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The Energy Efficiency Center at Oregon State University has conducted energy assessments of industrial sites for 25 years and will soon double its efforts thanks to a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The program trains students in energy-efficient technologies while also helping companies save an average of $70,000 or more per year, according to Joe Junker, director of the Energy Efficiency Center. Teams of students and faculty have visited more than 500 manufacturers 鈥� everything from plywood plants and lumber yards to dairies and asphalt factories 鈥� to identify opportunities for increased productivity and reduced waste streams.

In a typical industrial assessment, a team of faculty and students will tour a facility and identify possible new efficiencies and energy savings, such as improved lighting, reduced leaks or more efficient use of fuel.

鈥淎 lot of plants have been getting better over last five or 10 years, but compressed air systems are historically an area where a lot of energy can be saved,鈥� Junker said. 鈥淲e take our blinders off when we’re in any facility, primarily to identify any energy efficiency opportunity.鈥�

Comprehensive reports help companies make investments that pay for themselves quickly and then save money on a continual basis.

鈥淭he thing I’m most excited about the new DOE grant is that it puts more emphasis on the value of training engineering students, so we can put more resources into building new educational resources,鈥� Junker said.