Energy Matters

U.S. Department of Energy, Industrial Technologies Program

In This Issue

Feature

Owens Corning Achieves 

Significant Energy Savings 1

Success in Industry 

Bentley Prince Street 3

Johnson Controls 4

States & Utilities Corner

Regional Utility Workshop 4

Tools of the Trade

Steam System Tool Suite 6 

Research & Development

New Aluminum 

Forging Technique 7

Implementation

Monthly Webinar Series 9

Implementation Workshop: 

Developing Guidebook 9

Ask the Energy Expert

Mannington Mills Tackles

Sub-Metering Issues 10

International 12

Funding Resources 12

Training Opportunities 13

Look for Us... 14

Program Contacts 14

Fall 2010, Vol. 2, Iss. 1

Feature

DOE Tools Help Owens Corning 

Achieve Significant Energy Savings 

Throughout Its Operations 

Through a combination of technical assistance, tools, and training provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), 

Owens Corning has achieved significant energy savings across its operations. Energy 

efficiency measures implemented at its Santa Clara, California, plant alone have resulted 

in significant annual savings—and the company did not stop there. Owens Corning took 

the knowledge and know-how acquired through its work with ITP and pursued energy 

efficiency projects on its own. Using DOE software tools, the company conducted 

a plant-wide energy assessment at one of its fiberglass insulation facilities, which 

identified energy-savings opportunities that, when fully implemented, will reduce the 

plant’s total energy intensity by 12%. 

Background

Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning is a leading global producer of 

residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements, and 

engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500 Company for 56 consecutive 

years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, 

transforming markets, and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a 

market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $4.8 billion in 2009 and 

about 16,000 employees in 28 countries on 5 continents.

Owens Corning is a company that takes its commitment to energy efficiency very 

seriously. Each of the company’s manufacturing facilities has an appointed “energy 

leader” who is responsible for the efficiency of the plant’s process operations. Energy 

leaders collaborate with their counterparts at other plants to share ideas and best 

practices for saving energy and deploying new tools and methodologies to reduce energy 

use, as well as work closely with local utilities and vendors to implement energy-savings 

ideas.

Since 2007, Owens Corning has worked closely with DOE in its drive to improve 

efficiency. The partnership has proved to be incredibly successful and mutually 

beneficial. The company has taken full advantage of the technical assistance, expertise, 
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

2

and tools offered by ITP to achieve significant savings. A prime 

example of Owens Corning’s energy efficiency efforts is its Santa 

Clara, California, plant. 

Achieving Significant Savings 

in Santa Clara, California

Built in 1949, the Owens Corning Santa Clara, California, 

facility was the first industrial plant in the United States designed 

specifically to manufacture insulation. Today, the plant employs 

300 people and produces approximately 250 million pounds of 

insulation annually. Because the plant is served by two large 

electric furnaces, electricity consumption is significant. The Santa 

Clara plant is also served by several pumping and fan systems, as 

well as two compressed air systems. Improving the efficiency of 

such systems, of which Owens Corning has many, can generate 

noteworthy energy-savings opportunities.

In 2007, a DOE Energy Expert performed an energy assessment 

on the Santa Clara plant’s pumping systems. The Energy Expert 

used DOE’s Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT) to 

identify several opportunities for reducing pumping system 

energy use, including consistent operation of the most efficient 

pumps, retrofitting inefficient pumps, replacing valves, and 

installing variable speed drives. The combined annual energy 

savings for pump-related improvements was estimated at 

more than $100,000. Subsequently, additional assessments 

were conducted on the plant’s compressed air and fan systems 

using the respective DOE software tools—the Fan System 

Assessment Tool (FSAT) and AIRMaster+. The assessments 

led to the implementation of several energy efficient upgrades, 

including the installation of variable frequency drives on fans and 

upgrading to a larger compressor.

Initially, some of the recommendations that were identified 

during the assessments were too costly to qualify for immediate 

project financing—the implementation costs were too high to 

meet the company’s established 3-year return on investment 

requirement. However, financial incentives provided by local 

utility company, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), enabled Owens 

Corning to pursue energy-saving measures that were generated 

from the assessments. SVP leveraged its Customer Directed 

Rebate program, awarding the Santa Clara facility approximately 

$250,000 in rebates.

The recommendations implemented at the Santa Clara 

plant resulted in aggregate annual energy cost savings of 

about $250,000. With $250,000 in incentives from SVP and 

implementation costs, the Santa Clara projects yielded a 1.3-year 

simple payback period.

Applying a Successful Methodology

Large industrial companies, like Owens Corning, often have 

multiple facilities that manufacture the same product. These 

similar facilities provide an excellent opportunity to replicate 

ITP’s model for identifying and pursuing energy-savings 

opportunities. Since receiving its initial energy assessment 

in 2007, Owens Corning has applied the technical expertise, 

tools, and training provided by ITP to pursue additional energy 

efficiency efforts on its own, without direct assistance from DOE. 

