Mack Trucks – Rohini Sankapal – 2011

Goals

Rohini Sankapal spent her summer in Macungie, PA, where she was asked to evaluate industrial energy efficiency projects for Mack Trucks, one of the largest manufacturers of heavy-duty off-road trucks in the nation.

Solutions

Since Volvo worldwide set high carbon emissions reduction and usage reduction targets, Mack Truck facilities started initiating energy efficient projects in 2003. Sankapal was able to identify further industrial efficiency projects pertaining to facility heating, compressed air and motor systems that have the potential to reduce Mack trucks CO2 emissions by 18.7 percent. Sankapal analyzed the existing facility energy usage consumption at Macungie, PA and developed a tool incorporating best practices for monitoring current energy usage consumption for future strategizing. The other identified projects ranged from low-hanging fruit to innovative solutions in the energy efficiency arena. One of the best examples of low-hanging fruit in an industrial setting was identified in the form of compressed air savings throughout the facility – at least $33,000 annually with less than $9000 worth of initial capital investment. All together, the industrial efficiency initiatives would reduce GHG consumption by 18.7 percent annually in line with Volvo’s 12 percent emissions reductions goal.

Potential Impact

The proposed projects could save the company $253,000 in annual cost savings and avoid 8,000 metric tons in C02 emissions annually.