WASHINGTON - Manufacturers looking for assistance with energy-related plant technologies may now consult the National Inventory of Manufacturing Assistance Programs (NIMAP). The database, created by the Alliance to Save Energy for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technologies, provides a state-by-state listing of programs that provide plant assessments, rebates, financing, consulting, diagnostic tools, and other assistance to manufacturers. Services, mostly free of charge, are those provided primarily by state organizations and utilities. The full NIMAP database is available through the Office of Industrial Technologies website at www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices/nimap.

Industrial energy use comprises about 40 percent of net U.S. energy consumption. Fuel bills can have a heavy impact on the bottom-line performance of an industrial manufacturer. Well-managed energy use and process efficiency can be crucial not only to a company's economic performance, but also to its workplace safety and emissions compliance. Improvements in energy and process efficiency help companies to reduce costs, build revenues, and control risk.

The U.S. Department of Energy and the Alliance to Save Energy have found, however, that plant managers often have difficulty gaining access to the information they need to capture efficiency benefits. NIMAP is a cooperative effort to make available such local resources.

The NIMAP database lists over 160 programs offering energy and process efficiency assistance to manufacturers. There are 107 programs offering technical assistance. Seventy-three offer plant assessments. Rebates and financial assistance are offered by 45 percent of listed programs, and training is offered by 42 percent. Users can easily search the database for available programs by location or function. Individual program listings outline the services provided, offer contact information, and provide a program overview. Some programs offer assistance on a low-cost or no-cost basis.

The Alliance to Save Energy produced NIMAP for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technologies' BestPractices program. BestPractices programs work with U.S. industries to identify opportunities for plant-wide energy and process efficiency improvements. The programs provide access to informational tools and resources, technological assistance, and demonstrated emerging technologies, as well as plant assessments and energy management training resources. BestPractices programs address steam, compressed air, motors, and process heating.

The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote energy efficient worldwide to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment and energy security.

Alliance to Save Energy

Alliance to Save Energy

More from Alliance to Save Energy