MALT INDUSTRIAL ASSESSMENT CENTER

Protocol

Step 1: Pre-Assessment Information Gathering

The client is sent a Pre-Assessment Form that includes:

  • The size of the plant and plant layout,
  • Industry type (SIC/ NAICS code) and process description,
  • Production levels in units and dollars, operating hours,
  • A one-year history of utility bills, and
  • A list of major energy-consuming equipment.

Step 2: Involve Key Plant Personnel

The Louisiana Tech team will reach out to key plant personnel, including:

  • The plant manager,
  • Energy manager,
  • Environmental personnel, and
  • Maintenance personnel.

Step 3: Pre-Assessment Analysis

To prepare for the on-site energy assessment, our team will take the information that you provide us and create a pre-assessment analysis. This process includes:

  • Analyzing the manufacturing process,
  • Charting and graphing utility bills,
  • Analyzing utility bills for trends and errors and establishing the unit cost of energy at the plant,
  • Identifying key energy systems,
  • Reviewing design and other technical documentation,
  • Identifying possible energy saving potential recommendations using the IAC database, and
  • Developing an assessment day strategy.

Step 4: Day of the Assessment

After introductions on the day of the on-site assessment, your team will provide us with a:

  • Description of the manufacturing process and operations and
  • Plant tour.

After the tour, our team will then provide you with:

  • A meeting room debriefing and brainstorming session,
  • Review of notes,
  • A refined list of opportunities to be investigated, and
  • An exit interview.

If warranted, our team will also install temporary devices to gather more data.

Step 5: Post-Assessment Activities

After the assessment, our team will complete the following:

  • Conduct an engineering and financial analysis;
  • Create an industrial assessment center report that includes:
    • An executive summary,
    • A plant description,
    • A process description,
    • Resource charts and tables,
    • A list of major energy-consuming equipment,
    • A list of recommendations for best practices to save money, and
    • A description of each individual energy-saving recommendation;
  • Follow-up on the report with:
    • A call to the client in two weeks to ensure the report was delivered and answer questions,
    • A call to the client in six to nine months for implementation data,
    • An upload of the data to the IAC database, and
    • An inquiry about the potential for a case study of the project(s).