January 22, 2008

Companies needed to participate in energy audits

The audits, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program, will help companies identify how to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption and carbon emissions. TAP's Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center will work with the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development to identify and recruit facilities with energy expenditures in excess of $1 million per year. They will receive three-day energy audits by a U.S. Department of Energy qualified specialist on one or two energy intensive systems.

"There are many ways to meet our state's future energy needs," said Ryan Brown, Energy Division manager for the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development. "One of them is to help Indiana businesses reduce their energy usage. That task starts with awareness and education."

Purdue experts also will provide audited companies with follow-up technical and implementation assistance.

"We not only want to help companies identify ways to save energy, but we also want to help them actually do it," said Ethan Rogers, Purdue Technical Assistance Program energy efficiency services manager. "Companies will improve their competitiveness through reduced costs, employees will learn new skills and the environment will benefit through reduced emissions."

Indiana is one of 19 states to share $950,000 in federal grant money for the Save Energy Now initiative. The grant will fund 96 industrial plant assessments throughout the country. Other states that will participate in energy audits include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the Save Energy Now initiative has completed 388 large-plant assessments, implemented energy-saving improvements of nearly $83 million, identified natural gas savings of nearly 57 trillion Btu per year, and reduced total potential carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 5 million tons per year since the program's inception in 2005.

Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu

Sources:   Ethan Rogers, (317) 275-6817, earogers@purdue.edu

Eric Burch, Office of Energy & Defense Development communications director, (317) 232-8944, eburch@oed.in.gov

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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