The Industrial Assessment Center at West Virginia University (WVU-IAC), is one of many centers around the country, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide no-cost energy, waste, water, cyber security, decarbonization, resiliency planning, electrification and smart manufacturing assessments to small and mid- sized manufacturers. A team of students and professors do the engineering measurements in assessing how each facility utilizes energy and resources. Then, the WVU-IAC identifies the opportunities to save energy, reduce waste, and improve productivity.
Small and medium sized manufacturers may be eligible to receive a no-cost assessment provided by the WVU-IAC. The WVU-IAC team performs detailed process analysis to generate specific recommendations with cost and resource savings, implementation cost, and payback on investment. Within 60 days the plant receives a confidential report detailing the analysis, findings and recommendations.
As a result of performing these assessments, undergraduate and graduate engineering students receive unique hands-on assessment training and gain knowledge of industrial process systems, plant systems and energy systems making them highly attractive to employers. An important objective of the WVU-IAC is to train and educate energy engineers of the future. Students work closely with faculty on teams making assessment visits to manufacturing facilities, water treatment and waste water treatment facilities, and some non traditional (non- manufacturing) facilities.