Business & Industry programs assist North Carolina companies with energy and cost savings through education and training, surveys and technical assistance and loan programs.

IMPORTANT   The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that a second round of 250 Industrial Energy Saving Assessments (ESAs) is open for applications by eligible industrial facilities.  By providing these assessments, DOE is working with major manufacturing facilities to identify energy- and money-saving opportunities, primarily by focusing on steam and process heating systems. North Caorlina companies seeking to apply should contact US DOE's North Carolina partner, the Industrial Assesment Center at NC State University.
North Carolina State University Industrial Assesment Center
Address:
Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
3211 Broughton Hall
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7910
http://www.mae.ncsu.edu/Centers/IAC/index.html

Boiler Workshop-Technical Assistance
Through a series of Boiler Efficiency Workshops, this program provides instruction to plant personnel on how to solve boiler efficiency problems and promote state-of-the-art equipment to maintain optimum boiler efficiency. Workshops are supplemented with technical on-site surveys which will determine level of efficiency, identify causes of boiler inefficiency and develop a plan for corrective action. As part of energy and environmental management, waste reduction surveys are also conducted.

Center for Energy Research and Technology (CERT)
CERT, housed at North Carolina A&T State University, provides education, training, demonstration, and technical assistance on energy and environmental technologies. Programs fall under three main areas: Technical Transfer (Outreach), Demonstration, and the Manufactured Housing Research Initiative. Recent projects have included: installation and monitoring of a photovoltaic (PV) system installed on residential buildings; collection and analysis of survey data on customer complaints of manufactured homes; a demonstration energy efficient manufactured home; industrial workshops on HVAC operation and indoor air quality; summer "Energy Camp" programs to introduce secondary school children to various energy systems and encourage their entrance into the energy field; and assessment of wood residues in the state available for energy production.

Energy Management Program
This program, operaterated in conjunction with the Industrial Extenstion Service, North Carolina State University, provides workshops and industrial energy surveys that identify opportunities and demonstrate techniques for optimizing energy use in various building systems, promoting energy conservation in industrial, institutional, commercial, and governmental buildings. Industrial surveys perform comprehensive audits of common system inefficiencies (such as leaky compressed air systems, poorly-adjusted steam traps, etc.) and provide recommendations for energy improvements. The tasks involved in this project include performance of energy surveys, development of energy-saving recommendations, technical assistance, development, implementation and promotion of workshops and educational materials.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling
Water source heat pumps were installed and monitored in mobile classroom units at two Wake County Schools. The performance of these water source heat pumps was compared with conventional air to air heat pumps in adjacent mobile classrooms. The heat exchanger system for the water source heat pumps are PVC pipes laid out in a grid underneath the classroom units. An antifreeze solution is circulated through the pipes by a circulation pump. A detailed final report discussed the performance and operation of the systems. Summary results show that the water source heat pumps used about 25% less energy to heat and cool the classroom units compared to conventional heat pumps.

Industries of the Future
Industries use large amounts of heat and energy to physically or chemically transform materials. In partnership with North Carolina State University, the State Energy Office has targeted five North Carolina industies-mining, agriculture, glass, wood products, chemicals and metals-to help increase profitability through energy efficiency.

Projects within the IOF program include identifying and targeting stakeholders in these industries-businesses, researchers, managers, industries experts and government partners, identifying common problems, and working toward efficient solutions through education, information exchange, marketing and technology transfer.

Motor Test Future Energy Challenge
The Future Energy Challenge brought together teams of university-level students to compete in the design and construction of a ¾ hp electric motor. The motors entered for the competition were tested and scored by a panel of judges on performance, energy efficiency, durability, and other operational parameters. This competition provided an opportunity for students to not only apply their knowledge of motor design, but to also see how even slight differences in design characteristics can grossly affect motor performance under real-world operating conditions.

North Carolina Combined Heat and Power Center
Combined heat and power technology (CHP) refers to energy applications that are designed to recover waste heat for use in further process needs and for generating electricity. By offering significant energy and cost savings, CHP projects have the potential to improve both the profitability and viability of a wide range of industries and businesses within North Carolina and throughout the southeast. The Southeastern Combined Cooling, Heating and Power Regional Application Center (CHPCenterSE), will be directed by the Mississippi Development Authority-Energy Division, Mississippi State University's Micro-CHP Application Center and North Carolina State University's NC+CHP Application Program. The new regional center seeks to double the installed CHP capacity in the Southeast by the year 2010. They will also coordinate and conduct education and outreach activities to stimulate market development as guided by a CHP Center Roadmap, which will be developed in the first three months of the project.

Steam Trap Surveys
The purpose of this project is to provide steam trap survey services to a variety of North Carolina industrial facilities, commercial businesses, local government and institutional facilities using steam for heating and/or processing. Steam traps are identified, tested and tagged if not working properly. These services enable facilities to cut steam loss saving energy and money. Program participants receive a fixed amount of funding for each steam trap surveyed through a survey is conducted by approved firms.
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