Energy efficiency programmes not reaching industrial sector, says report

clipped from www.energyefficiencynews.com Potential energy savings from US industrial sector have remained largely untapped by energy efficiency programmes, according to a new report. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) says the industrial sector, which currently consumes nearly a third of the nation’s energy, could represent a source of low-cost savings. Although there are long-standing energy efficiency programmes in the US and Canada, the ACEEE says these efforts have not maximised savings in the sector, which may require a different approach. The report, Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs: Identifying Today’s Leaders and Tomorrow’s Needs, points towards ‘self-direct’ programmes as a promising initiative. Self-direct programmes allow large industrial companies to use public benefit funds to make energy efficiency investments in their facilities. The facilities then have to meet energy saving targets set by the programme administrators.