A Team Based Approach to Energy Management

Nels Andersen, Franklin Energy Services
Jerry Eaton, Masters' Academy
Tim Dantoin, SAIC

Keywords

Abstract

Mercury Marine, headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is the world’s leading manufacturer of marine propulsion systems. Facing increasing competition, rising costs, and smaller margins, Mercury Marine identifies ways to reduce costs and improve their profitability. This is not unique to Mercury Marine, as all American manufacturers are faced with the same issues. However, what is unique to Mercury Marine is their proactive approach to reducing energy cost and improving energy efficiency throughout their plants. Since 2000, they have reduced demand by 4 MW and saved 35M kWh by replacing inefficient equipment and processes. Starting in early 2006 they formed an energy management team encompassing their Wisconsin operations to increase the energy saving effort. This paper will document how they have achieved their success and can serve as a roadmap for other manufacturers to implement energy management teams.
The core components to Mercury Marine’s success are:

Upper management that is committed to managing energy.
Capitalization on early projects that successfully show the effectiveness of energy efficiency.
A clear understanding of how they use energy.
Creating ownership for energy use.
An empowered energy management team.