News Releases from Region 07

Elkhorn, Neb., Facility Recognized as Top Performing Energy Star Certified Manufacturing Plant

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., March 11, 2015) - The Merck Animal Health manufacturing facility in Elkhorn, Neb., is one of 70 manufacturing plants that achieved Energy Star certification for their superior energy performance in 2014. The facility was officially recognized this week for leading the pharmaceutical industry by saving energy and money while combating changing climate.

"Energy Star certified manufacturing plants are leading their industries by advancing energy efficiency and making cost-saving improvements while combating climate change," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Through their work with EPA, the 2014 Energy Star manufacturing plants are demonstrating that making sustainability and energy efficiency improvements is a smart business decision."

Energy Star certified plants are independently verified on an annual basis to have reached the top 25 percent of energy performance for their industries nationwide. Among these are plants from the auto assembly, cement manufacturing, corn refining, food processing, glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and petroleum refining industries.

The Elkhorn facility has worked to reduce energy consumption through a number of energy efficiency projects within the last five years. These projects include the installation of reverse osmosis unit systems for the steam boilers, installation of a high-efficient modulating burner in an 80-horsepower boiler, installation of motion sensors in labs and offices, replacement of 10 old air handling units with high-efficient ones, replacement of two old-technology variable frequency drive pumps in a chilled water system, and replacement of 19-year old incinerator. Additionally, the facility has instituted a turn-off light program.

The overall reverse osmosis units' systems projects have an average energy savings of $44,000 per year while the high-efficient modulating burner replacement project resulted in a 30-percent emissions reduction.

The Merck Animal Health manufacturing facility in Elkhorn earned the Energy Star for the first time in 2009.

EPA provides industry-specific Energy Star plant benchmarking tools to help industries measure energy performance. These are available or under development for more than 20 manufacturing sectors. Energy Star benchmarks enable companies to compare a plant's energy performance against those of its industry and empower manufacturers to set informed improvement goals.

Together, the 70 manufacturing plants recognized this week by Energy Star saved a record amount of energy, cut their energy bills by $725 million, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 8 million metric tons - equivalent to the annual total energy use of more than 650,000 households. From implementing corporate energy management programs to implementing energy efficiency projects, there are many ways plants can save energy with EPA's Energy Star program.

Since the inception of EPA's Energy Star certification, a total of 139 manufacturing plants have achieved this distinction. These plants have saved over 530 trillion British thermal units (TBtu) in energy, equal to preventing more than 36 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and saving enough energy to provide the total yearly energy needs of approximately 3 million American households.