Industries of the Future-West Virginia has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop an energy efficiency partnership among organizations and institutions in West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.
IOF -WV, a West Virginia University National ””:http://www.nrcce.wvu.edu/ Research ””:http://www.nrcce.wvu.edu/ Center for Coal and Energy program, was awarded a three-year $733,000 grant from the DOE s Industrial Technologies Program.
A network that includes IOF -WV, the WVU Industrial Assessment Center, Energy and Environmental Efficiency Management Inc. of North Potomac, Md., and the North Hampton Community College Energy Management Institute of Bethlehem, Pa., serves as a resource to the partner organizations.
Energy efficiency can result in a significant cost reduction for businesses and the possibility of additional job creation in the region,said Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan, principal investigator of the project.
Gopalakishnan, a WVU industrial engineering professor, serves as director of the Industrial Assessment Center and is the IOF -WV Energy Efficiency Research Fellow.
With this funding, well help companies create a strategy to achieve up to a 25 percent energy intensity reduction in 10 years,he said.Well do this by conducting energy assessments and then developing individualized industrial energy efficiency technology delivery services and programs.
As many as 40 assessments a year are possible at varying levels of complexity to address the needs of the clients,he added.Some will be as simple as a phone consultation. Others will be more complex energy assessments and strategies that will work toward the 25 percent energy intensity reduction goal.
Companies and organizations participating:
American Municipal Power, Columbus, Ohio
HK Engine Components LLC , Weston, W.Va.
Fireline TCON Inc., Youngstown, Ohio
Titan Tire Corp., Bryan, Ohio
WV Manufacturers Association, Charleston, W.Va.
Additional companies will be added.
We will be advertising the energy efficiency audits and technical resources at six regional workshops, a series of local and statewide presentations, on-site visits and the project Web site,said Kathleen Cullen, IOF -WV program coordinator.Well be showcasing our success stories in an electronic newsletter that will be distributed to over 2,000 industrial contacts and providing ongoing information to media outlets and state and local publications.
The IOF -WV partnership project was one of 12 applicants to be awarded grant money totaling $9 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. IOF -WV submitted the proposal through the West Virginia Division of Energy.
IOF -WV is West Virginias industrial energy efficiency program under a partnership between the West Virginia Division of Energy and the WVU National Research Center for Coal and Energy. The goal of IOF -WV is to assess high priority research needs and develop projects that improve energy efficiency and environmental performance of manufacturers.
For more information on the program, businesses can contact Cullen at 304-293-2867 ext. 5426 or visit http://www.iofwv.nrcce.wvu.edu/ .