In 2009, the company conducted a plant-wide energy assessment 

at one of its fiberglass insulation plants. Plant personnel evaluated 

the facility’s fan, pumping, compressed air, and process heating 

systems using DOE software tools—FSAT, PSAT, AirMaster+, 

and the Process Heating Assessment Tool. The assessment 

resulted in a number of identified improvement opportunities that, 

when fully implemented, will result in a 12% reduction in the 

plant’s total energy use.

Conclusion

The sustainability projects across Owens Corning’s operations 

have yielded valuable findings related to energy efficiency project 

planning and implementation, and have allowed the company 

to achieve substantial energy and cost savings. Leveraging the 

technical assistance, tools, and resources supplied by ITP not 

only helped Owens Corning identify efficiency improvement 

opportunities, but also provided the company with the technical 

expertise and know-how to replicate similar projects without 

direct support from DOE. The success Owens Corning has 

achieved on its own serves as an encouraging example for other 

energy-conscience companies looking to become more efficient. 
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

3

Success in Industry

Bentley Prince Street:

On a Sustainability “Mission”

As the largest commercial carpet manufacturer in California, Bentley Prince Street produces and ships more than four 

million yards of carpet each year at its 280,000-square-foot 

facility. At its City of Industry manufacturing plant, Bentley 

Prince Street is rapidly becoming recognized for its industryleading sustainability practices, including a philosophy titled 

“Mission Zero.” 

According to Anthony Minite, president of Bentley Prince Street, 

the goal of Mission Zero is to eliminate any negative impact the 

company may have on the environment by 2020. It is also a way 

for Bentley Prince Street to influence other manufacturers to take 

action by demonstrating what the manufacturing sector can—and 

should—be doing to help the environment.

Through the company’s multi-faceted focus on sustainability 

and commitment to preserving natural resources, Bentley Prince 

Street has made measurable progress. Using a specially designed 

EcoMetrics system, the company carefully tracks data in every 

area of its operations to check progress and refine strategies.

Through strategies that encompass manufacturing processes, 

product innovations, and renewable energy use, Bentley Prince 

Street has produced some impressive numbers regarding industrial 

sustainability:

• Renewable sources provide 100% of electrical energy 

requirements

• Waste sent to landfills has been reduced by 97% since 1994

• Absolute greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 

48% since 1996

• Water use per unit has been reduced by 52% since 1994

• Energy use per unit has been reduced by 40% since 1994

• Nitrogen oxide has been reduced by 66% since 1996.

Bentley Prince Street is committed to sustainable commerce and 

innovations to integrate style and function with environmental 

practices. With the carpet industry’s most comprehensive vertical 

carpet manufacturing facility, the company maintains third-party 

certification to the International Organization for Standardization 

(ISO) 9001 quality management system and the ISO 14001 

environmental management system. Additionally, Bentley Prince 

Street was just accepted as a Superior Energy Performance 

(SEP) pilot plant within the California Energy Management 

Demonstration project that is being supported by the U.S. 

Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program. As a 

demonstration site, Bentley Prince Street will test the elements 

of SEP—a forthcoming American National Standards Instituteaccredited energy management certification program currently 

under development by the U.S. Council for Energy-Efficient 

Manufacturing. For more information on Energy Management 

Demonstrations, visit http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/

energymanagementdemonstrations/index.html/. 

For more information about Bentley Prince Street’s energy 

efficiency efforts, contact the company’s Sustainability Manager, 

Kim Matsoukas, LEED AP BD+C, at (626) 934-2152 or e-mail 

kimberly.matsoukas@bentleyprincestreet.com.
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

4

Johnson Controls Helps Others—

and Itself—with Energy Efficiency

For Johnson Controls of Milwaukee, Wisconsin—a company that offers products and services to dramatically improve 

energy efficiency in buildings—the commitment to sustainability 

dates back to the company’s roots in 1885 with the invention of 

the first electric room thermostat. The company focuses on its 

own environmental performance with the same discipline that 

it applies with its customers, reviewing operations and supply 

chain to identify continuous improvement opportunities to make 

products in more earth-friendly ways.

Many of the improvements at Johnson Controls have come to 

fruition by using the company’s own resources. To record, track, 

forecast, and report energy use and greenhouse gas emissions 

across its global operations, Johnson Controls uses its own 

information technology—specifically, the company’s Energy 

and Emissions Management System. At its global headquarters, 

Johnson Controls is using its new Sustainability Management 

System to integrate solar energy generation sub-systems with its 

building management system to provide real-time monitoring, 

metering, and control. 

Additionally, the company’s Energy Hunt training and continuous 

improvement drives culture change toward more efficient 

energy use and waste elimination. In 2009, 137 low- or no-cost 

projects resulted in more than $2.5 million in savings. Another 

135 projects are in progress in 2010. These projects have earned 

Johnson Controls accolades from the U.S. Department of 

Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), which recently 

bestowed an Energy Saver Award on the company for realizing 

significant energy savings after implementing recommendations 

that were identified during an ITP sponsored energy assessment. 

Johnson Controls’ Red Oak, Iowa, facility achieved the award by 

saving more than 10,100 million British thermal units, equaling 

9.9% total energy savings.

For more information about Johnson Controls and its energy 

efficiency efforts, visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.

