Purdue says participating companies will be required to provide $5,000 toward the cost of these services. Industrial facilities with a commitment to worker training, industry best practices and energy efficiency will receive primary consideration.

Press Release

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Companies with high fuel bills have an opportunity to reduce energy consumption and cut costs.

Purdue University's Technical Assistance Program Energy Efficiency Services is accepting applications from industrial facilities with annual energy costs greater than $1 million to participate in the pilot Industrial Assessment Initiative program. The three companies selected will receive an energy savings assessment, energy efficiency training and implementation assistance.

"These services are estimated to have a value of between $10,000 and $15,000," said Ethan Rogers, Energy Efficiency Services manager. "Rather than provide just an energy audit, we will train your team to identify and evaluate energy efficient projects. We'll even help them put those projects into action. We recently helped one company save $175,000 a year in natural gas costs through a similar initiative."

Energy specialists will guide teams through an assessment of single energy-intensive systems such as compressed air, steam, process heating, pumps and fans. Teams then will receive a day of intensive training on best practices, including how to reduce energy consumption through low-cost and no-cost actions. The specialists also will train and assist teams in conducting a cost-benefit analysis, creating a project proposal and implementing an energy savings project.

Applicants also should identify an energy intensive system, such as a boiler and steam system, furnace, oven or compressed air system that uses more than $250,000 a year in electricity and/or natural gas. This system will become the focus of the assessment, training and implementation assistance.

Applications, which are due Sept. 30, can be downloaded from the TAP Web site at: http://www.purdue.edu/TAP. Click on Energy Efficiency Services and then on Industrial Assessment Initiative. Awardees will be contacted by Oct. 15.

TAP specialists will provide assessments by March 31. Energy teams will receive training, mentoring and assistance in developing projects through June 30.

The Industrial Assessment Initiative program is supported by a $25,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program and is performed under contract to the Indiana Office of Energy & Defense Development.

Source: Purdue University