Manufacturers continue to face rising energy costs and pressure to reduce emissions, yet many still struggle to move forward with efficiency upgrades. High consulting fees, limited internal expertise and slow approvals for capital projects often block investments that could yield measurable financial and environmental benefits.
Google has launched a free Energy Assessment tool designed to lower these barriers. The self-service platform allows manufacturing facilities and plant managers to identify potential savings without hiring external auditors or relying on in-house energy specialists. “Our goal is to create an easy-to-use, data-driven way to identify potential energy efficiency projects,” the company states.
Users enter basic facility data and receive customized recommendations across more than 20 categories, including air compressors, boilers, chillers, lighting, equipment upgrades, operational adjustments and on-site solar. A portfolio feature allows companies operating multiple plants to compare facilities and prioritize investment sequencing.
Collaboration tools enable teams to work jointly on assessments and invite upstream suppliers, with the aim of expanding efficiency gains across supply chains. Google notes that the platform was built and is managed by a third party, reviewed to meet privacy and security standards, and allows suppliers to control access to their information while sharing only summary metrics such as total potential savings.
The platform supports English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Thai, and Vietnamese to facilitate use in major manufacturing regions. Its design aligns with energy regulations emerging across Asia, where industrial power consumption represents a significant share of national electricity demand.
The launch comes as global industry data shows substantial untapped potential for efficiency improvements. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that efficiency remains the lowest-cost near-term decarbonization measure, yet it is often overlooked. An analysis of 10,000 US industrial facilities shows that energy required to produce the same sales volume varies widely within individual subsectors. For example, energy consumption can differ by a factor of five for plastic bag production and by a factor of seven for brick manufacturing. Similar variations appear in sectors such as milk, ceramic tiles and plastic bottles.
Across IEA countries, the most efficient cement plants use 52% less energy than the least efficient, and energy intensity in ammonia production can vary by 144% within a single country. Benchmarking also shows a 67% variation in electric arc furnace steel production. These differences indicate that many firms could reduce costs and improve resource use by adopting efficiency measures.
The IEA estimates that if all industrial firms matched the energy intensity of the top 25% performers in their subsectors, energy costs could fall by as much as an estimated US$600 billion. Firms that embed energy management practices can uncover average savings of 5% to 11% in heavy industry and 10% to 18% in lighter industry early in implementation, with cumulative long-term potential reaching 40% to 60%.
Benefits extend beyond energy bills. Efficiency measures can reduce equipment downtime, lower maintenance requirements and decrease waste output. A pilot assessment in European companies found that nearly 40% reported reduced unplanned downtime after implementing efficiency upgrades. An IEA survey of 1,000 firms shows that respondents believe 13% percent of unplanned downtime can be avoided through such measures. A separate survey of more than 15,000 European firms found that efficiency investments were associated with labor productivity increases of 1.4 to 3.6%.
Financial returns also remain strong. In a 2025 IEA survey of 1,000 industrial facilities worldwide, about 70% of respondents said efficiency investments made in the past five years generated returns above 10%. Nearly 80 % reported that efficiency would provide a competitive advantage over the next five years.
Google positions its new tool as a way to accelerate this progress by lowering initial assessment costs and giving more firms access to structured opportunities. “The journey to a more sustainable future is a shared one. By equipping our partners with the right resources, we can accelerate progress, reduce costs, and build a more resilient and sustainable supply chain for everyone,” the company notes.