A failed steam trap can let valuable heat escape. A compressed-air system can use more electricity than the work requires. At PPG’s Oak Creek facility, finding those problems has become part of the job of keeping the plant running efficiently. The team regularly reviews equipment, brings in specialists and follows through on improvements. Each completed project helps inform what to tackle next. That steady attention, supported by FOCUS ON ENERGY® and We Energies, earned PPG Oak Creek a 2026 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award. It also supports the facility’s goal of decreasing energy use by 1.5% each year.
“The team identifies waste, tests the opportunity and makes the improvement, and then confirms the savings at the back end,” said Jolene Sheil of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
Finding Savings in the Steam System
PPG has expanded its work with Focus on Energy since 2018, building energy efficiency into everyday operations. Annual steam-trap audits and repairs are a practical example of that approach.
Steam traps remove water that forms as steam cools while keeping useful steam in the system. When a trap fails open, steam can escape, wasting energy used to produce it. Finding and repairing those failures helps prevent ongoing losses and supports efficient boiler operation.
At PPG, inspections are followed by prompt repairs to failed or malfunctioning traps. Returning to the equipment each year helps the team catch new problems and maintain performance over time.
That routine gives the facility a way to act on its energy goal throughout the year. It also makes maintenance part of the larger effort to control operating costs.
Turning Assessments into Action
The plant’s compressed-air system shows how an initial finding can lead to a more detailed investigation and a series of improvements.
A We Energies energy assessment in 2023 identified significant opportunities in the system. PPG followed with a comprehensive compressed-air audit by Wasmer in 2024. Those findings helped guide projects in 2025 focused on compressor optimization and system efficiency.
Compressors use electricity to produce pressurized air. How the equipment operates, and how closely its output matches the facility’s needs, can make a substantial difference in energy use. A detailed audit helps a team understand where to concentrate its work.
PPG’s employees bring knowledge of the plant to that process. Team members including David Dicker and Scott Suarez help identify opportunities, carry out projects and sustain daily progress. Wasmer adds specialized technical expertise, while Focus on Energy Advisor Paul Kling works with the team as new energy-saving opportunities emerge.
Technical guidance and financial incentives from Focus on Energy support that work. The partnership gives PPG a resource to help develop projects and keep improvements moving.
“The Oak Creek team took the time to look carefully at its operation, identify ways of improving it, bring in technical expertise, and then actually put those ideas to action,” said State Rep. Jessie Rodriguez.
Savings That Add Up Every Year
Since 2018, PPG has completed projects expected to save nearly 6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than 97,000 therms of natural gas annually. That is enough energy to power 674 Oak Creek homes for a year.
For the facility, reducing waste means less energy needed to support its operations. The annual savings show how the benefits of equipment improvements can continue well beyond the work itself.
PPG has also made room for renewable energy by leasing part of its Oak Creek property to the local utility for a 1.83-megawatt solar array. The installation supports renewable electricity generation for the region, putting available land to use as part of the company’s broader sustainability efforts.
Together, the efficiency projects and solar partnership show the different ways a manufacturer can contribute by improving energy use within its operations and helping expand renewable generation in its community.
Investing in Oak Creek Students
PPG’s investment in the community also reaches local classrooms, where students can begin developing the problem-solving skills used inside facilities like the Oak Creek plant.
Through the PPG Foundation’s work with the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, Oak Creek West Middle School received support for a makerspace and laser engraver. The tools give students opportunities to design and create while exploring technology and engineering.
At Edgewood Elementary, funding supported STEM learning through an exploration day focused on science, technology, engineering and math concepts, and a build day centered on designing and creating a school garden.
The connection was personal for Focus on Energy Managing Director Erin Soman, who attended both schools. At the award ceremony, she recalled going on to study engineering and welcomed PPG’s support for hands-on learning in the schools she once attended.
Rodriguez connected those classroom experiences with the curiosity and practical problem-solving that help manufacturers improve their operations.
“In many ways, both of these investments are about preparing for the future,” Rodriguez said.
For PPG Plant Engineering Manager John Schmidt, the work also reflects the people behind each project. He thanked PPG staff, Focus on Energy, We Energies and the company’s collaborative partners for their efforts. Schmidt welcomed the opportunity to continue that work.
“And I’ve enjoyed working on every single one of those and look forward to working on many more. So thank you.”
