The West Virginia Division of Energy and the Industries of the Future–West Virginia, along with their partners, took a regional approach to reducing industrial energy intensity by developing and implementing a comprehensive energy-reduction package. This package incorporated an enhanced energy assessment process that included investment-grade cost analysis, as well as the creation of both the Regional Energy Efficiency Knowledge Center and an Energy Management resource database. The goal was to ensure that more plants in West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern and central Kentucky, eastern and central Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia have access to this resource and other energy efficiency tools, so they begin to implement energy-efficient technologies and practices into their operations.

The overarching objective of West Virginia’s program is to achieve the Energy Policy Act of 2005’s goal by reducing industrial energy intensity by 25% over a 10-year period. The program worked to reach this goal by implementing a multi-pronged approach in West Virginia, eastern Ohio, and western Pennsylvania to improve the current energy assessment program. The team worked toward implementing an energy management system at a representative company to attain certification to the Superior Energy Performance standard for energy management. The team also developed a Regional Industrial Energy Efficiency Marketing and Outreach Center to promote participation in the regional partnership, showcase success stories, provide information to the media, and serve as the central point of contact for inquiries about industrial energy efficiency tools, services, and resources.

Purpose

The West Virginia team’s efforts to increase the delivery of energy-efficiency information services to as many regional facilities as possible were driven by a desire to reduce operating costs and enable job creation. Training activities and assessments were designed with the intent that they would filter through the target company’s supply chain—leading to greater savings that would continue expanding beyond the funding period.

With these larger goals in mind, the two specific objectives of the project were to the following.

1. Develop, test, refine, and implement the regional delivery of a comprehensive package that incorporates an Enhanced Energy Assessment Process, a Regional Energy Efficiency Knowledge Center, and Energy Management Resources in support of evolving ISO standards.
2. Develop a Regional Industrial Energy Efficiency Marketing and Outreach Center to promote participation in the Regional Partnership, showcase success stories, provide information to the media, and serve an a central point of contact for inquires about industrial energy efficiency services, products, vendors, financing, and tax incentives.

While Industrial Assessment Center energy assessments were already common in the region, the project worked to increase the implementation of recommendations made during assessments (estimated to be around 58%) by 10% by the end of the project.

The West Virginia team has developed a new way of conducting assessments through an Enhanced Energy Assessment Process, which has three stages. During the pre-assessment stage, the team establishes a baseline through interactive sessions with plant staff and a thorough analysis of the facility’s utility bills. One of the main differences from traditional assessments occurs during the assessment itself, which is the second stage. At this stage, the team takes an extended amount of time to review operations and log a significant amount of data. Frequently, the team conducts multiple site visits to execute this portion of the project. Finally, during the post-assessment stage, the team finalizes the reports, which include vendor analyses. The team also provides the plant with information on available tax incentives, rebates, and other financing options to enable the implementation of recommendations. The post-assessment period is also extended with the team conducting follow-up assessments to measure and assist with implementation.

Accomplishments

Throughout the project period, 18 energy assessments were conducted at different manufacturing plants in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

The energy assessment team utilized the enhanced energy assessment approach that benefited a major steel processing company in West Virginia in terms of improvements to their process heating systems. The steel processing company saved $750,000 annually—mostly in natural gas—due to implementation of the energy saving recommendations. Another example includes a major tire manufacturer in Ohio that obtained annual energy cost savings of more than $500,000 due to implemented recommendations from the in-depth energy assessment performed by the West Virginia University energy assessment team. Finally, a major tar distillation company in West Virginia obtained annual energy cost savings of more than $300,000 after an assessment because of improvements made to its motors, steam system, and air compressors.

West Virginia also collected data throughout the project period in order to develop the Energy Efficiency Knowledge Center. The  Center is a repository for information generated by the Enhanced Assessment Process, including case studies, fact sheets, and success stories to help companies improve their energy efficiency and carbon footprint. It can be accessed on the West Virginia University website.

In addition to the assessments, the team conducted 225 technical assistance activities through telephone, on-site, and email.

Twenty training sessions were also conducted, including DOE’s PHAST, AIRMaster+, MotorMaster+, FSAT, PHAST Qualified Specialist training, Steam Qualified Specialist Training, Industrial Energy Efficiency Measures Workshop, Pumps, Motors, and ISO 50001/Superior Energy Performance. These included in-plant trainings, one-day DOE training workshops, and Qualified Specialist trainings.

PROJECT MISSION

To achieve the Energy Policy Act of 2005’s goal by reducing industrial energy intensity by 25% over a 10-year period.

PROJECT FUNDING

• Funding source: U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office
• Amount: $542,065
• Project period: 12/01/2009 to 11/31/2013

PROJECT BENEFITS

• Developed an information clearinghouse website called the Energy Efficiency Knowledge Center.
• Expanded a qualified workforce through 20 different professional trainings.
• Worked to increase the implementation rate by 10% for recommendations made during assessments over the course of the project.
• Developed a new way of conducting assessments through an Enhanced Energy Assessment Process.

PRIMARY INVESTIGATORS

• West Virginia Division of Energy, Charleston, West Virginia
• Industries of the Future–West Virginia (IOF–WV), Morgantown, West Virginia

PROJECT AWARD PARTNERS

• E3M Inc., North Potomac, Maryland
• Northampton Community College Energy Management Institute, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
• Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
• Tennessee Technological University Industrial Assessment Center
• West Virginia University Industrial Assessment Center, Morgantown, West Virginia

CONTACTS

B. Gopalakrishnan
WVU Industrial Assessment Center
WVU Industrial & Management Systems Engineering
P.O. Box 6070
Morgantown, WV 26506
Phone: (304) 293-2867 ext. 5530
(304) 293-4970
Email: bgopalak@mail.wvu.edu

Kathleen Cullen
Industries of the Future – West Virginia
WVU National Research Center for Coal & Energy
P.O. Box 6064Morgantown, WV 26506
Phone: (304) 293-2867 ext. 5426
(304) 293-3749
Email: Kathleen.Cullen@mail.wvu.edu

Jamey Evans
U.S. Department of Energy
Advanced Manufacturing Office
Phone: 720-356-1536
Email: jamey.evans@ee.doe.gov

Sandy Glatt
U.S. Department of Energy
Advanced Manufacturing Office
Phone: 720-356-1544
Email: sandy.glatt@ee.doe.gov

Last updated: July 2014