Energy Efficiency and Pollution Prevention: Industrial Efficiency Strategies

For many years, efforts to promote energy efficiency and pollution prevention (P2) traveled on separate, parallel paths. Most energy efficiency proponents considered only energy savings aspects of their projects and most P2 proponents did not include energy as a pollution source. More and more, however, the synergies between energy efficiency and P2 have become more apparent. Energy efficiency projects often have non-energy P2 benefits and P2 projects often save energy. Expanding projects to consider both energy efficiency and P2 enhances the financial viability of these types of projects because they allow businesses to minimize costs by using resources more efficiently. This paper discusses case studies of projects and companies that have successfully combined energy efficiency and pollution prevention technologies and strategies to enhance the environment, productivity and the bottom line