September 27, 2006

NC State Engineer Helps Industries “Save Energy Now”

  — Dr. Herb Eckerlin has been helping industry conserve energy since 1992

The recent increase in the cost of energy has both consumers and industry looking for ways to conserve. President George W. Bush has called for energy conservation through improved technologies and better efficiency.

At North Carolina State University Dr. Herbert M. Eckerlin, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has been teaching industries how to use energy more efficiently since 1992 through the NC State University Industrial Assessment Center (IAC). The NC State University IAC is one of 26 university-based centers across the nation that are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) for the purpose of helping industry find ways to operate more efficiently. Eckerlin, who is a national authority on boiler and steam systems, and his students have visited 25 industrial plants each year to test equipment and make recommendations for improved efficiency and energy conservation.

As part of the new USDOE Save Energy Now initiative, Eckerlin has delivered four workshops this year. Co-sponsored by the State Energy Office of North Carolina and the USDOE Save Energy Now initiative, the workshops focus on providing plant personnel with practical methods for identifying and implementing energy-saving methods in their boiler and steam facilities.

Boilers are one of the major energy expenses in industry. For example, one tire plant that Eckerlin recently visited has an annual natural gas bill of $3.5 million. Reducing the energy consumption by even a small fraction would have a major impact on the plant’s expenses.

While energy conservation is the primary goal of the IACs and the Save Energy Now initiative, the project also helps local economies remain strong.

“Keeping energy expenses to a minimum is especially important in today’s economy,” says Eckerlin.“If the energy cost of a plant gets too high, it may close and move overseas, taking away jobs from the community. We want to do what we can to prevent that from happening.”

— weston —

Technical contact:
Dr. Herbert M. Eckerlin, (919) 515-5227, eckerlin@eos.ncsu.edu

Media contact:
Jennifer Weston, (919) 515-3848, weston@ncsu.edu

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