States & Utilities Corner

Lt. Governor of Oklahoma Connects Economy 

and Energy at Regional Utility Workshop

On September 15, 2010, more than 50 government, utility, and industry groups attended the 1-day Industrial Energy 

Efficiency Programs for Utilities: A Workshop, co-sponsored 

by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies 

Program (ITP) and the American Public Power Association. The 

regional utility workshop—held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma—

showcased available tools and resources for supporting industrial 

energy efficiency and highlighted working best practice utility 

programs in the region. 

“Retaining businesses is important for 

Oklahoma. The competition to move away is 

great and we don’t want them to leave because 

of high utility costs. Utilities are an important 

partner to local communities and have an 

economic impact on the state.”

Jari Askins, Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

5

The day kicked off with a keynote speech delivered by Oklahoma 

Lieutenant Governor, Jari Askins. Her remarks centered on the 

important role utilities play in supporting economic sustainability 

and growth. This message resounded, reinforcing the sense of 

urgency for new action in the region that will not only keep 

industrial customers in utilities’ service territories, but also 

revitalize communities and save jobs. 

Utilities and industry from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and 

Texas, were represented within both the audience and the day’s 

speakers. The event served as an opportunity to inform utilities 

in the region about available federal resources. Attendees were 

provided with specific information about the technical assistance 

offered by ITP, including tools, training, utility partnership 

resources, combined heat and power opportunities, and the 

Industrial Assessment Center program. Moreover, local utilities 

had the chance to share some of their best practices. 

The workshop resulted in utility representatives offering several 

key take-away messages:

• The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) 

leverages industrial customer interest in a peak rate program 

to attract attention to the energy efficiency programs it offers. 

Drake Rice, OMPA’s director of member services, noted 

that the utility has also capitalized on American Recovery 

and Reinvestment Act funds—made available through the 

Oklahoma Department of Commerce—to offer energy 

assessments, as well as other resources to its customers.

• CPS Energy serves 60,000 commercial and industrial 

customers in the State of Texas. In 2009, they received 

approval for $849 million in energy efficiency program 

expenditures through 2020. One of the successful programs 

they are offering is Lean Clean Energy Tuition. The program 

pays for half of the costs of energy-management training for 

its industrial customers.

• A common reason that drives utilities to develop new energy 

efficiency programs is power generation and new capacity 

costs. Columbia Water & Light will have a new power plant 

coming online in two years, but at a cost that is double the 

anticipated investment. Frank Cunningham, Columbia’s 

energy services supervisor, shared a key result of its 2008 

Integrated Resource Plan, which estimates 33 megawatts 

of potential demand reduction through energy efficiency or 

33 megawatt hours per year of potential electrical energy 

savings through energy efficiency.

• Colin Hansen, executive director of Kansas Municipal 

Utilities, offered a phrase that resonated with other utility 

providers and summarized the value of industrial energy 

efficiency for the workshop’s stakeholders: “the cheapest 

kilowatt hour out there is the one you save.”

Moving forward, ITP is challenging other regions in the United 

States to look at this workshop as a replicable model for locallevel utility action.

Shane Woolbright of Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma welcomes attendees; Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, Jari Askins, delivers 

keynote remarks; Sandy Glatt offers information on ITP’s tools, training, and assessments; and Bruce Evans discusses CPS Energy’s industrial 

energy efficiency programs in Texas.
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

6

Tools of the Trade

Steam System Tool Suite

I

f you consider potential steam system improvements in 

your plant, the results could be worthwhile. In fact, in many 

facilities, steam system improvements can save 10% or more 

in fuel costs. To help you tap into potential savings at your 

facility, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies 

Program (ITP) offers the Steam System Tool Suite (SSTS). 

SSTS is an excellent resource for energy coordinators, facility 

managers, and plant electricians to diagnose steam system 

performance. The tool suite consists of three online software 

tools, including a scoping tool, system assessment tool, and an 

insulation optimization tool. Each of the tools comes with a user 

manual or step-by-step guide that allows users to quickly identify 

opportunities to save both energy and money. 

Steam System Scoping Tool

The Steam System Scoping Tool (SSST) helps users perform 

initial self-assessments of their steam systems. You can evaluate 

your entire steam system operation and identify the areas that 

pose the best opportunity for improvement. The tool suggests 

a range of ways to save energy and boost productivity. It also 

compares your system against identified best practices and the 

self-evaluations of similar facilities.

The software asks 26 questions about different areas of your 

steam system, including system profiling, steam system operating 

practices, boiler plant operating practices, and distribution and 

recovery operation practices. Based on your responses, SSST 

provides a score indicating opportunities for improvement.

Steam System Assessment Tool 

The Steam System Assessment Tool (SSAT) helps users develop 

approximate models of real steam systems. The tool contains 

all the key components of typical steam systems—boilers, 

backpressure turbines, condensing turbines, deaerators, letdowns, 

flash vessels, and feedwater heat exchangers. Using these 

models, you can apply SSAT to calculate the magnitude—energy, 

cost, and emissions savings—of potential steam improvement 

opportunities. The tool also provides energy bill estimates with 

each improvement scenario. 

