WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin presented the West Virginia University (WVU) Industrial Assessment Center with the Governor’s Award of Excellence for Enabling Industrial Energy Efficiency. The award was presented during the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day at the state capitol in Charleston, West Virginia. The DOE-supported Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) provide hands-on training for engineering students across the country to conduct energy audits and identify opportunities for small- and medium-sized manufacturers to improve productivity, reduce waste, and save energy.

DOE noted that small- and medium-sized manufacturers may be eligible to receive a no-cost assessment provided by its IACs. Teams located at 24 universities around the country conduct the energy audits. IACs typically identify more than $130,000 in potential annual savings opportunities for every manufacturer assessed, nearly $50,000 of which is implemented during the first year following the assessment. Over 16,000 IAC assessments have been conducted.