This amount of electricity is the equivalent of over 150 large coal or nuclear power plants. Co-generation is the production of both electricity and heat from the same fuel. The remaining two-thirds of the energy is discarded as heat into the environment. Many industries require both electricity and process heat. Co-generation units such as gas turbines, produce electricity and capture the excess heat.
Recycling is another area in which a wide variety of industries can save energy.
In the manufacturing of metals, paper, glass and plastics, it is much more efficient to produce new materialfrom recycled products than from virgin raw materials. Even when energy efficiency improvements are cost-effective, there are still some barriers which prevent their implementation in industry. In some industries, energy costs represent only a small portion of overall costs. Engineers and managers may also be unaware of technological improvements or unwilling to gamble on unproven technologies. In addition, those companies whose financial condition is marginal may not have the luxury of investing money now, for energy savings in future years.