Energy Analysis
The Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) regularly conducts energy analyses to identify energy-saving opportunities. The following energy analyses are aimed at identifying energy-savings potential in aluminum companies and aluminum R&D projects. Browse our tools and publications, as well as the publications described below. Some of these documents are available as Adobe PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
Energy and Environmental Profile of the Aluminum Industry
This detailed report (PDF 2.5 MB) benchmarks the energy and environmental characteristics of the key technologies used in the major processes of the aluminum industry.
Aluminum Processing Energy Benchmark Report
Substantial energy efficiency gains have been made in the aluminum industry over the past forty years, resulting in a 58 percent decrease in energy utilization.
However, as shown in the recently completed U.S. Energy Requirements for Aluminum Production, Historical Perspective, Theoretical Limits, and New Opportunities, room for improvement remains. Overall, the industry is operating at more than three times its theoretical minimum energy requirement. This report (PDF 3.0 MB) provides detailed appendices, statistical data, and descriptions of the fundamental chemistry, as well as practical aspects of aluminum production processes. It compares current usage levels and theoretical minimum energy requirements to demonstrate that large energy saving opportunities exist.
Inert Anode Report
This ASME report (PDF 9.0 MB) provides a broad assessment of open literature and patents that exist in the area of inert anodes and their related cathode systems and cell designs, technologies that are relevant for the advanced smelting of aluminum. The report also discusses the opportunities, barriers, and issues associated with these technologies from a technical, environmental, and economic viewpoint.
Efficient Process Heating in the Aluminum Industry
This 8-page brochure (PDF 300 KB) provides pointers for enhancing the efficiency of melters and furnaces to cut process heating costs by 10 to 30 percent.
Footprints
The U.S. Manufacturing and Mining Energy Footprints provide a graphical representation of the flow of energy across the most energy-intensive industries. The footprints show where energy is used inside plant boundaries, where losses occur on-site, which are the most widely used energy systems for each industry, and much more.