Energy Grant to Benefit South Carolina’s Large Energy Users

The U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) has awarded the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) a third grant as part of the USDOE’s Industries of the Future Program. The grant will be used to assist the state’s Large Energy Users (LEUs) through a targeted deployment of energy assistance. The grant is being administered in cooperation with the S.C. Energy Office through September 2008. SCMEP will engage the top energy-intensive plants in the state, provide access to training on software tools and energy management best practices, conduct industrial systems and plant assessments to identify opportunities for energy savings, and perform follow-up to facilitate the implementation of energy-saving strategies.

“The SC Energy Office is working together with SCMEP to administer this grant in support of LEUs,” said Tom Hudkins of the SC Energy Office. “The IOF program in South Carolina has helped facility owners realize substantial energy savings by increasing efficiency and productivity while reducing waste. The LEU project is a continuation of SCMEP’s previous initiatives as it takes the IOF program to the next logical step while building SCMEP’s capacity to deliver broader energy assessments and showcase best practices.”

Vivian Harper, principal investigator, will be responsible for program coordination. Charles Rampey, program manager, will provide his expertise in the implementation of energy assessments and technical assistance to LEUs.

EnergySC Has a Qualified PSAT Specialist

The Department of Energy developed its Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT) to help users assess energy savings opportunities in pumping systems, relying on field measurements to perform the assessment. Using algorithms from The Hydraulic Institute standards and motor performance characteristics from DOE's MotorMaster+ database, PSAT quickly estimates existing pump and motor efficiency and calculates the potential energy and cost savings of a system optimized to work at peak efficiency.

Demand is high for the software and training, and it continues to grow. To meet the demand, DOE is working with the pumping industry and the Hydraulic Institute, to train and qualify experts in the use of PSAT.

Charles Rampey, an SCMEP energy efficiency resource, completed the training and is a qualified specialist in the use of PSAT. If you have questions about SCMEP’s energy program or if you need assistance, contact Charles Rampey at
(803) 331-9410 or charles@EnergySC.org, or Vivian Harper at
(803) 315-3864 or vivian@EnergySC.org.