Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman launched a national campaign to "Save Energy Now" in October 2005 to highlight how American families, businesses and the Federal government can save energy.  As part of the campaign, teams of energy efficiency experts are assessing 200 of America's most energy-intensive factories to help them improve energy efficiency.

Energy Savings Assessments identify immediate opportunities to save energy and money, primarily by focusing on steam and process heating systems. These processes consume nearly 80 percent of the energy U.S. industry uses. Fine-tuning these systems may cost little but has the potential to yield large savings.

As part of the assessment, the team provides the company with an analysis report with key findings for potential savings and recommendations for implementation. Since the beginning of the campaign, Energy Saving Teams have completed 48 ESAs and have identified, in aggregate, nearly $152 million per year in potential energy cost savings. If implemented, the teams' recommendations could cut natural gas consumption by more than 15 trillion Btu per year.   

The recommendations are based on BestPractices, developed by the DOE Industrial Technologies Program. BestPractices resources are available to all companies wishing to improve efficiency in industrial system areas such as compressed air, fans, motors and pumps. Resources such as the Save Energy Now fact sheet and the Save Energy Now CD can help any business start its own energy efficiency program.