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History and Process

Located at 26 universities around the country, lACs provide no cost assessments to small and mid sized manufacturers. Students do the engineering measurements in auditing how each facility utilizes energy and resources. Then, with the guidance of their professors, they identify opportunities to save energy, reduce waste, and improve productivity. Since its inception in 1976 by the Department of Energy, Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) have:

• Educated thousands of senior undergraduate and graduate level engineering students on fundamentals of industrial energy and resource efficiency.
• Saved American companies more than $700 million through efficiency and productivity improvements.
• Enabled small and mid sized manufacturers to save enough energy to power a city the size of Boston for a year,
• Helped to create and maintain more than 1.5 million industry jobs in the United States.

Manufacturers enjoy fast results from IAC assessments, with minimal time investment.

Step 1: The university based IAC team conducts a survey, followed by a one to two day in plant audit of energy, waste, and productivity.

Step 2: Within 60 days, the plant manager receives a confidential report detailing the team's analysis and money saving recommendations, along with estimates of related costs, performance, and payback periods.

Step 3: In six to nine months, the IAC follows up with a phone call to the plant manager to see which, if any, recommendations were implemented.

On average, an IAC assessment yields recommendations that can save a manufacturing facility $55,000 annually. Payback on implementation costs averages a fast 12 months ... and the savings keep falling right to the bottom line, year after year.

Through the IACs, universities build valuable local industry relationships to maintain a practical focus in their engineering curriculum. They also gain an edge in attracting and retaining top undergraduate and graduate engineering students.

The next generation of energy savvy engineers is being prepared in today's IAC program. Each year, 150 students participate, gaining valuable hands on experience in auditing key industrial operations, systems, and processes experience that can jump start their engineering careers.

The Department of Energy's Office of Industrial Technologies provides financial and technical support to the IACs. The nation's economy benefits from more competitive small and mid sized manufacturers a sector that accounts for over 50 percent of U.S. manufacturing employment, Other returns? Enhanced energy security and environmental benefits from decreased energy and resource use.