Saving Energy and Reducing Costs for Small and Medium-sized US Manufacturers
The US DOE Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITACs) can help small and medium sized US manufacturers save energy, improve productivity, and reduce waste by providing no-cost technical assessments conducted by university based teams of engineering students and faculty.
Saving Energy and Reducing Costs for Small and Medium-sized US Manufacturers
The US DOE Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITACs) can help small and medium sized US manufacturers save energy, improve productivity, and reduce waste by providing no-cost technical assessments conducted by university based teams of engineering students and faculty.
After the site visit, the ITAC team provides a comprehensive report with specific details on all opportunities for improving competitiveness identified, including applicable rebates and incentives.
The ITAC program has conducted 22,001 assessments with 162,520 associated recommendations. Average recommended yearly savings per assessment is $142,002.
ITAC Assessments Cover ALL Manufacturing Sectors
| NAICS | Asmts | |
|---|---|---|
| 311 | Food Manufacturing | 1,222 |
| 312 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 288 |
| 313 | Textile Mills | 129 |
| 314 | Textile Product Mills | 71 |
| 315 | Apparel Manufacturing | 51 |
| 316 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 10 |
| 321 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 442 |
| 322 | Paper Manufacturing | 371 |
| 323 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 242 |
| 324 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 115 |
| 325 | Chemical Manufacturing | 713 |
| 326 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 1,029 |
| 327 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 362 |
| 331 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 554 |
| 332 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 1,359 |
| 333 | Machinery Manufacturing | 815 |
| 334 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 393 |
| 335 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 281 |
| 336 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 877 |
| 337 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 229 |
| 339 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 334 |
ITAC Program History
Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (formerly called the Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Centers) were created by the Department of Commerce in 1976 in response to the oil embargo and rising energy costs. The program was specifically focused on helping small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities cut back on unnecessary costs from inefficient energy use.
The ITAC program was moved to the Department of Energy just after it was formed in 1978 and was later expanded to include evaluations of ineffective production procedures, excess waste production, and other production-related problems. More recent additions to the ITAC program scope include improving cybersecurity awareness, exploring smart manufacturing technologies, and implementing comprehensive energy management systems.
Currently, the ITAC program is administered through the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains at the Department of Energy.
ITAC Program Awards
ITAC Center of the Year Awards
| Awarded | Center | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
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| 2023 |
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| 2022 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2020 |
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Student Research Awards
| Awarded | Center/Research Title | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
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Arizona State University ITAC: A Study on Compressed Air System Performance: Evaluating the Role of Master Controllers in Energy Efficiency and Cost Reduction |
| 2023 |
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University of Alabama ITAC: Noninvasive Water Flow Measurement in Industrial Cooling Towers |
| 2023 |
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University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee ITAC: Harnessing Organic Waste Streams for Efficient Hydrogen Production and Water Treatment |
| 2023 |
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West Virginia University ITAC: Energy Impact on Manufacturing Aggregate Planning for SME under Conditions of Dynamic Pricing of Utilities |
| 2023 |
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University of Illinois, Chicago ITAC: Planning and Operation Co-Optimization of PV-battery System in Manufacturing Facilities |
| 2023 |
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University of Dayton ITAC: Development of a Machine-Learning Basis for Assessment of Compressed Air System Performance Conditions |
| 2023 |
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San Diego State University ITAC: Application of the cold stream of a Ranque-Hilsch vortex flow for Nox reduction while using the hot air stream to enhance combustion efficiency |
| 2023 |
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University of Utah ITAC: Increasing the Accessibility of Industrial Electric Load Profile Data: Tools for Organization and Benchmarking |
ITAC Resources
ITAC Assessment Protocol
The following guidelines are designed to describe the process of a typical ITAC energy assessment.View Assessment Protocol
ITAC Case Studies
These case studies highlight specific assessments with notable recommendations and implementation.View All Case Studies
ITAC Related Published Papers
The ITAC centers published multiple papers each years based on and inspired by ITAC related activities.View All Published Papers
ITAC Technical Documents
Includes ITAC program manuals, guidelines, and other related technical documents.View All Technical Documents
ITAC Webinars
Webinars about various program and energy assessment related technologies and topics.View All ITAC Webinars
ITAC 101 Courses
Course topics and related quizzes cover a variety of fundamental industrial energy technologies.All ITAC 101 Courses and Quizzes
ITAC Database
A collection of all the publicly available assessment and recommendation data is available online in the Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) Database. This includes information on the type of facility assessed (size, industry, energy usage, etc.) and details of resulting recommendations (type, energy & dollars savings etc.).
As of 12/21/2024, the ITAC database contains: The Database can be searched by:- Assessments: Industry Type, Size, Year, Energy Costs, Products
- Recommendations: Type, Savings, Cost, Implemented
- Industry Type: NAICS and SIC
- And a Recommendation Type Index is available for all assessment recommendation codes (ARC)
- An ITAC Activity Map of nationwide locations of assessments and recommendations
- Assessment Results Statistics based on customizable filters
- Recommendation Implementation Rates charted by center, years, or state
- Filterable Payback Ranges by industry type
- Top Ten lists of assessments and recommendations generated for specific criteria
The ITAC database data is also available for download.