What We Do
The U.S. Department of Energy has recently awarded Arizona Western College a grant to establish an Industrial Assessment Center. This center will assist small to medium-sized manufacturers in saving energy, improving productivity, and reducing waste by offering free technical energy assessments conducted by faculty and students.
Student/Faculty teams make energy assessment visits to small to medium-sized manufacturers in Arizona and provide each with a detailed report of energy- and money-saving recommendations at no cost to the client.
Our Mission
Our mission is to support small to medium sized manufacturers in Arizona by identifying opportunities to reduce energy consumption and save costs, all while partnering with various entities. We aim to create pathways for American students and workers in Yuma and La Paz County to enter high-quality green careers by offering comprehensive instruction in green job sectors, with a focus on developing well-paying green jobs for disadvantaged communities in the region.
Application Process
Send an email with your interest, qualifications, and resume to a faculty member. Include your local contact information and Campus-Wide ID for interview purposes.
Our Team Members
Miguel Rios
Director of Industrial Assessment Center
Fred A. Maldonado
Assessment Center Grant Specialist
Anthony Herrera
Co-PI for DOE Grant
Jesus Castillo Flores
Community Liaison for CEJT Grant
Reetika Dhawan
PI for DOE Grant
Energy Assessments
Applying for an Assessment
Manufacturers within Arizona are eligible for a free assessment if their facility meets the requirements below.
- You are in Arizona
- You must manufacture something
- Your annual energy bills are more than $100,000 but less than $2.5 million
- You have less than 500 employees at your site
- Gross annual sales below $100 million
Please do not be discouraged by these requirements. Special approval may be available if you meet most of the requirements.
Resources
The Department of Energy has many resources that may be useful to manufacturers. These resources include software tools, case studies, and articles on energy conservation and cost savings.
Industrial Assessment Centers
Arizona Western College is the first community college to receive this grant in the state of Arizona. The IAC program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains.
Pre-assessment
-
Application form is recieved.
-
A member of AWCIAC will contact the client.
-
The Client sends AWCIAC their energy bills (electric/gas) before the assessment date.
Assessment Day(s)
-
AWCIAC team will arrive early.
-
Facility manager/engineer gives a tour of the facility and an overview of the manufacturing process.
-
AWCIAC team will take notes and ask questions.
Plan Formulation
-
AWCIAC team will take notes and ask questions.
-
AWCIAC will form a plan, take measurements, and place data loggers on important equipment.
-
For very large facilities, it may take place over 2 consecutive days.
Post Assessment
-
AWCIAC will have 60 days from the day of the assessment to submit a report of findings and assessment recommendations to the client.
-
AWCIAC lead student may request additional information through email during the writing of the report, but this is often not necessary.
-
Before 60 days, the client will have received the finished report, checked and approved by the national IAC organization.
-
Reports contain between 5 and 15 individual recommendations for energy savings and efficiency. Each recommendation has its expected savings and implementation costs calculated and explained in detail.
Confidentiality
As AWCIAC reports are funded by the US Department of Energy, certain information about the assessment is publicly available. All utility information and manufacturing processes are kept confidential by the AWCIAC. Manufacturing information general to the client’s industry will be contained in the report, but any specifics are not recorded in detail.
Benefits to Students
Student Employment Opportunities
Students interested in working for the AWCIAC should read the information below and contact one of our faculty members. Student employees learn practical green job pathways like electrical systems, industrial machinery, and industrial process heat skills that are highly sought-after by employers. Students are also exposed to a wide variety of manufacturing and green job pathways environments through their work for the AWCIAC.
Student Engineer Responsibilities
-
Students are paid employees ( may work up to 19 hrs/wk)
-
Visit 3-4 client sites each semester (not more than one per month)
-
Analyze energy-saving opportunities for clients visited
-
typically, 2-4 recommendations per student for each client
-
-
Document energy savings opportunities in report format
-
Learn and practice effective teamwork
-
Serve as lead student on an assessment
-
only after making several client site visits
-
lead students have overall responsibility for site visits and reporting
-
We Value Our Partners