3E Plus®

The 3E Plus® software tool allows users to calculate how much 

insulation is needed to cost-effectively conserve energy and 

improve safety by specifying maximum surface temperature.

Inputs

SSTS requires users to input the following information:

• General site data, including power costs, annual operating 

hours, and water costs

• Steam generation system data for boiler fuels, efficiency, and 

blowdown rates

• Steam distribution system data for steam turbines, piping 

insulation, and steam traps and leaks

• Steam end use and condensate systems data for the amount 

of steam used by processes, and the amount of condensate 

return

• Maintenance information.
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

7

Outputs

Based on your inputs, SSTS summarizes the potential savings of

• Operational costs for fuel, electricity, and water

• Emissions

• Steam costs.

How to Access the Steam System Tool Suite

SSTS can be downloaded for free at http://www1.eere.energy.

gov/industry/bestpractices/software_ssat.html.

In addition to SSTS, ITP provides a variety of free software tools 

to help you identify energy-savings opportunities across your 

facility. To access these tools, please visit http://www1.eere.

energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/software.html.

Support and Training

ITP offers a 1-day workshop that covers the operation of typical 

steam systems and discusses methods of system improvement. 

The course introduces SSST, SSAT, and 3E Plus. Also, a 2-1/2 

day Steam System Specialist Qualification training is offered for 

steam service providers who are interested in becoming proficient 

in using ITP’s steam tools and references. In addition to the 

full-day training sessions, ITP also offers a convenient 2-hour 

Webcast on the use of SSTS. For ease of use, training is also 

available in two self-paced, e-learning modules. The first module 

is an alternative to the 1-day workshop; the second provides an 

overview and teaches you how to use the three steam system 

tools. 

For more information and to sign up for training sessions, visit 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/steam_

systems.html.

New Aluminum Forging Technique Produces One 

Millionth Part; Reduces Energy Consumption, 

Increases Throughput, Improves Quality, and 

Reduces Costs by 50%

The forging industry has found a new way to decrease energy use, increase throughput, and increase material properties—

thanks to efforts by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial 

Technologies Program (ITP). The technique is a new hybrid 

infrared heating system that is used to preheat aluminum billets 

prior to forging. The creation of this new system was funded 

through an ITP grant. Project partners included Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory, Queen City Forging, Komtek, Infrared 

Heating Technologies, Northeastern University, and the Forging 

Industry Association. The team collaborated to design, construct, 

and implement a viable alternative to traditional gas-fired 

convection oven heating techniques, which are costly, slow, and 

energy intensive.

The hybrid rapid infrared technology utilizes tungsten-halogen 

filaments to rapidly and efficiently heat aluminum billets prior 

to forging. These filaments emit short-wave infrared radiation, 

generating temperatures above 2,200° C. This allows for 

increased heat flux through the oven and aluminum billets, 

which reduces preheat times from the 2-1/2 hours it takes for 

conventional ovens to 14–18 minutes.1 The system also utilizes 

convection to provide proper distribution of heat.

In addition to the reduction in preheating time and energy use, 

an added benefit of the hybrid infrared heating process is the 

reduction in grain size of the workpiece, which improves the 

quality of the product. Grain refers to the crystalline structures 

within the metal. Grain growth was shown to be influenced by a 

pressure force opposing the growth of grains, called “pinning,” 

by inter-metallic particles in the alloy. These particles dissolve 

into solution during prolonged conventional heating methods, but 

remain intact during shorter infrared heating times.2 The pinning 

effects created by the rapid infrared heating process reduce the 

grain size in Aluminum 2618 by over 30%.3 Additional testing 

has shown that rapid heating caused this change, but solution heat 

treatment and age hardening post forging had no affect on grain 

size. Further, there is an increase in ultimate tensile strength and 

yield strength, which are attributed to the reduction in grain size 

caused by the rapid hybrid infrared heating process. 

Research & Development
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

8

Improved material characteristics are directly credited to 

hybrid rapid infrared heating. For example, increased hardness 

is attributed to the rapid infrared heating processes used in 

the solution heat-treatment process after forging activities.4

Conventionally heat-treated test samples had lower hardness test 

results. Additionally, fatigue testing (ASTM standard E466-96) 

with rapid infrared heat-treated samples showed increased fatigue 

resistance when compared to conventional heating methods.

The potential industry-wide energy savings associated with this 

technology are substantial. It is estimated that savings could 

reach 7.2 trillion British thermal units annually in the aluminum 

forging industry alone. Additionally, cost savings associated with 

energy reductions and other savings attributed to a switch from 

traditional aluminum forging methods could result in annual 

savings of $84 million. 

Infrared billet heating technology is now commercially available. 

Currently, a hybrid infrared oven is in commercial operation at 

Queen City Forging in Cincinnati, Ohio. The facility uses this 

infrared technology to create 2618 Aluminum forgings that are 

heat-treated using the same technology. The forgings are then 

sent to TURBOCAM International to be machined into air intake 

side impellors that are used in Cummins turbo diesel engines. 

