General Motors has announced its participation in a program organized by the U.S. Department of Energy called Better Buildings, Better Plants (BBBP) with the intent of reducing energy costs on a per unit of production basis across 25 of the automaker’s U.S. facilities. The ultimate goal is a 25 percent (or greater) combined decrease in energy use at GM’s manufacturing facilities by 2018.
As part of BBBP, the DOE works with industry partners to advance grater energy efficiency in the U.S. industrial sector. The program will provide GM with “assistance and proven solutions to enhance energy efficiency”, while encouraging collaboration among participating companies to discuss what they learned.
“Spreading the word about these benefits and sharing best practices with like-minded organizations will go far in reducing our nation’s energy consumption, and working with the DOE and EPA ENERGY STAR® enhances this effort”, said Al Hildreth, General Motors corporate energy manager. Mr. Hildreth also says that better energy management is more than capable of making its own business case.
One recent example of GM’s success with the BBBP initiative is a $200,000 per year cost savings following at GM’s Fairfax plant following a four-day compressed air training event conducted by the DOE. Following the training, a total of 218 energy-savings opportunities were identified, which GM has taken advantage of for more than $7 million in savings.
The GM Authority Take
Not only does efficiency pay dividends for our planet, it also results in real, tangible costs savings. Go DOE partnership!
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