US Vice President Kamala Harris Visits Wisconsin ITAC
In May 2021, US Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted the Industrial Assessment Center (ITAC). When Harris visited the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she confirmed to promote the Biden administration’s planned investment in American infrastructure.
Harris talked at a small roundtable discussion about what the $2.3 trillion legislative package would mean for sustainable energy, research innovation, and education, and she toured some of the energy research labs in the College of Engineering & Applied Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to highlight a clean energy economy.
The discussion focused on Milwaukee where the city had once been the machine shop of the nation. But now, the area needs smart investments in energy and manufacturing to create the innovations necessary to solve current-day problems.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ROUNDTABLE:
Strengthening America's Manufacturing and Industrial Workforce
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) hosted a roundtable on March 8, 2021 to discuss how the Department’s Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITACs) are helping small- and medium-sized manufacturers improve energy efficiency, create jobs, and reduce their carbon footprints.
Featuring guest speaker Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm and moderated by Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman.
Roundtable participants:
- Hannah Atkins, Technology Engineer, Clearon Corporation (West Virginia)
- Brian DeLuca, Director, New Jersey Clean Energy Program, Commercial & Industrial Programs, TRC Companies (New Jersey)
- Marco Gonzalez, Corporate Energy Manager. Waupaca Foundry (Wisconsin)
- Dr. Sachin Nimbalkar, Group Leader, Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Research & Analysis, Group. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Tennessee)
- Farah Nourin, Graduate Student. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ITAC team (Wisconsin ITAC)
- Dr. Julie Sieving, Co-Director, University of Utah ITAC and founding member, ITAC Women for Energy Efficiency (WE2) initiative (Utah ITAC)
- John Smegal, ITAC program Manager. Advanced Manufacturing Office. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (Washington. D.C.)
Everyone Wins with Tennessee Tech University Industrial Assessment Center Program
Launched in 2006, the TTU-ITAC program provides manufacturers in the state with free energy, productivity, and waste assessments – including best practices for compressed air systems, and blowers and vacuum, as well as cooling towers and chillers. The assessments to date have provided manufacturers in the program with $27.48 million in recommended cost savings, equaling 3.82 trillion British thermal units of energy savings.
Engineering Students and Alumni Recognized for Distinguished Achievement in Helping Businesses Save Energy and Money
We are pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Industrial Assessment Center (ITAC) Outstanding Student and Distinguished Alumni Awards. These awards recognize students and alumni who have made a significant impact through their work in energy efficiency and outstanding accomplishments in promoting the practices and principles of energy engineering.
This year’s winners are:Chad Dunkel (Boise State University ITAC) - Outstanding ITAC Engineering Student Awardee
Cameron Lancaster (Indiana University-Purdue University ITAC) - Distinguished Alumni Awardee (Early Career Category)
Lizzie Grobbel (University of Michigan ITAC) - Distinguished Alumni Awardee (Early Career Category)
Steve Mulqueen (University of Dayton ITAC) - Distinguished Alumni Awardee
Dr. Eric Woodroof (Oklahoma State University ITAC) - Distinguished Alumni Awardee
Chandra Gopalakrishnan (West Virginia University ITAC) - Distinguished Alumni Awardee
USDOE AMO Celebrates 40 Years of Industrial Assessment Center Program at Capitol Hill Event
The Advanced Manufacturing Office’s Industrial Assessment Center (ITAC) program was recognized during a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). Speakers commended the significant impact that the ITAC program has on manufacturers and students alike. The Department of Energy's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Dr. Kathleen Hogan, highlighted the important role that the ITACs play in addressing an underserved population of small- and medium-sized manufacturers. Other speakers included Dr. Michael R. Muller, ITAC technical field manager at Rutgers University; Bert Hill, Volvo Group North America; and Dr. Sudhakar Neti, Founding Director and current Assistant Director of the Lehigh University ITAC.
To read more about this event, read the blog here
Industrial Assessment Center Program Helps Veterans Learn Valuable Energy Management Skills
U.S. soldiers are participating in an Energy Department supported program that provides hands-on education for engineering jobs. The Industrial Assessment Center (ITAC) program, is open to all engineering students at participating colleges and universities, but many veterans find that they can use the program to further develop many skills they obtained through their service.
Full Article: http://energy.gov/eere/articles/industrial-assessment-center-program-helps-veterans-learn-valuable-energy-management
Picture to the left: Military veterans Daniel Barclay (top left), Keith Striby (bottom left) and Youseff Elkassis (bottom right) are three examples of military participants in the Energy Department’s Industrial Assessment Center program that is helping prepare these soldiers for life outside the military as engineers.
[CLOSED] Energy Department Announces Funding to Train Engineers, Provide Energy Assessments for Small- and Medium-sized Manufacturers
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced approximately $35 million in funding, subject to congressional appropriations, to assist small- and medium-sized U.S. manufacturers with increasing their energy efficiency, productivity, sustainability and competitiveness and to help address the shortage of engineering professionals with applied energy-related skills. The Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) program provides hands-on training and extensive education for undergraduate and graduate engineering students in manufacturing processes, energy assessment procedures, and energy management systems.
Led by engineering faculty, the selected ITACs will perform on-site assessments at small- and medium-sized manufacturing business partners, currently defined as having gross annual sales below $100 million, fewer than 500 employees, and annual energy bills between $100,000 and $2.5 million.
To view additional details about this funding opportunity, please click here.
West Virginia ITAC receives Governor's Award of Excellence
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin presented the West Virginia University (WVU) Industrial Assessment Center with the Governor’s Award of Excellence for Enabling Industrial Energy Efficiency. The award was presented during the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day at the state capitol in Charleston, West Virginia.
ITAC Director Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan, accepted the award on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. The award was given in appreciation of ITAC’s more than 400 energy assessments in West Virginia, resulting in reduced energy costs of approximately $2 million for West Virginia manufacturers.
Senator Shaheen and AMO Director Mark Johnson with a group of current and former ITAC students at the 40th year celebration.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen hosts celebration honoring the ITAC program's 40th year
A tireless champion for the ITACs mission to help small and medium-sized manufacturers save energy, reduce waste and water use, and improve productivity, Senator Shaheen praised the successes of ITAC directors and students alike, stating “university teams under the ITAC program have conducted more than 17,000 energy assessments at U.S. manufacturing plants nationwide, helping to save enough energy to power 1.4 million homes. Moreover, ITACs have saved participating manufacturers more than $1 billion in energy costs. An estimated 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions have been avoided due to ITAC assessments, which is equivalent to the emissions from more than 1.2 million cars.”
University of Dayton ITAC awarded 2015 ITAC Center of the Year
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the University of Dayton's Industrial Assessment Center the 2015 Center of the Year Award. It's the second time the center has won the award (2003).
Since 1981, the University of Dayton's center, using teams of students and faculty, has performed more than 900 assessments, helping manufacturers reduce their energy use by about 7 percent. In a typical year, the center saves companies the equivalent electricity use of 1,300 houses and the equivalent natural gas use of 280 houses.
President Obama visits Miami ITAC Center
In February 2012, President Obama highlighted the Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) as a smart and important piece of the administration's "all-of-the-above" approach to domestic energy sources.
President Obama said, "We're taking a step that will make it easier for companies to save money by investing in energy solutions that have been proven here at the University of Miami -- new lighting systems; advanced heating and cooling systems that can lower a company's energy bills and make them more competitive."