To date, Queen City has produced over one million impellor 

forgings using this process and has an operational capacity 

of 1,000 forgings a day.5 Queen City Forging has determined 

that, “Field testing of this hybrid infrared system in full-scale 

production setup has demonstrated cost savings up to 40–50% 

through reduced energy consumption, increased throughput, and 

improved consistency in the process and quality of the product.”6 

The hybrid rapid infrared heating system was recognized with 

a 2004 R&D Magazine 100 Award and a 2005 Ohio’s Thomas 

Edison Program Emerging Technology Award.7 

Endnotes

1

 Lu, H., Kadolkar, P. B. Ando, T., Blue, C. A., & Mayer, R. (2004). 

Control of Grain Size and Age Hardening in AA2618 Forgings 

Processed by Rapid Infrared Radiant Heating. The Minerals, 

Metals, & Materials Society. http://www.aluminum-hot-forging.

com/QCForge-TMS2004-1-final.pdf.

2

 Lu, H., Kadolkar, P. B., Ando, T., Blue, C. A., & Mayer, R. (2004). 

Control of Grain Size and Age Hardening in AA2618 Forgings 

Processed by Rapid Infrared Radiant Heating. The Minerals, 

Metals, & Materials Society. http://www.aluminum-hot-forging.

com/QCForge-TMS2004-1-final.pdf.

3

 Lu, H., Kadolkar, P. B., Ando, T., Blue, C. A., & Mayer, R. (2004). 

Control of Grain Size and Age Hardening in AA2618 Forgings 

Processed by Rapid Infrared Radiant Heating. The Minerals, 

Metals, & Materials Society. http://www.aluminum-hot-forging.

com/QCForge-TMS2004-1-final.pdf.

4

 Kervick, R., et al., Enhancement of Aluminum Alloy Forgings 

through Rapid Billet Heating, DOE-EERE-ITP, June 2006. 

http://www.osti.gov/bridge/product.biblio.jsp?query_

id=4&page=0&osti_id=886705.

5

 Kervick, R., et al. Enhancement of Aluminum Alloy Forgings 

through Rapid Billet Heating, DOE-EERE-ITP, June 2006. 

http://www.osti.gov/bridge/product.biblio.jsp?query_

id=4&page=0&osti_id=886705.

6

 Queen City Forging Company, http://www.qcforge.com/.

7

 Queen City Forging Company, http://www.qcforge.com/.
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

9

Implementation

Monthly Webinar Series Assists 

Companies with Implementation

Each month, the Industrial Technologies Program presents a 1-hour Webinar for plant and corporate energy leaders. 

These Webinars provide ideas to help address the different 

challenges that arise when implementing energy assessment 

recommendations. 

The Webinars are hosted by Fred Schoeneborn, president of 

FCS Consulting Services, Inc. Mr. Schoeneborn has extensive 

experience in industrial energy efficiency, having spent 38 

years with the Mobil Corporation. Mr. Schoeneborn created the 

company’s award-winning global energy management program, 

saving Mobil $100 million a year in energy savings.

In addition to Mr. Schoeneborn’s expertise, each Webinar features 

an energy manager from a different company that is actively 

pursuing ambitious energy efficiency goals. Past guest speakers 

include Ken Roden, Nissan North America, Inc.; Jeff Yigdall, 

PPG Industries; Joe Almaguer, Dow Chemical Co.; David 

Crum and Edwin Willhite, Schneider Electric; Steve Coppinger, 

CalPortland Company; Walt Brockway, Alcoa; Robert Varcoe, 

UAW & General Motors; Larry Fabina, ArcelorMittal; and Steve 

Fugarazzo, Raytheon.

Throughout 2010, the Webinars have covered a number of 

topics related to the implementation of energy efficiency 

measures, including preparing for project implementation before, 

during, and after an energy assessment; providing resources 

for implementation; financing project implementation; and 

measuring energy achievements. Each Webinar is archived on 

ITP’s Web site for viewing at any time.

The Webinar series will continue in 2011 with a focus on the 

replication of energy-savings measures.

For more information, 

contact Lindsay Bixby at lbixby@bcs-hq.com.

Assessment-to-Implementation Workshop Leads 

to the Development of a Best Practices Guidebook

The Learning from Success: Assessment-to-ImplementationBest Practices Workshop took place on July 16, 2010. The 

event was co-hosted and sponsored by the U.S. Department of 

Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory, and the American Public Power Association. 

This workshop convened a group of 18 industrial energy 

assessors, as well as energy managers from Alcoa, Nissan North 

America, Raytheon, and Saint-Gobain—industrial companies 

that have realized significant savings after implementing 

recommendations that were identified during energy savings 

assessments. 

During the workshop, the group discussed increasing the rate 

of assessor recommendation implementation by focusing on 

the keys to each stage of the assessment process. Participants 

provided their thoughts on each step of the process, detailing 

what needs to happen to make a company’s energy efficiency 

efforts productive. Some of the guidance provided includes the 

following:

• Prior to receiving an assessment, plant management and 

financial staff need to be engaged to ensure that there is 

support for energy efficiency projects identified during the 

assessment. 
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

10

Mannington Mills Tackles 

Sub-Metering System Issues

Dear Energy Expert: 

I work as a facilities engineer for a mid-sized manufacturing 

firm and recently assumed the unofficial title of Energy 

Manager for our production unit. Lately, we have been 

experiencing communication gateway issues within our submetering system. What challenges has your company faced 

with its sub-metering system, and how can we capitalize on this 

experience at our facility? 

