Sectors

In early 2010, the Oregon State University Energy Efficiency Center (OSU EEC) adopted a practice of developing sector organized energy saving opportunities to help industries easily identify and quantify potential energy savings available to them.  Sectors have been broken down according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) developed by the United States Census Bureau.

Following is a list of sectors that are currently being served by the OSU EEC.

Agricultural:  In recent years the agricultural sector has seen significant growth in energy service needs.  Agricultural operations can use various technologies and resources to help reduce their energy consumption and environmental impact while improving their financial situation.

Industrial:  Now more than ever, promoting energy efficiency is critical in a time of faltering economy.  The industrial section mainly focuses on issues that would be found in a manufacturing setting including but not limited to thermal, combustion, and motor systems.

Commercial: While not as energy intensive as the industrial or agricultural sectors, the great number of commercial facilites offer a multitude of opportunities to save energy.  Many of these opportunities involve heating, cooling, lighting and insulation but also available are some renewable energy options.

Institutional:  The large number of high use buildings that typically accompany large institutions provides ample opportunities to save energy.  Because of the large number of people that use these buildings, the main opportunities for savings are utility based (heating, cooling, hot water, lighting).

Residential:  There are a large number of ways that homeowners can cut back on energy usage and save on utility bills.  While many of these opportunities are small in savings, the shear number of opportunities available to homeowners combine to provide substantial savings.