U.S. Department of Energy Recognizes Polaris Industries for Achieving 50001 Ready Status

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes Polaris Industries for achieving 50001 Ready recognition for its third year. Headquartered in Medina, Minnesota, Polaris manufactures a diverse range of powersport vehicles, such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). As a company dedicated to helping outdoor enthusiasts enjoy their passions, the company understands the importance of environmental protection and sustainable manufacturing practices.

DOE’s 50001 Ready program provides no-cost tools and guidance for facilities to implement energy management systems that help lower energy use, cost, and emissions. The 50001 Ready Navigator online software tool and its contents have been developed by the United States Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a free, on-line, easy to use tool for the purposes of supporting users in establishing an energy management system to plan, identify, prioritize, and implement projects to improve energy performance based upon ISO 50001 energy management system standard. The Department offers formal recognition when companies self-attest completion of the 25 tasks contained in the 50001 Ready Navigator tool. Each task provides step-by-step guidance that is grouped into seven sections targeting the context of an organization, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement to help organizations develop a tailored energy management system.

Managing energy is fundamental to a facility’s efforts to control its climate impacts. Improved energy efficiency translates into material efficiency, water efficiency, and less waste. At the national level, systematic energy management by industrial, institutional, and commercial facilities, many of which have very energy-intensive processes, is a fundamental step on the nation’s path to a clean energy future.

Huntsville, Alabama is home to the newest and largest of Polaris’ ten U.S. manufacturing facilities. Its plant sits on a campus of more than 500 acres. Polaris’ energy-management system implementation covers 950,000-square-feet of built space and all activities that entail energy performance. The plant’s approximately 1,350 employees produce off-road and on-road vehicles. 

One year after implementing its energy management system, the Huntsville plant saved at least 2.6 million kWh, largely through simple operational changes in 2019. In 2020, the facility has achieved total energy savings of nearly 3.56 million kWh, as well as cost savings of $863,211, including utility rebates. In 2021, even recovering from the pandemic and production increases, the facility has achieved total energy savings of nearly 546,926 kWh, as well as cost savings of $272,207, including utility rebates.

Learn more about how Polaris Industries improved its energy management practices through 50001 Ready, which is managed by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office.

Learn about the 50001 Ready Program here: /50001ready and explore the 50001 Ready Navigator tool: https://navigator.lbl.gov/