About the Industrial Assessment Program

What is the IAC Program?

Since 1978, the Department of Energy's Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) has been sponsoring energy audits for small and mid-sized manufacturers at no cost to the manufacturer. Conducted by a number of universities around the country, these audits provide recommendations to help manufacturers control costs and improve their plants' energy and efficiency. In 1993, the Department of Energy (DOE) teamed up with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expand the program to include "Industrial Assessments" that cover opportunities for productivity improvements and waste reduction as well as energy savings. The program known as Industrial Assessment Center Program was officially born.

What have been the effects of the IAC Program?

By the end of 1994, Industrial Assessment Centers around the country had conducted more than five thousand assessments, and participating manufacturers had cumulatively saved 517 million dollars and 94 trillion British Thermal Units of energy. As a result of reduced energy consumption, manufacturers also decreased emissions of greenhouse gases by 200,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent.

To date the Government has spent only $27 million on the program and has saved industry more than $500 million

By implementing a high percentage of IAC recommendations, plants in 43 states and from all industrial manufacturing sectors have significantly improved their operations. At the same time, these manufacturers have supported national goals of reducing the threat of global climate change, retaining skilled jobs, and increasing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness in the global market.

What can the IAC Program do for my firm?

Typical recommendations range from shifting electricity usage to lower-rate time periods and controlling fan speeds on equipment to changing lighting. Such deceptively simple efficiency measures consistently deliver substantial returns in terms of cost savings and enhanced productivity. At the University of Notre Dame, the IAC Program saves firms an average of $35,000 per firm per year, all this at no cost to the firms themselves.