By Maria Elena Hernandez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS - While just starting its second year, a program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley already has helped local businesses save more than a million dollars.

The South Texas Industrial Assessment Center, housed in the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science, sends undergraduate and graduate students to local manufacturers to assess operations and find ways the businesses can save energy and streamline processes.

“We try to reduce their energy consumption, their waste, in order for them to increase profits,” said Raul Barbosa, a UTRGV senior majoring in mechanical engineering and accounting.

The center is funded by a $1.25 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES

The service, which can potentially save millions of dollars, is free to eligible businesses.

An online application is available online at http://www.utrgv.edu/iac/.

To qualify for a free IAC assessment, the applicant must:

•  Be a U.S. manufacturer.
•  Have yearly energy bills between $100,000 and $2.5 million.
•  Be within 150 miles of the IAC.

Dr. Hiram Moya, associate director for the South Texas IAC and a UTRGV assistant professor in the Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering department, encouraged any interested business who might not meet the qualifications to call the South Texas IAC, as some exemptions are made.

A WIN FOR EVERYONE

“This is a great program. This is a win-win-win for all,” said Dr. Immanuel Edinbarough, UTRGV associate dean for External Affairs and Innovation. “First of all, it’s a win for the industry and the local public. Then, the second win is for the students. The third win is for the university and the faculty.”

And the savings for local industries could have an even larger impact on the community.

“In turn, they can actually double up the entire economy in the Valley,” he said.

The businesses that participate in essence get a team of engineers and trained faculty to help them cut costs.

“It’s a small army that comes in, and they’re evaluating everything from the lighting, air conditioning, motors,” said Danny Marez, a senior key account representative for the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, one of the center’s community partners. “They evaluate the entire property.”

Marez and Alejandro Cepeda, the energy efficiency and conservation coordinator for Brownsville PUB, are working with Moya to find sites for students to assess in Brownsville. 

“We have very strong partners with Brownsville PUB and our other energy providers in Hidalgo County, and they help us identify companies that would really benefit,” Moya said.

Moya said feedback from the companies has been outstanding.

“I'm very impressed with the students,” Cepeda said. “They take the lead … They are doing a wonderful job.”

STUDENT PARTICIPANTS

Daniela Rojas, a UTRGV graduate student in manufacturing and engineering, has gone on multiple on-site assessments and served as a lead.

“As an engineering student, it’s such a great experience,” she said.

Moya said it is key to be able to provide these hands-on opportunities for engineering students from a range of specialties, “from manufacturing and industrial, electrical, mechanical, civil. And we also have some students that are in the sciences.”

Students who are part of the IAC team enroll in a class that prepares them for the assessments, and they are given additional training. They send their calculations and recommendations to the U.S. Department of Energy for review before presenting them to the businesses.

“This is more work for the students, but it’s very satisfying,” Moya said.

Rojas was surprised when she first saw how the assessments helped businesses.

“Wow. We did that? We helped the industry to save that money?” she remembers asking at the time.

Barbosa, too, was surprised by the savings the assessments can yield. One manufacturer they worked with could save $20,000 just by switching to LED bulbs, he said.  

The program also benefits the environment by lowering energy consumption and builds stronger bonds with the community.

“I think all the universities around the planet should do this,” Barbosa said.

BUILDING NETWORKS

In addition to hands-on experience, the on-site assessments also are an opportunity for UTRGV students to network with professionals in their field of study.

Moya said students get to know the companies and the companies get to know them.

“When they're looking for opportunities – whether it’s an internship or full-time jobs – companies in the local area will see the talent that we have,” he said.

Brownsville PUB’s Cepeda said one of the assessment sites was struggling to find qualified interns, but now they’re now looking into getting interns through the South Texas IAC program.

“The students are bringing a lot of recognition to the school,” he said.

Moya said the center, while just entering its second year, has lots of opportunities to grow.

“I think we’re making a strong impact both in the community and on the student population, and we are really looking forward to helping more companies in the near future,” he said.