Mannington Mills is a manufacturer of residential and commercial resilient, laminate, hardwood, and porcelain 

tile, as well as commercial carpet and rubber floor covering. 

In business since 1915 and family-owned for four generations, 

• Companies receiving assessments should have clear 

expectations and knowledge about the process, such as the 

systems that will be examined, what improvements may be 

identified, and the potential for cost savings and increased 

productivity.

• Key plant staff should take an active role during the 

assessment process, selecting the focus of the assessor 

and understanding the potential risks and rewards of any 

identified energy-savings measures.

• Following the assessment, key plant staff will need 

to understand the various hurdles that could prevent 

implementation and build the proper business case for 

overcoming those hurdles. This part of the process includes 

communication activities, measurement and verification, and 

implementation assistance measures plants and assessors can 

take to increase implementation rates.

The main goal of the workshop is to create an Industrial 

Assessment-to-Implementation Best Practices Guidebook, which 

will be made available by ITP in early 2011. This Guidebook 

will address activities that need to happen before and during 

an assessment, as well as post-assessment activities that will 

increase the implementation of energy-saving recommendations.

For more information about the assessment-to-implementation 

process, contact Dr. Tony Wright of Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory at wrightal@ornl.com. 

Ask the Energy Expert

Ask the Energy Expert is an ongoing column with the intent of providing information and solutions for some of industry’s 

most pressing questions. This issue’s Energy Expert is Richard Miller, corporate energy manager at Mannington Mills. 

Mr. Miller’s role involves developing, coordinating, and implementing the aims and objectives of Mannington Mill’s strategies 

and policies to reduce the company’s energy consumption.

Mannington Mills operates under the mission of being “the best 

people to do business with in the flooring industry.”1 We take 

extreme pride in our dedication to our products, our customers, 

and our values.

As a leader in product innovation and environmental stewardship, 

our organization regards energy as a critical company resource. 

We view efficiency as an important element of corporate 

sustainability and effective energy-management strategies. 

As such, we have developed a rigorous energy-management 

plan and energy-use and intensity baselines that strengthen 

our commitment to energy efficiency and place heightened 

importance on the reduction of industrial energy intensity. 
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

11

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial 

Technologies Program, we have committed to ambitious energy 

intensity reduction goals.

Metering System

Industrial organizations 

utilize sub-metering 

systems to account for 

and monitor the energy 

use of their individual 

facilities. Properly 

maintained systems allow 

an organization to establish 

metrics for these facilities 

and to gauge their overall 

energy performance. 

Most importantly, though, 

these systems facilitate 

the establishment of energy documentation and management 

systems, capable of handling data from multiple and distinct 

facilities, and set a precedent of explicable granularity in data 

reporting.

In 1995, our corporate facility in Salem, New Jersey, was seeking 

to implement a metering system that would provide us with a 

picture of our overall and individual facility energy use. We 

installed 40 Schneider Electric POWERLOGIC® Series 2000 

Circuit Monitors throughout our campus. These multi-purpose 

control monitors featured real-time and demand readings, as well 

as energy readings and power analysis values.2

However, the system was only set up as a means of performing 

cost summaries for budget allocation and was owned and 

operated by our accounting department. Sub-meters were 

not monitored for energy use or data collection, and software 

upgrades were not maintained. As a result, the meters fell into 

disrepair.

By 2008, though, were we beginning to look more closely at 

our corporate energy-management systems and identified our 

metering system as problematic. We conducted a comprehensive 

review of the system and quickly discovered that various control 

devices on four of our sub-meters were malfunctioning.

Addressing the Issues

We decided to take immediate action to address these issues. 

We began taking regular, manual meter readings and ran server 

reports once a week to identify any possible defects in our submeters. We contacted United Electric, a local distributor, whose 

sales staff assembled our original system. They assisted us with 

a system assessment and partnered with us in a 1-year systemsupport program to provide remote troubleshooting and onsite 

support for our meters. 

These efforts continue today. We properly maintain our meters 

with a preventative-maintenance plan that involves our staff 

recording real-time data and reporting any abnormalities. Another 

part of our maintenance plan is keeping current with upgraded 

series software versions.

Our corporate management would also like to ensure that the 

metering system is addressed as a whole. We are currently in the 

process of verifying that each wire in the system is functioning 

and interacting with the system properly. This is being done to 

ensure that communication gateways and systemic network issues 

are also addressed. We have also identified the Schneider Electric 

POWER LOGIC Series 3000 meters as part of our system 

upgrade. Each unit will cost around $1,000 and will include all 

communications software and wiring. 

Conclusion

Mannington Mills recognizes that our metering system is vital to 

our operations and that sub-meters are necessary to maintaining 

reporting granularity and system accuracy. We feel that the 

system enables us to communicate to facility managers where 

they are, what our expectations for them are, and where we need 

them to go in terms of their performance. Our sub-metering 

system also helps us to understand energy use patterns and 

trends. It also helps us evaluate the performance of our facilities’ 

equipment and systems to determine improvement potential as 

we move into the 21st century.

