OREANDA-NEWS. General Motors earned the highest recognition a corporation can receive from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – its 2013 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence award for energy management. 

“Our contributions to energy efficiency don’t end with the vehicles we produce,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “How we build them matters, too.” 

In 2012, GM improved the energy efficiency of U.S. operations by 11 percent over 2011, and saved USD 20 million in energy costs. The 280,000 metric tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions is equivalent to annual emissions from 52,900 passenger vehicles. GM’s goal is to reduce energy intensity from all of its U.S. facilities by 20 percent by 2020.

“Everyone involved – from executives to the plant level – understands the importance of a solid energy efficiency strategy,” said Al Hildreth, GM energy manager. “With tactics for conserving energy built into our day-to-day operations, it has become a standard aspect of our manufacturing process.”

Since being recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2012, GM has worked to improve its energy performance. The number of plants that met the ENERGY STAR® Challenge for Industry jumped from 30 to 54; the company earned ENERGY STAR® certification for two assembly plants, four warehouses and an office building.

“GM leads the field with its commitment to energy efficiency and demonstrates how all Americans can save energy, save money, and create a healthier environment,” said Bob Perciasepe, acting administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Additional 2012 accomplishments included:
Tracking energy use on a real-time basis for U.S. manufacturing sites resulted in nearly 2.5 million points of energy data, which are monitored every minute to create real-time energy performance indicators.
Managing energy in its operations by retro-commissioning two assembly plants’ heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to save USD 5 million in 2012, and applying similar processes elsewhere in the United States to save USD 3 million.