The University of Michigan received a $760,550 grant from the Bureau of Energy Systems; DELEG to establish the Michigan Industrial Energy Center (MIEC). This three year project is initially funded by a DOE grant and has the long term goal of becoming self-sustaining. MIEC will deliver a comprehensive integrated energy savings program to meet the goals of EPACT, EISA, and SB213. It will: (i) offer an intensive energy education and certification program for current and future industrial energy managers; (ii) assist energy intensive industries in the region by identifying, recommending and helping them implement specific measures to save energy, and (iii) help energy-intensive industries to deploy new energy-efficient technology. This will also make the industries more environmentally friendly by reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Thus, MIEC hopes to save jobs that are evaporating from these manufacturing industries due to global competition.
ME Professor Arvind Atreya is the direct connection for the award. He received his M.S. & Ph.D. From Harvard University in the Engineering Sciences and has received a number of awards over the years in support of the energy sector, including two DOE service awards from the Office of Industrial Technologies and a CoE Excellence in Service Award.
The MIEC is housed at the University of Michigan in conjunction with the University’s Industrial Assessment Center, which has been named as the “Center of Excellence for outstanding contributions to industrial energy efficiency.” The team helps companies save energy and money, reduce waste and pollution, and increase productivity. Over the years they have saved 23.2×1012 (terra) BTU of energy and 1.300 million metric tons of the greenhouse gas CO2. This is 60% more than the energy used by the University of Michigan last year.