The energy-intensive industries in Texas are faced with several challenges to their survival. Most of the large energy-intensive industrial sites, specifically chemical manufacturing and refining, are located east of IH-35 and there is significant environmental pressure to reduce air emissions of Nitrate Oxide (NOx). NOx emissions can result from the combustion of fuel for power and heat. In addition, natural gas prices in Texas are among the highest in the world.

Because the chemical sector relies extensively on natural gas as both feedstock and fuel, energy costs account for a large percentage of manufacturing costs, putting this sector at a disadvantage in a global market. Finally, these two sectors have been identified as one of six target industry clusters by the Texas Workforce Commission. Target clusters compete across regions and tend to be the core drivers of regional economic competitiveness. Many other businesses in Texas depend upon the health of these core industry clusters.

BestPractices is a program area within the Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) that supports ITP's mission to improve the energy intensity of the U.S. industrial sector through a coordinated program of research and development, validation, and dissemination of energy-efficient technologies and practices. BestPractices helps you identify opportunities to save substantial amounts of energy in industrial manufacturing plants. The resources provided by BestPractices offers resources, training, software tools, and the technical expertise to achieve your energy saving goals.

Developing aggressive energy management strategies, incorporating energy management into business systems and adopting new technologies and BestPractices will play a critical role in the continued viability of all manufacturers in Texas. Texas Industries of the Future addresses this need through offering specialized training, energy management forums, conferences and Technology Showcases, and developing targeted software tools to assist all Texas manufacturers to evaluate energy-saving opportunities and their impacts on air emissions.

News
Events
Resources & Software
Texas Industries of the Future
Energy Savings Assessments
Industrial Assessment Centers
Industrial Technologies Program E-Bulletin

Texas Industries of the Future

Texas Industries of the Future is is a partnership strategy of the U. S. Department of Energy 's (DOE) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) and the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), which provides outreach, technical assistance and training for Texas industrial energy consumers. Texas Industries of the Future conducts conferences, workshops and forums, providing training and outreach to engineers and consultants in process industries on a variety of industrial energy-efficiency topics. All manufacturers, however, are faced with the rising costs of energy, ranging from semi-conductor manufacturers to food processors. The ability to manage and control this cost is critical to their global competitiveness.

Goals
From 2002-2010, Texas Industries of the Future will work with the chemical and refining sector to achieve an overall reduction in energy intensity of 15%.

Strategies
The following strategies will increase energy intensity in any manufacturing sector:

1. Increase the adoption of technologies and best practices that improve energy efficiency and environmental performance and reduce cost in the chemical and refining industries.

2. Increase industry and government awareness of the benefits and the need for integration of industry energy efficiency and environmental technology and practice improvements.

3. Strengthen partnerships among Texas industries, universities, associations, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) in order to focus research and projects on high priority areas.

Background Statistics
The following are summary statistics on process industries employment, value of shipments and energy usage. The energy-intensive industries play a leading role in the Texas economy.

• Fifty-three percent of the energy used in Texas is consumed by the industrial sector. Nationally, only 34% of the energy used is consumed by industry.¹

• Texas has the highest percentage of large energy intensive sites at 312 sites or 8% of the US total of 3,755 sites. California is next at 5% percent of the U. S. total.²

• Texas consumes 20% of the energy used by industry in the U. S. The next largest industrial energy consumer is Louisiana at 7 % of the U. S.total.³

• Industrial energy usage in our region is dominated by three sectors: chemicals, refining and forestry/pulp & paper. They constitute 86% of industrial energy usage in this region.⁴

• The chemical and refining sectors make up a significant portion of the Texas economy based on the number of facilities (6 %), employment (11%) and total wages (16%) of the manufacturing sector.⁵

• In 2001 the chemical manufacturing and refining sectors each produced goods accounting for 19% of the Value of Shipments in Texas.⁶

