WAUPACA – Waupaca Foundry has received a 2017 Excellence in Energy Efficiency Award from Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program.

The Waupaca-based business is the world’s largest iron foundry and a national leader in energy management.

When Waupaca Foundry Plant 1 achieved certification to the ISO 50001 International Standard for Energy Management Systems in 2016 it was just the second Wisconsin facility (and the only United States based foundry) to receive such certification.

“By implementing and maintaining ISO 50001 certification, Waupaca Foundry is demonstrating its commitment to improving its energy performance, staying globally competitive and maintaining jobs in Wisconsin,” said Wisconsin Public Service Commissioner Lon Roberts.

This commitment to energy efficiency placed it among 15 elite recipients that received the Excellence in Energy Efficiency Award from Focus on Energy and Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission.

Energy is one of the largest costs of manufacturing with an annual price tag of about $180,000,000, across all Waupaca Foundry locations.

“By continually improving our environmental sustainability, we are not only reducing our impact on the environment but remaining competitive in a global marketplace," said Bryant Esch, environmental coordinator for Waupaca Foundry.

With support and guidance from Focus on Energy and Wisconsin Public Service, Waupaca Foundry completed a series of equipment upgrades that saved more than 4.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 250,000 therms of natural gas.

• Inefficient lighting throughout the plant’s manufacturing, office and employee areas was retrofitted with more than 800 energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures.
• Outdated compressors were replaced with new, more efficient models throughout the plant. At the same time, ductwork and additional equipment was installed to capture waste heat to be used to heat buildings during cold weather.
• Electric and natural gas metering was converted to a new energy management system.

The projects were made possible by custom and prescriptive incentives provided by Focus on Energy, a statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy program funded by participating Wisconsin utilities.

A charter member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Plants Program, Waupaca Foundry had a long and effective history of effective energy management prior to ISO certification.

Waupaca Foundry employs about 4,400 people and uses state-of-the-art technology to produce ductile iron and gray iron castings. It services the automotive, commercial vehicle, agriculture, construction and industrial markets as North America’s leading supplier of iron castings. Four of the company’s seven manufacturing facilities are located in Wisconsin (three in Waupaca, one in Marinette).

A list of all 2017 Excellence in Energy Efficiency Award recipients is available here.

About ISO 50001
The 12-month intensive effort prior to certification included creating and implementing a program management structure, identifying and implementing energy efficiency opportunities, gathering and analyzing data to gauge energy consumption and performance, undertaking energy-related training and communications effort, and conducting an internal audit to identify and fix shortcomings relative to the ISO standard.

About Waupaca Foundry, Inc.
Waupaca Foundry, Inc., North America’s leading supplier of iron castings to the automotive, commercial vehicle, agriculture, construction, and industrial markets, produces gray iron castings, ductile iron castings, HNM™ series high-strength ductile iron, and austempered ductile iron castings using state of-the-art processes and technology. The manufacturer also specializes in precision machining and assembly. Waupaca Foundry is headquartered in Waupaca, Wisconsin and operates seven iron foundries located in Waupaca and Marinette, Wisconsin, Tell City, Indiana, Etowah, Tennessee, and Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The company operates two machining and assembly plants in Effingham, Illinois, and Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Waupaca Foundry employs approximately 4,400 people. For more information, visit www.waupacafoundry.com