Department of Energy Seeks Stakeholder Input on Industry Uptake of Energy Management Systems that Use Smart Manufacturing Technologies

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a Request for Information (RFI) to identify the challenges and opportunities posed by the widespread implementation of energy-management systems that use smart manufacturing technologies.

Improving the efficiency of energy-intensive processes at manufacturing facilities is a fundamental step on the path to industrial decarbonization. Structured energy-management systems, such as those aligned with the global International Organization on Standardization (ISO) 50001 standard, are proven to yield deep and sustained energy savings.

Smart manufacturing technologies, including advanced sensors, controls, software platforms, and data analytics, allow manufacturers to further optimize their use of energy and materials. However, the adoption of energy-management systems that use smart manufacturing technologies is uneven across the industrial sector and geographic regions.

Through this RFI, DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, utilities, energy-efficiency program administrators, and other stakeholders on:

• The current uptake of smart manufacturing technologies and energy-management systems
• How future use of smart manufacturing technologies and energy-management systems will affect the national and international competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing 
• The availability and features of existing technical assistance resources on energy-management systems and smart manufacturing technologies for manufacturers
• Methods to accelerate manufacturers’ uptake and integration of energy-management systems that use smart manufacturing technologies    
• Opportunities for state and utility efficiency programs to accelerate the adoption of smart manufacturing technologies and energy-management systems by manufacturers

DOE is specifically interested in energy efficiency programs that could provide training and technical assistance on smart manufacturing and energy-management systems to manufacturers with limited capabilities. Responses to this RFI will inform DOE’s research and development portfolio for materials and manufacturing process technologies that support energy savings and cost reduction goals.

DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office issued this RFI. Responses are due no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on July 30, 2021. Interested stakeholders can view the full RFI and submission guidelines here.