In March, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) recognized nine of the nation’s leading student researchers for their outstanding accomplishments in researching and promoting practices, principles and procedures that increase an industry’s energy saving efficiency and manufacturing productivity.
Of these nine, two—Walaa Saadeh and Abdel Rahman Salem—are graduate students at UWM’s College of Engineering & Applied Science.
Saadeh and Salem each received a 2023 Industrial Assessment Center Outstanding Student Award at the DoE’s 2023 IAC (Industrial Assessment Center) Student and Alumni Awards. The nationwide competition is open to students and alumni from 37 IACs. (Alumni awards also were presented at the competition.)
The next generation of energy engineers
DoE-funded IACs train the next generation of energy engineers.
UWM’s IAC is Wisconsin’s sole site and is under the direction of Ryo Amano, professor, and Richard and Joanne Grigg Faculty Fellow, in mechanical engineering.
The center provides in-depth energy assessments to small- and medium-sized manufacturers and utilities. The goal is to increase their productivity and competitiveness by reducing energy and water consumption, enhancing electrification, decarbonization, cybersecurity, and adopting smart manufacturing technology.
“Our IAC has many talented students who are well qualified to conduct energy assessments at nearly professional levels,” Amano said.
To date, more than 600 companies and water treatment plants have used the center’s services. On average, they received energy-consumption recommendations to save about $150,000 annually, higher than the national IAC average of $130,000.
The UWM IAC, Amano says, has achieved annual savings for Wisconsin manufacturers of 41 million kilowatt hours (kWh), 98,000 kilowatts (kW) of demand and 3.5 million therms.