Energy Savings in Industrial Buildings

Abstract

The industrial sector accounts for more than one-third of total energy use in the United States and emits 28.7 percent of the country’s greenhouse gases. Energy use in the industrial sector is largely for steam and process heating systems, and electricity for equipment such as pumps, air compressors, and fans. Lesser, yet significant, amounts of energy are used for industrial buildings – heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting and facility use (such as office equipment). Due to economic growth, energy consumption in the industrial sector will continue to increase gradually, as will energy use in industrial buildings. There is a large potential for energy saving and carbon intensity reduction by improving HVAC, lighting, and other aspects of building operation and technologies. Analyses show that most of the technologies and measures to save energy in buildings would be cost-effective with attractive rates of return. First, this paper will investigate energy performance in buildings within the manufacturing sector, as classified in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Energy use patterns for HVAC and lighting in industrial buildings vary dramatically across different manufacturing sectors. For example, food manufacturing uses more electricity for HVAC than does apparel manufacturing because of the different energy demand patterns. Energy saving opportunities and potential from industrial buildings will also be identified and evaluated. Lastly, barriers for deployment of energy savings technologies will be explored along with recommendations for policies to promote energy efficiency in industrial buildings.