Endnotes

1 http://www.mannington.com/Corporate/OurCompany/History.

aspx.

2 http://www.schneider-electric.us/support/product-supportresources/technical-library/?event=detail&oid=090089268012

32d3&cat=0b008926804de527.
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

12

On October 17–22, 2010, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Project Committee (PC) 242 met 

in Beijing, China, to address comments on the text of the future 

ISO 50001—an energy management system standard that will 

establish and provide a recognized framework for industrial 

plants, commercial facilities, and/or entire organizations to 

integrate energy efficiency into their management practices. 

The goal of the meeting was to modify the Draft International 

Standard (DIS) and move toward a Final Draft International 

Standard (FDIS). The meeting involved approximately 90 

representatives from 23 countries. 

ISO identified the development of international energy 

management standards as a pressing need—not only because of 

the significant potential to save energy, but also because of its 

impact on related emissions. Based on broad applicability across 

national economic sectors, the future standard could influence up 

to 60% of the world’s energy demand. 

The standard will provide companies and organizations with the 

technical and management strategies needed to continuously 

increase energy efficiency, reduce costs, and improve 

environmental performance. 

The document is based on the common elements found in all 

of ISO’s management system standards, assuring a high level 

of compatibility with ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 

14001 (environmental management). Now that ISO 50001 has 

advanced to the DIS stage, national member bodies of ISO have 

been invited to vote and comment on the text of the standard 

during a 5-month balloting period. If the outcome of the DIS 

voting is positive, the modified document will then be circulated 

to the ISO members as a FDIS. If that vote is positive, ISO 50001 

is expected to be published as an International Standard in the 

summer of 2011.

The implementation of ISO 50001 is a central element of 

Superior Energy Performance (SEP)—a forthcoming American 

National Standards Institute-accredited energy management 

certification program currently under development by the U.S. 

Council for Energy-Efficient Manufacturing (U.S. CEEM). The 

goal of SEP is to provide industrial facilities with a roadmap 

for achieving continual improvement in energy efficiency while 

maintaining competitiveness. The U.S. Department of Energy’s 

(DOE’s) Industrial Technologies Program has partnered with 

U.S. CEEM, as well as U.S. states, regional teams, and utilities 

to conduct energy management demonstrations to test the 

elements of SEP and help industrial companies achieve energyreduction goals through strategic energy management. Sites 

participating in the demonstration are receiving DOE, state, 

regional, and utility training and support to implement energy 

management strategies and the forthcoming ISO 50001 energy 

management standard. At the close of the demonstration project, 

plants will be well positioned to pursue certification through 

SEP and will be prepared to meet ISO 50001 requirements. For 

more information about the Energy Management Demonstration 

projects, and for a list of participating companies, states, 

and regions, visit http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/

energymanagementdemonstrations/index.html. 

It is hoped that the introduction of ISO 50001 will result in 

widespread uptake among all types of energy users, leading to 

effective energy management, increased efficiency, and more 

prudent energy use.

For more information about ISO 50001, visit 

http://www.iso.org/iso/hot_topics/hot_topics_energy/energy_

management_system_standard.htm.

International

Funding Resources

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 

(EERE) works with business, industry, universities, and others 

to increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency 

technologies. One way EERE encourages the growth of these 

technologies is by offering financial assistance opportunities for 

their development and demonstration. Visit the EERE Financial 

Opportunities Web site to learn about the EERE funding and 

award process, types of EERE financial assistance, and how to 

apply. 

The Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) offers many 

opportunities and activities for manufacturers who want to reduce 

their energy use and improve productivity. ITP uses Funding 

Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) to contract for cost-shared 

research and development. These opportunities reflect the 

priorities of the program and selection of projects follows meritbased criteria that emphasize projected energy, environmental, 

and economic benefits. Visit ITP’s Web site for active and future 

opportunities.
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

13

Training Opportunities

December 1, 2010

Fundamentals of Compressed Air (Level 1) [Vancouver, 

Washington]. This is a 1-day introductory workshop designed to 

teach facility engineers, operators, and maintenance staff how to 

achieve 15–25% cost savings through more effective production 

and use of compressed air. Contact: Training Coordinator; 888-

720-6823; www.regonline.com/22neea-industrialtraining. 

December 2, 2010

Fan Systems Management [High Point, North Carolina]. 

This 1-day workshop introduces the Fan System Assessment 

Tool (FSAT), which helps users identify potential areas 

of optimization, and examines fan system performance 

characteristics. Contact: Danny Smith; 336-822-2607; danny_

smith@mannington.com. 

December 7–9, 2010

Specialist Qualification: Steam Systems [Calera, Alabama]. DOE 

has developed a 2 1⁄2-day Steam System Qualification training for 

steam service providers who are interested in becoming proficient 

in using the BestPractices Steam tools. Contact: Keith Woodbury; 

205-348-1647; keith.woodbury@ua.edu. 

