Emerging Energy-efficient Technologies for Industry

Abstract

U.S. industry consumes approximately 37% of the nation's energy to produce 24% of the nation's GDP. Increasingly, society is confronted with the challenge of moving toward a cleaner, more sustainable path of production and consumption, while increasing global competitiveness. Technology is essential in achieving these challenges. We report on a recent analysis of emerging energy-efficient technologies for industry, focusing on over 50 selected technologies. The technologies are characterized with respect to energy efficiency, economics and environmental performance. This paper provides an overview of the results, demonstrating that we are not running out of technologies to improve energy efficiency, economic and environmental performance, and neither will we in the future. The study shows that many of the technologies have important nonenergy benefits, ranging from reduced environmental impact to improved productivity, and reduced capital costs compared to current technologies.

Non-Energy Benefits of Industrial Energy Efficiency : Roles and Potentials

“…Scientific contributions on non-energy benefits have been published since 1999, and contributions on the topic from 1999 to 2005 originated mainly from the US (e.g. Finman and Laitner, 2001;Gordon et al, 1999;Hall and Roth, 2003;Laitner et al, 2001;Lilly and Pearson, 1999;Lung et al, 2005;Pye and McKane, 2000;Skumatz et al, 2000;Worrell et al, 2002;Worrell et al, 2003). Thereafter and until today, publications on non-energy benefits were mainly from various European regions (e.g.…”