Within several decades, manufacturing facilities will need to achieve net-zero energystatus in order to achieve climate and energy goals that are being discussed by the scientific andlegislative community. Successfully overcoming the associated technical, economic, and policychallenges requires that potential paths to achieving net-zero energy manufacturing (NZEM) andtheir costs be conceptualized and discussed now. Despite the critical importance, relativeimmediacy, and difficulty of achieving NZEM, there has been little direct discussion or pursuitof how to achieve this end.In this paper, definitions of NZEM will be discussed along with related terms. Next,several small light-manufacturing facilities that have or are attempting to achieve net-zero energyuse, and the technologies and strategies these facilities used will be briefly reviewed. Then, amethodology for examining industrial processes for NZEM will be proposed. Finally, this paperwill discuss potential paths and corresponding project economics towards net-zeromanufacturing for several anonymous but real manufacturing processes. Concepts from theliterature such as lean energy and theoretical minimum energy use will be involved.Additionally, this paper will discuss technological and financial challenges for each exampleprocess. For each case, approximate implementation costs and savings will be discussed.
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