Case Studies Interactive Feature (Text Version)
Below is a text version of the interactive feature that provides information about and links to Save Energy Now case studies published by DOE's Industrial Technologies Program. View the case studies interactive feature.
Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
Company
View Save Energy Now case studies by selecting a company name from the list.
Company case studies highlight the cost and energy savings achieved by large manufacturers that have participated in Save Energy Now energy assessments.
Read the case studies to get industry- and system-based examples of improvements your company can make to reduce energy use and improve efficiency. See how significant savings can be achieved with a small investment and simple payback. Each case study features:
- A summary page with key findings
- Detailed information on manufacturing processes
- Energy savings recommendations
- Results and lessons learned
Above the Company text are the following rotating industrial photographs:
Photograph 1 is a close-up shot of several steel pipes stacked together.
Photograph 2 shows a large roll of paper at the Boise Inc. paper mill in St. Helens, Oregon.
Photograph 3 shows two large, blue boiler feed water pumps at the J.R. Simplot Don plant in Pocatello, Idaho.
Photograph 4 is a close-up shot of a metal trailer/truck part produced by the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Sherman, Texas.
Photograph 5 shows the outdoor steam system at the Shaw Industries plant in Dalton, Georgia, which consists of several steel pipes and a yellow metal railing in front.
Photograph 6 shows a very large, room-sized silver pipe at the U. S. Steel Minntac plant in Mt. Iron, Minnesota.
Boise Inc.
Photo showing a large roll of paper at the Boise Inc. paper mill in St. Helens, Oregon.
The Boise Inc. paper mill in St. Helens, Oregon, lowered package boiler stack oxygen levels, modified existing piping to recover waste heat, and reduced the steam supplied to a parasitic load for a simple payback of less than 1 month. Information about the assessment was shared with other Boise Inc. mills.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $1 million
Natural Gas Savings: 154,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Forest Products
Read the Case Study (PDF 528 KB)
Chrysler LLC
Photo showing the exterior of the powerhouse at Chrysler LLC's truck and minivan assembly complex in St. Louis, Missouri.
Chrysler LLC's truck and minivan assembly complex in St. Louis, Missouri, optimized boiler operation, reduced boiler blowdown, and implemented an ongoing steam trap inspection and repair program and achieved a simple payback of just over 2 months. The assessment methodology is also being shared with other Chrysler plants.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $672,000
Natural Gas Savings: 70,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Automotive
Read the Case Study (PDF 578 KB)
Dow Chemical Company
Photograph showing an outdoor utility pipe rack at Dow Chemical Company's St. Charles Operations in Hahnville, Louisiana.
Repairing steam leaks and replacing nonfunctional steam traps were easy, cost-effective steps that yielded Dow Chemical Company's Hahnville, Louisiana, plant a quick payback. The company also implemented ongoing steam trap maintenance and leak management programs.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $1.9 million
Natural Gas Savings: 272,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Chemical
Read the Case Study (PDF 550 KB)
Goodyear
Photograph showing the 60,000 pounds per hour natural gas and No. 6 fuel oil boiler at the Goodyear tire plant in Union City, Tennessee, which consists of numerous metal pipes and valves attached to a wall.
Goodyear's tire plant in Union City, Tennessee, optimized boiler operation, improved load management, and insulated tire presses for a simple payback of 2.5 months. The methodology and results from the assessment are also being shared with and applied to several other Goodyear facilities.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $875,000
Natural Gas Savings: 93,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Automotive
Read the Case Study (PDF 711 KB)
J.R. Simplot
Photograph showing two large, blue boiler feed water pumps at the J.R. Simplot Don plant in Pocatello, Idaho.
The J.R. Simplot Company's Don Plant in Pocatello, Idaho, optimized boiler operation, improved condensate recovery, and fixed steam traps and leaks for a simple payback of 6.5 months. Results are being shared with other Simplot facilities and other recommendations identified during the assessment are under consideration.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $335,000
Natural Gas Savings: 75,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Chemical
Read the Case Study (PDF 525 KB)
Kaiser Aluminum
Photograph showing a close-up of a metal trailer/truck part produced by the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Sherman, Texas.
The Kaiser Aluminum plant in Sherman, Texas, adjusted controls and made repairs to a furnace for a simple payback of 1 month. Kaiser adopted DOE's Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST) software as the corporate diagnostic tool and has used it to evaluate process heating systems at five other aluminum plants.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $360,000
Natural Gas Savings: 45,000 MMBtu
System Type: Process Heating
Industry: Aluminum
Read the Case Study (PDF 637 KB)
Owens Corning
Photograph showing a new air compressor at the Owens Corning plant in Santa Clara, California. The compressor is royal blue with green pipes attached to it.
The Owens Corning glass fiber manufacturing plant in Santa Clara, California, used financial incentives from Silicon Valley Power (SVP) to cost-effectively implement several energy savings projects in its pumping, fan, and compressed air systems. These savings in turn enabled SVP to keep average power prices low and reduce emissions.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $252,000
Utility Incentives: $251,000
System Type(s): Pumping, fan, compressed air
Industry: Glass
Read the Case Study (PDF 659 KB)
Shaw Industries
Photograph showing the outdoor steam system at the Shaw Industries plant in Dalton, Georgia, which consists of several steel pipes and a yellow metal railing in front.
