a more valid method would measure the change in energy consumption per pound (or other unit) of product since this takes into account changes in production output. If one accepts this method, the author's experience indicates that the most straightforward way to improve energy consumption per pound of product is to increase the number of pounds produced. Further, this approach will be better received by production personnel and upper management than will a more orthodox energy program. The author points out this approach has advantages for both manufacturers and utility providers making it a natural area of partnership. This paper also discusses how to implement this approach and some of the lessons already learned.