Energy Squad
This article focuses on the fact that even as energy and commodity cost increases, working efficiently has been made a bigger priority than ever for small manufacturers, wherein the power consumption is being scaled back. The share of the United States’ energy supply going to industry has dropped steadily over the past few decades. Returns on energy-saving investments are pretty good, but proposals for making those sorts of investments are often held to an incredibly high standard. The recommendations that are most often adopted, such as reducing the temperature of water used in a process or repairing leaks in lines and valves, pay back the initial investment in a couple of months. While energy costs can be cut significantly—even easily—it is an expense that many managers find easy to overlook. For most manufacturers, the cost of energy accounts for just a small percentage of their overall expenses.