Energy Savings Assessments

Save Energy Now Program
Under the Save Energy Now initiative, DOE has been conducting no-cost energy savings assessments (ESAs). The goal is to evaluate and improve steam, process heating, fan, pump, or compressed air systems and save energy. The ESA Energy Experts are all BestPractices Qualified Specialists, who are skilled at using BestPractices assessment and analysis software tools to help industrial facilities identify ways to improve system efficiency. In 2008, the Program completed its 500th Energy Saving Assessment. Since 2006, teams from DOE's Save Energy Now program have analyzed the efficiency of pumps, fans, compressed air systems, and heating and steam systems at 500 of the nation's most energy-intensive industrial facilities. The teams use specifically targeted software to identify cost and energy savings and then train the facility personnel to use the software, so the technology can be applied at other plants. The energy assessments typically show saving opportunities of 5%-15% of each plant's total energy use, and if all those opportunities were pursued, it would yield an average annual savings of about $1.7 million per plant.

In May 2008 , DOE announced that Energy Saving Assessments in facilities across the country have identified ways to save an estimated 80 trillion Btu of natural gas dash;the amount used by roughly one million U.S. homes. If all of the assessments' recommendations were fully implemented, they could avoid an estimated 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, while saving more than $800 million in natural gas costs alone.

2008 Energy Saving Assessments
The 2008 Energy Saving Assessments will be selected through an on-line application process now underway. Plants interested in applying for a 2008 assessment should visit the Save Energy Now website. The website also offers training opportunities, software assessment tools, technical tips and publications suitable for plants of all sizes.

Industrial Assessment Centers

Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs)
IACs, sponsored by EERE's Industrial Technologies Program, provide eligible small- and medium-sized manufacturers with no-cost energy assessments. Additionally, the IACs serve as a training ground for the next generation of energy savvy engineers. IAC assessments provide a no-cost, on-site visit to your plant to identify potential savings opportunities. A team of engineering faculty and students from a participating university in your area assesses your plant and recommends ways you can improve efficiency.

University of Texas at Arlington Industrial Assessment Center
Assessments are performed by a team consisting of a University of Texas Arlington faculty member and upper level undergraduate and graduate engineering students. During a site visit, students take measurements to audit how the facility uses energy and resources. With the guidance of their professors, students then generate a confidential report identifying opportunities to save energy, reduce waste, and improve productivity On average, IAC assessment recommendations that are implemented wind up saving a facility over $55,000 annually.

Texas A&M University Industrial Assessment Center
The Texas A&M University Industrial Assessment Center provides no-cost studies of manufacturing plants within about 150 miles of its campus at College Station. Engineering students under the direction of Mechanical Engineering faculty and Energy Systems Laboratory staff perform studies analyzing a plant's energy, waste, and productivity issues.

News

DOE & ASHRAE Cooperate on Building Energy Standards
DOE and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have agreed to work together to toughen building energy standards so that by 2010, the standards will require buildings to use 30% less energy than buildings built to the 2004 standards. Under a new memorandum of understanding, DOE and ASHRAE will support the continuing development of ASHRAE standards, the adoption of these standards by international organizations, and the implementation of a new energy standard for buildings other than low-rise residential buildings.

Certified Energy Manager (CEM®) Program for Professional Certification
An Association of Energy Engineers web site. Since it's inception in 1981, the Certified Energy Manager (CEM®) credential has become widely accepted and used as a measure of professional accomplishment within the energy management field. It has gained industry-wide use as the standard for qualifying energy professionals both in the United States and abroad. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Federal Energy Management Programs (FEMP), and the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as by numerous state energy offices, major utilities, corporations and energy service companies.

Events

Listing of Industrial Technologies Events
This U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) web page lists numerous industrial technologies events nationwide.

Resources & Software

ENERGY STAR
Find information on industrial energy management, energy management guidance and more.

UT's Center for Energy and Environmental Resources (CEER)
CEER serves as the central liaison for energy and environmental research, education, and public service at the University of Texas at Austin. Over its history, CEER has worked with 25 departments and 10 colleges of the university, collaborating on research projects, supporting graduate students, and stimulating education activities related to energy.