December 7–9, 2010

Specialist Qualification: Pumping Systems [Atlanta, Georgia]. 

This 2 1⁄2-day workshop covers practical issues involved in 

field measurements of fluid and electrical data and is designed 

to qualify industry professionals on the Pumping System 

Assessment Tool (PSAT). Contact: Linda Schubert; 662-325-

7415; Schubert@me.msstate.edu; http://www.me.msstate.edu/

pumptoolworkshop/. 

December 7–10, 2010

Specialist Qualification: AirMaster+ [Appleton, Wisconsin]. 

This 3 1⁄2-day intensive training explains how AirMaster+ works, 

how to collect field data, enter data, and interpret the results. 

Contact: Robin Smith; 414-769-9952; training@focusonenergy.

com.

December 8, 2010

Fundamentals of Compressed Air (Level 1) [Billings, Montana]. 

This is a 1-day introductory workshop designed to teach facility 

engineers, operators, and maintenance staff how to achieve 

15–25% cost savings through more effective production and use 

of compressed air. Contact: Training Coordinator; 888-720-6823; 

www.regonline.com/22neea-industrialtraining.

December 10, 2010

Fan Systems Management [Kettering, Ohio]. This 1-day 

workshop introduces the Fan System Assessment Tool (FSAT), 

which helps users identify potential areas of optimization, and 

examines fan system performance characteristics. Contact: Ray 

Lepore; 937-216-9452; ray.lepore@fastmail.fm. 

December 14, 2010

Motor Systems Management [Downey, California]. This 

1-day workshop covers motor systems management, including 

applications, inventory tracking, maintenance, replacement 

decisions, repair, and the impact and maintenance of power 

quality. Contact: Larry Bennett; 562-803-7570; 

lbennett@semprautilities.com. 

December 14, 2010

Fundamentals of Compressed Air (Level 1) [Wenatchee, 

Washington]. This is a 1-day introductory workshop designed to 

teach facility engineers, operators, and maintenance staff how to 

achieve 15–25% cost savings through more effective production 

and use of compressed air. Contact: Training Coordinator; 888-

720-6823; www.regonline.com/22neea-industrialtraining.

January 11–13, 2011

Specialist Qualification: Steam Systems [Salt Lake City, Utah]. 

DOE has developed a 2 1⁄2-day Steam System Qualification 

training for steam service providers who are interested in 

becoming proficient in using the BestPractices Steam tools. 

Contact: Paul Greenwood; 801-639-5648; pgreenwood@nexant.

com. 

January 12, 2011

Fundamentals of Compressed Air (Level 1) [Downey, 

California]. This is a 1-day introductory workshop designed to 

teach facility engineers, operators, and maintenance staff how to 

achieve 15–25% cost savings through more effective production 

and use of compressed air. Contact: Larry Bennett; 562-803-

7570; lbennett@semprautilities.com. 
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

14

January 21, 2011

Motor Systems Management [Kettering, Ohio]. This 1-day 

workshop covers motor systems management, including 

applications, inventory tracking, maintenance, replacement 

decisions, repair, and the impact and maintenance of power 

quality. Contact: Ray Lepore; 937-216-9452; ray.lepore@

fastmail.fm. 

Tentative: February 16–17, 2011

Advanced Management of Compressed Air (Level 2) [Downey, 

California]. This intensive 2-day workshop provides indepth technical information on troubleshooting and making 

improvements to industrial compressed air systems. Contact: 

Larry Bennett; 562-803-7570; lbennett@semprautilities.com. 

February 18, 2011

Pumping Systems Management [Kettering, Ohio]. This 

1-day workshop discusses performance problems encountered 

in everyday applications and presents the Pumping System 

Assessment Tool (PSAT). Contact: Ray Lepore; 937-216-9452; 

ray.lepore@fastmail.fm.

February 28, 2011; March 7, 2011; March 14, 2011; 

and March 21, 2011

Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems WE (Web-edition) 

[Web]. This Web-based version of the popular Fundamentals of 

Compressed Air Systems training uses an interactive format that 

enables the instructor to diagram examples, give pop quizzes, and 

answer students’ questions in real time. The curriculum will be 

organized into four 2-hour sessions: (1) Introduction, Why Care 

About Air and Study Your Supply Side; (2) Understand Your 

Demands and Are You on Base; (3) Controls; and (4) Maintain 

System Efficiency, Get with the Plan and Summary-Evaluation. 

Contact: info@compressedairchallenge.org; 

www.compressedairchallenge.org. 

 

Look for Us...

ITP Calendar of Events

Industrial Technologies Program Contacts

Click below to request more information about ITP and the services we provide.

 PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT & DEPLOYMENT Paul Scheihing: paul.scheihing@ee.doe.gov; (202) 586-7234

 TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT Stephen Sikirica: stephen.sikirica@ee.doe.gov; (202) 586-5041

December 2010

8-10: World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC)
ENERGY MATTERS / FALL 2010

15

The quarterly newsletter of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program has been redesigned and expanded to 

include industry-related legislation and market trends, articles from industry experts, and other information of interest to our partners. 

Energy Matters is for industry professionals like you. Subscribe today—it's free!

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