UA’s New Regional Industrial Assessment Center Will Help Alabama Businesses Save Thousands of Dollars Annually

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to operate a regional Industrial Assessment Center. The Alabama Industrial Assessment Center is one of 26 centers throughout the country and will assess small- to medium-sized manufacturing plants to help them use energy more efficiently.

The U.S. Department of Energy is funding the Alabama Industrial Assessment Center for a five-year program. UA faculty and student teams will make assessment visits to manufacturers in the state and provide a detailed report of recommendations, covering energy conservation, waste minimization and productivity. The assessment visits are at no costs to the manufacturers.

“The state of Alabama ranks ninth nationally in industrial energy consumption, and the Alabama Industrial Assessment Center will help these manufacturers reduce their energy costs,” said Dr. Keith Woodbury, associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the center.

The U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Assessment Center Program helps train young engineers to better understand how energy efficiency and renewable energy can impact the manufacturing and industrial processes. The program has helped participating manufacturers and facilities save an average of $55,000 a year.

Manufacturing facilities interested in assessments can contact Woodbury at 205/348-1647 or by e-mail at woodbury@me.ua.edu.

The Alabama Industrial Assessment Center will operate in the College of Engineering with faculty from the mechanical and industrial engineering departments participating. The Center will also operate with Tuskegee University as a partner center.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has about 1,900 students and nearly 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.