General Motors (GM) has cut energy intensity at 30 North American plants by an average of 25% – equivalent to the emissions from powering 97,000 US homes – to meet the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Challenge for Industry.
Collectively, the manufacturing facilities avoided more than 778,380 metric tons of greenhouse gas. It would require the planting of 20m trees that grow for ten years to mitigate the same amount.
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And the efforts saved GM US$50m in energy costs.
EPA’s program challenges manufacturing companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving their energy efficiency by 10% within five years. The GM plants agreed to establish an energy intensity baseline normalised by production volume. They set a 10% improvement goal, implemented energy efficiency projects, tracked energy use and verified savings.
To achieve the challenge, GM employed tactics such as benchmarking energy use through energy management systems; automating shut-down of equipment; and upgrading to energy-efficient lighting and more-efficient heating and cooling systems.
The achievements follow the Lansing (Michigan) Delta Township plant receiving EPA Energy Star Certification for performing in the top twenty-fifth percentile of similar facilities nationwide. Worldwide, GM is committed to reducing emissions and petroleum dependence by being more energy efficient.
GM’s 30 plants represent nearly a third of all sites that have achieved the Energy Star Challenge for Industry. According to the EPA, 86 of the 386 manufacturing sites that have taken the challenge have met the goal to date, improving their energy efficiency by 10% or more.
