The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes the Daimler Truck North America Plant in Detroit® (Detroit® Plant) for its certification to the Superior Energy Performance 50001 (SEP 50001) program and additional Platinum-level achievement. The Detroit® Plant’s most recent achievement represents certification to SEP 50001 for three consecutive three-year certification cycles—and all at the Platinum level, the highest recognition. From 2016-2021, the plant saved $15.5 million by reducing energy use by 1,355,186 MMBTU, equivalent to 141,729 metric tons of CO2.
When initially engaging in the SEP 50001 program, the Detroit® Plant established a robust energy management system using ISO 50001. A multidisciplinary energy team was established, and the team took advantage of the facility’s existing lean manufacturing process (Kaizen principles), ISO 14001 environmental management system, and Six Sigma-trained specialists. Additional meters were installed throughout the facility to help the team better visualize energy flows, identify significant energy uses, and prioritize energy efficiency efforts. In addition, the organization focused on employee awareness and engagement to reinforce plant-wide commitment to energy sustainability. Approaches included virtual tools, onsite visuals, and use of a dedicated high-visibility area known as the “Green Corner.”
The Detroit® Plant's initial push to identify energy savings measures was successful but required resources and dedication. The plant focused on low-cost and no-cost projects for several years, but now find it more challenging to identify new energy savings opportunities. Most operations and maintenance projects have already been identified, and capital projects are difficult to implement because the facility does not have scheduled outages or downtime. Despite these challenges, the Detroit® Plant has continued to use ISO 50001 and SEP 50001 to measure and evaluate energy use and identify additional ways to reduce it, demonstrating that even companies with mature energy programs can benefit from these frameworks.
DOE’s SEP 50001 program, managed by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO), offers certification and elevated levels of recognition to facilities that achieve sustained excellence in energy management.
Learn more about how the Detroit® Plant’s energy management strategies and resulting benefits.