The 2019 Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) New Director Training took place at Rutgers University on September 17 and 18, 2019. New Director Training occurs every few years to welcome new IAC staff into the US Department of Energy (DOE)’s IAC program. The training seeks to educate attendees about the history and importance of the IAC program, the administrative tasks involved in running a center, and technical concepts pertaining to energy auditing of industrial energy systems. This year’s training was put on by members of Rutgers’ Center for Advanced Energy Systems (CAES). Attendees included new IAC Directors/Assistant Directors from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, San Diego State University, Clemson University, University of Utah, Arizona State University, and Colorado State University.
The training began with an informal introduction of both the Rutgers CAES team and the attending IAC Directors. Formal presentations covering the important topics of running an IAC center and performing an industrial assessment were given, with the IAC’s recently updated Guidelines (a set of documents that outline the intent and requirements of the program) heavily incorporated into the presentations. Next, the CAES team presented technical topics including steam process heating, heat recovery, insulation, motor systems, and industrial cooling with active participation and ample questions from the attendees. The group then stepped away from the classroom setting for a tour of one Rutgers’ engineering building’s mechanical rooms. The team got to see large HVAC equipment including cooling towers, absorption chillers, centrifugal chillers, pumps, fans, and air compressors first-hand just as they will on upcoming industrial assessments. The day concluded with a group dinner at the Rutgers Club.
Day two began with demonstrations on how to use the IAC computer-based tools including the IAC Database, Report Card, Student Portal, and Implementation survey. Next, formal presentations resumed covering the report generation process, 50001 Ready, student utilization, workforce development, WE2, alumni engagement, SMART manufacturing, HVAC, lighting, building envelope, water/wastewater assessments, productivity, and onsite generation technology. Attendees had a chance to see and test out various assessment tools such as infrared thermometers, light meters, combustion analyzers, airflow meters, data loggers, ultrasonic leak detectors, safety equipment, and other devices that they may use in the field on industrial assessments. Finally, a demo exhibiting the use of a variable frequency drive vs. a damper to vary airflow was performed by the CAES students.
We would like to thank the members of Rutgers CAES for their hard work in putting this training together, as well as the training attendees who traveled from all over the country to attend. We hope our new IAC Directors felt warmly welcomed to the IAC Program and are ready to begin leading industrial assessments at their respective centers.
If you are an IAC staff member who would like to review the materials presented at this training, please email es992@scarletmail.rutgers.edu.