Sustainability efforts abound throughout the United States, and several are weaving together energy considerations with lean and clean manufacturing best practices. E3 is no exception in this regard. However, what makes E3 different from other programs is the collaborative support structure behind the initiative. E3 is supported by a Memorandum of Understanding (PDF, 5 pp, 1.63 MB) among federal agencies who share a common focus on sustainability. This collaborative approach has proven to be an excellent motivator for local technical resources to come together and provide optimal technical assistance to local small to medium-sized businesses. This avoids redundancies and provides a framework that local communities can use to access the expertise of each federal agency and its local affiliates involved in the initiative.
E3 and the Green Suppliers Network are complementary, but E3 focuses on communities, whereas the Green Suppliers Network focuses on Original Equipment Manufacturers and their supply chains. E3 and the Green Suppliers Network work hand-in-hand to make manufacturers’ business practices more profitable and efficient. In addition, both E3 and the Green Suppliers Network lay the foundation for job growth.
E3 emerged from our work with Green Suppliers Network, utilities and the manufacturing base. By adding energy efficiency and greenhouse gas estimations to an already proven lean and green assessment, we learned we could help manufacturing move more quickly on its path to sustainability.
E3 provides a unique opportunity for local governments to partner simultaneously with federal agencies and local manufacturers, and it provides a framework for meeting existing energy, environmental, and economic goals for your community. E3 projects have demonstrated their value by forming lasting relationships among local governments, utilities, and manufacturers and have proven to be profitable investments by the participating manufacturing facilities.
Many types of organizations can participate in the E3 process. Organizations eligible to participate in E3 include, but are not limited to, the following:
If you do not see your type of organization listed here, contact us to find out if you are eligible to start an E3 project in your area.
E3 is not a federal grant program. Its projects are typically funded by leveraging existing resources. E3 teams have secured funds from project participants who have a practical interest in improving the local manufacturing sector, or from federal funds already allocated and distributed to the communities.
You do. Your E3 project team will decide how to engage manufacturers and what the project’s priorities are. One of the first steps in an E3 project is to develop a charter that outlines the project goals and expectations and will help define each of the team member’s responsibilities. An E3 project coordinator will be available to help you decide on your project’s focus and develop the project charter.
Manufacturers should expect the energy assessment to take one full day and the lean and green assessments to take two or three days. These timeframes are typical of the review process, but might be adjusted, depending on the size of the facility and the scope of the review.
It is very important to have key personnel available for the day of the review. Staff that deal with the operations of the equipment are essential as well as the head of the facility, who would be responsible for making budgeting decisions for the facility. This could be the CEO or the manager of the facility.
The E3 review team will work with you to determine which data sources are required for the assessment. Below is a list of possible sources the review team may ask you to provide.
Manufacturers do. The E3 team will provide a report to management outlining a series of improvements that can be made, but it is up to the individual supplier what improvements they implement. The E3 Team is available to help with implementation or identification of other state programs to assist companies.
Yes. Facility-specific results will not be shared with any organization outside of the E3 Review team unless the facility agrees to do so (e.g., a case study). To provide public E3 data, facility data are separated from company names and aggregated with others across the country. These numbers become available after a minimum of five reviews have been conducted and in rolling batches of five reviews. All facility specific data are always kept confidential.