One way to save money during these unusual times is to reduce or eliminate energy waste.  Within any processing plant, there are always opportunities to improve energy efficiency, often through low- and no-cost measures.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Industrial program offers a variety of tools and resources that dairy processors can use to assess the efficiency of their plants, identify energy savings measures, and gain recognition for saving energy or being one of the most efficient plants in the U.S.

Many companies are using Energy Treasure Hunts to find quick energy savings opportunities. ENERGY STAR offers guides, checklists, and other resources to help plants organize and conduct Treasure Hunts.  For efficiency measures and upgrades with paybacks of 4 years or less, there is a dairy-specific Energy Guide.  Fluid milk and yogurt processing plants can benchmark their energy performance using the plant Energy Performance Indicator (EPI) and see if they qualify for ENERGY STAR certification.  Any processing plant can pursue ENERGY STAR recognition by taking the Challenge for Industry and reducing energy intensity by 10% within 5 years. To learn more, contact Valerie Askinazi (askinazi.valerie@epa.gov) or visit:

www.energystar.gov/dairyprocessingfocus

www.energystar.gov/treasurehunt

www.energystar.gov/industrychallenge