Improving energy efficiency in these industries by 10% could save nearly $900 million annually

Maybe they're not as sexy as flat-screen LCD TVs or ultra high-efficiency LEd lighting, but that doesn't mean the EPA wants to deprive Energy Star labeling program from industries that could benefit from it.  From jelly jars to frozen french fries, the manufacturing plants that make several well-known container and food items in the United States can now earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star for superior energy efficiency.

According to the EPA, the new Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs) for flat and container glass manufacturing plants and juice and frozen fried potato processing plants are the first of their kind for these industries.

The U.S. glass industry spends more than $2 billion annually on energy while the food processing sector spends nearly $7 billion per year. Improving the energy efficiency of these industries by just 10 percent would save nearly $900 million in energy costs and more than 150 trillion btu while reducing greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from the electricity use of more than 1 million homes for a year.

The new Energy Star EPIs were developed in partnership with the glass and food industries. The indicators will help companies objectively assess energy performance, set competitive goals for improvement and, over time, shift the energy performance of the entire industry.

Image via auntjojo