Are you looking for a free (yes, I said free!) resource that helps your manufacturing facility save energy, improve productivity and reduce waste? Look no further than this Department of Energy funded program at UConn…
The UConn Industrial Training and Assessment Center, or ITAC, helps small and medium-sized manufacturers in the New England region by providing no-cost technical assessments conducted by university-based teams of engineering students and faculty. This is way more than your standard energy efficiency review and wider-spanning than the offerings from Eversource or many energy efficiency consultants – and its free, with no sales pitch, just a list of recommendations and potential savings.
These assessments review your energy usage with a holistic approach, looking at energy consuming equipment, HVAC systems, compressed air systems and much more (more complete list below).
And the best part…participation in the program entitles you to grant funds from some of the larger energy projects that are only available after an Industrial Assessment Center audit.
ITAC in a snapshot
- Who do they serve? Small and medium-sized U.S. manufacturing plants within 150 miles of UConn with annual energy costs exceeding $100,000, gross annual sales under $100 million, and fewer than 500 employees at the site.
- What do they do? A complete on-site assessment and a full report with savings, costs, and payback. The assessment includes a site walkthrough, tons of measurements, and short-term data logging to validate recommendations.
- How do they do it? The students assess major energy systems and operational opportunities tied to plant conditions.
- How much does it cost? Nothing! It is a U.S. DOE-funded program.
Typical focus areas include:
- Compressed air systems
- Motors and drives
- HVAC and building systems
- Process heating and steam
- Cooling and refrigeration
- Pumps, fans, and fluid systems
- Controls, scheduling, and operating practices
- Waste reduction and productivity opportunities tied to plant operations
After the site visit, the ITAC team delivers a comprehensive report that outlines your opportunities to improve competitiveness, including available rebates and incentives, where applicable. Each recommendation includes estimated savings, implementation cost, and simple paybacks so your team can confidently prioritize next steps.
Web Savvy Marketers has referred several clients to ITAC and all have been very pleased with the results. Please contact us to get started.