The Shaw Industries carpet manufacturing plant #20 in Dalton, Georgia, optimized boiler operation and installed waste heat exchangers on two processes in the dye house and an economizer on one boiler, for a payback of 1.7 years. These results prompted plant #4, also located in Dalton, to participate in an assessment.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $872,000
Natural Gas Savings: 93,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Textiles.
Read the Case Study (PDF 532 KB)
Terra Nitrogen
Photograph showing a new, shiny silver condensing turbine at the Terra Nitrogen ammonia plant in Verdigris, Oklahoma.
Terra Nitrogen's ammonia and fertilizer plant in Verdigris, Oklahoma, upgraded to more efficient condensing turbines and installed a loop dehydrator. To identify even more energy-saving opportunities, plant employees plan to continually analyze their steam system using DOE's Steam System Assessment Tool (SSAT).
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $3.5 million
Natural Gas Savings: 497,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Chemical
Read the Case Study (PDF 497 KB)
U. S. Steel
Photograph showing a very large, room-sized silver pipe at the U. S. Steel Minntac plant in Mt. Iron, Minnesota.
The U. S. Steel Minntac plant in Mt. Iron, Minnesota, identified energy savings opportunities in its process lines and validated natural gas savings from new burners that were installed prior to the assessment. The success led to additional assessments at U. S. Steel plants in Indiana and Michigan.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $760,000
Natural Gas Savings: 95,000 MMBtu
System Type: Process Heating
Industry: Steel
Read the Case Study (PDF 599 KB)
West Linn Paper Company
Photograph showing a new blow down heat recovery system at the paper mill in West Linn, Oregon. A metal cylinder can be seen with yellow metal pipes attached to it.
West Linn Paper Company surveyed steam traps, added insulation, and re-evaluated the positioning of several steam headers to achieve savings. The plant, which is located in West Linn, Oregon, is utilizing DOE's Steam System Assessment Tool (SSAT) software to consistently evaluate new projects.
Energy Assessment
Cost Savings: $379,000
Natural Gas Savings: 497,000 MMBtu
System Type: Steam
Industry: Forest Products
Read the Case Study (PDF 636 KB)
Industry Type
Photograph showing a turntable on a bottling line at a lubricant manufacturing facility. The turntable is blurred.
Here you will find case studies on Save Energy Now energy assessments conducted in energy-intensive U.S. industries.
Aluminum
Kaiser Aluminum (PDF 637 KB)
Automotive
Chrysler LLC (PDF 578 KB)
Goodyear (PDF 711 KB)
Chemical
Dow Chemical Company (PDF 550 KB)
J.R. Simplot (PDF 525 KB)
Terra Nitrogen (PDF 497 KB)
Forest Products
Boise Inc. (PDF 528 KB)
West Linn Paper Company (PDF 636 KB)
Glass
Owens Corning (PDF 659 KB)
Textiles
Shaw Industries (PDF 532 KB)
Steel
U. S. Steel (PDF 599 KB)
Steel Industry Overview (PDF 351 KB)
System Area
Photograph showing three large cylinder-shaped industrial boilers.
Here you will find case studies on Save Energy Now energy assessments conducted in energy-intensive industrial systems.
Compressed Air, Pumps, and Fans
Owens Corning (PDF 659 KB)
Process Heating
Kaiser Aluminum (PDF 637 KB)
U. S. Steel (PDF 599 KB)
Steam
Boise Inc. (PDF 528 KB)
Chrysler LLC (PDF 578 KB)
Dow Chemical Company (PDF 550 KB)
Goodyear (PDF 711 KB)
J.R. Simplot (PDF 525 KB)
Shaw Industries (PDF 532 KB)
Terra Nitrogen (PDF 497 KB)
West Linn Paper Company (PDF 636 KB)
Data Centers
Photograph showing patch cables plugged into a computer network hub.
Data Center Assessment Summaries
Through Save Energy Now, ITP is working with U.S. computer data centers to reduce their energy consumption. Read the following assessment summaries to learn about energy savings opportunities identified during data center assessments that can be applied industry-wide.
Lucasfilm
DOE Assessment Evaluates Energy Performance of Film and Entertainment Company Data Center (PDF 304 KB)
Sybase
Database Technology Company Saves $262,000 Annually (PDF 1.66 MB)
Verizon
DOE Assessment Identifies 30% Energy Savings for Broadband and Wireless Communication Company (PDF 322 KB)
Utilities
Photograph showing several large power lines in a row with a vibrantly colored orange and yellow sky in the background.
Here you will find case studies on how industrial companies are partnering with their local utility to implement energy savings recommendations that would otherwise not be feasible.
Alliant Techsystems, Incorporated (ATK) and Rocky Mountain Power
Leveraging Utility Resources to Boost Efficiency for the Next Generation of Space Travel: An Energy Efficiency Case Study of ATK Launch Systems (PDF 666 KB)
Owens Corning and Silicon Valley Power
Owens Corning and Silicon Valley Power Partner to Make Energy Savings a Reality (PDF 659 KB)
Southern California Gas Company Industrial End User Program
Meeting State Carbon Emission Requirements through Industrial Energy Efficiency (PDF 1.7 MB)