“New Construction” or “Lost Opportunity” programs target energy efficiency opportunities in newly constructed commercial buildings. Incentivizing energy-efficient design and installation of energy-efficient equipment results in reduced future energy requirements. Similar programs target newly constructed residential buildings and equipment.

Commercial and residential loads, however, only represent a fraction of new energy demands. A significant amount of increased energy demand is attributable to the manufacturing sector. However, energy efficiency programs do not typically address “New Production”, even though they could be based on the same theoretical framework as New Construction programs.

In this paper, a conceptual framework for claiming energy savings from productivity improvement projects is presented. Obstacles to achieving persistent energy savings are discussed. The relationship between production and manufacturing energy use is reviewed on a plant-wide and equipment level. Four categories of manufacturing equipment are suggested, based on their relationship between production and energy use. Common Lean Manufacturing improvements are discussed, along with their affect on energy use and the techniques used to achieve them. Finally, several existing energy efficiency programs that either promote productivity improvements or claim energy savings from productivity improvements are described.