IAC Assessments

Tacoma Wastewater Treatment Plant

Energy Analysts take notes during a tour of the facility
The OSU IAC team identified notable cost savings in the following systems:
  • Natural gas production
  • Sludge heat exchangers
  • Yard water pump system
  • Odor control ventilation

$1,180,000

 

Annual Identified Cost Savings

<1 Year

 

Overall Payback Period

5

 

Recommended Opportunities

 
 

Deschutes Brewery

The OSU IAC team identified notable cost savings in the following systems:
  • CO2 recovery
  • Rinse nozzles
  • Blowers
  • Ventilation

$240,000

 

Total Identified Cost Savings

0.6 Years

 

Overall Payback Period

233,000

 

kWh Saved Annually

 
 

Frito-Lay (Pepsico)

The OSU IAC team identified notable cost savings in the following systems:
  • Suspended solids
  • Natural gas systems

$300,000+

 

Total Identified Cost Savings

32,000

 

Natural Gas MMBtus Saved Annually

6

 

Recommended Opportunities

 

 

 

IAC Nationally

As of July 2018, the national IAC program had conducted more than 18,000 assessments with over 130,000 associated recommendations, saving U.S. companies more than $2.4 billion through efficiency and productivity improvements.

The Oregon State University EEC/IAC has recommended more than $500 million in annual cost savings to over 700 manufacturers, forty-five percent of recommendations have been implemented, equaling $225 million in savings to manufacturers. The companies that implement our recommendations not only save money, but also help reduce pollution, 625 tons of CO2 a year are saved per facility on average.

 

Who Wins?

  • Industry

    Facilities who receive an assessment and implement recommendations:

    • improve process efficiency
    • reduce energy costs and waste; average energy savings are $20,000 annually and non energy savings are $98,000 annually
    • demonstrate their commitment to sustainability
  • Participating University Faculty

    Through the IACs, universities:

    • build valuable local industry relationships to maintain a practical focus in their engineering curriculum.

    • gain an edge in attracting and retaining top undergraduate and graduate engineering students.

  • Participating Students

    The next generation of energy-savvy engineers is being prepared in today's IAC program. Each year, 150 students participate nationally, gaining valuable hands-on experience that can jump-start their engineering careers:

    • collecting data on audits, making recommendations and preparing reports
    • build professional relationships with local industry
    • understand key industrial operations, systems, and processes
    • receive in-depth energy efficiency training from faculty and student mentors
  • U.S. Taxpayers

    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 medium-sized manufacturers--- a sector that accounts for over 50 percent of U.S. manufacturing employment. Other returns include:

    • enhanced energy security
    • environmental benefits from decreased energy and resource use
    • highly trained efficiency professionals

 

The primary objective of the IAC is to identify and evaluate opportunities for increased productivity, energy conservation and waste minimization through visits to industrial sites.