EPRI's Energy Efficiency Initiative
In January 2007, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), on behalf of the electric power industry, launched the Energy Efficiency Initiative, a new collaborative program that addresses energy efficiency and load management by focusing on application of dynamic, integrated systems that can achieve permanent energy savings, permanent demand reductions, temporary peak load reductions-and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Infrastructure, analytics, and end-use technology are key areas of focus.

Industrial Technologies Program E-Bulletin: Your Online Connection
At this DOE Industrial Technologies Program web site, you will find a monthly update on the latest industrial news as well as announcements about new tools and resources, training events, and project opportunities.

Quick Plant Energy Profiler, Release 1.1.3
The free Quick PEP Software Tool is one of the software tools developed by the DOE Industrial Technologies Program to help U.S. industry improve energy management at industrial facilities. The Quick PEP tool should be the first step in identifying areas for potential savings at the plant. Once those areas have been identified Quick PEP provides a broad list of potential next steps that the user could take to begin realizing energy and cost savings.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) FREE Platinum Certifications
Beginning January 1, 2007, USGBC is challenging the building industry to put us out of business: we will fully rebate the certification fees for any project that earns a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. Platinum buildings are highly energy and resource efficient; provide superior indoor comfort for the building's occupants; and dramatically reduce CO2 emissions, a primary cause of global climate change. Help us build a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous future by raising your building's performance to Platinum, and we'll send you a check with your LEED plaque.

Save Energy Now CD
DOE's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) has developed the Save Energy Now CD to help industry plant managers and engineers conserve energy and save costs. The CD's products and information are tailored for industrial energy savings, with an emphasis on reducing natural gas consumption. The CD brings together the best of ITP and BestPractices' resources, tools, and services. With more than 180 documents and 35 Web site links to assessment software, case studies, tip sheets, and more than 10 free software tools, the CD provides tools to help you assess cost and energy saving opportunities at your plant.

Energy Plus Building Simulation Program Version 1.3
DOE's Building Technologies Program has released a major upgrade to its building energy simulation program. The new version allows architects and engineers to simulate a building's systems, together with variables such as weather, moisture and energy flows--before construction--to achieve maximum energy efficiency. New features include an underfloor air distribution (UFAD) model, a reworked natural and mechanical air distribution network, an earth tube model for preconditioning (heating/cooling) outside air, an ice storage model, user-definable energy end-use categories, zone operative temperatures, and extended documentation for the entire program (now comprising nearly 2,700 pages).

COMcheck
COMcheck, a software tool developed by DOE, can now be used to assist commercial building owners demonstrate compliance with building energy codes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has agreed that the software can be used to help determine eligibility for lighting tax credits by calculating the percentage reduction in a project's lighting power density (LPD) compared to a code building as defined by Standard 90.1-2001. This helps owners plan improvements and claim credit as these interim rules permit. Owners can qualify for a tax credit between 30 and 60 cents per square foot off the cost of purchasing an energy efficient lighting system. The full range of credits will be available when the IRS finishes its final rules. A web-based version is also available.

BestPractices Software Tools
This DOE BestPractices web page offers a varied and expanding software collection. With the right know-how, you can use these powerful tools to help identify and analyze energy system savings opportunities in your plant. While the tools are accessible here for download, you are also encouraged to attend a training workshop to enhance your knowledge and take full advantage of opportunities identified in the software programs. For some tools, advanced training is also available to help you further increase your expertise. You can also get help on software installation and operation from the EERE Information Center.

Building Energy Software Tools Directory
Another DOE site with a comprehensive listing of 317 building software tools for evaluation energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability in buildings. The energy tools listed in this directory include databases, spreadsheets, component and systems analyses, and whole-building energy performance simulation programs.

Save Energy in Your Data Center
A U.S. Department of Energy web site.

¹Energy Information Administration, State Energy Data 2001
²DOE zip code plant list, SEP solicitation, 2005
³EIA, State Energy Data 2001.
⁴EIA, State Data Report, 1995.
⁵Texas Workforce Commission, 202 Data file, Tax Reports to Texas Workforce Commission.
⁶US Census Bureau, 2001 Statistics, Annual Survey of Manufacturers

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