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Industrial Assessment Centers
Sponsored by:
DOE MESC
IAC logo
Industrial Assessment Centers

Saving Energy and Reducing Costs at Small and Medium-sized US Manufacturers

The USDOE Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) can help small and medium sized US manufacturers save energy, improve productivity, and reduce waste by providing no-cost technical assessments conducted by university based teams of engineering students and faculty.

After the site visit, the IAC team provides a comprehensive report with specific details on all opportunities for improving competitiveness identified during the assessment, including applicable rebates and incentives.

The IAC program has already conducted over 20,624 assessments with more than 154,139 associated recommendations. Average recommended yearly savings is $138,421.

Generic IAC Assessment Activity Generic IAC Assessment Activity
IAC Center Map Generic IAC Assessment Activity Generic IAC Assessment Activity Generic IAC Assessment Activity

IAC Assessments cover ALL manufacturing sectors

311 Food Manufacturing 1106
312 Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing 252
313 Textile Mills 121
314 Textile Product Mills 66
315 Apparel Manufacturing 50
316 Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing 9
321 Wood Product Manufacturing 409
322 Paper Manufacturing 353
323 Printing and Related Support Activities 235
324 Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 108
322 Paper Manufacturing 353
323 Printing and Related Support Activities 235
324 Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 108
325 Chemical Manufacturing 632
326 Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing 925
327 Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing 325
331 Primary Metal Manufacturing 509
332 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 1228
333 Machinery Manufacturing 746
334 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 336
332 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 1228
333 Machinery Manufacturing 746
334 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 336
335 Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing 246
336 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 775
337 Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing 214
339 Miscellaneous Manufacturing 301
US Department of Energy

IAC Program History

Industrial Assessment Centers (formerly called the Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Centers) were created by the Department of Commerce in 1976 in response to the oil embargo and rising energy costs. The program was specifically focused on helping small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities cut back on unnecessary costs from inefficient energy use.

The IAC program was moved to the Department of Energy just after it was formed in 1978 and was later expanded to include evaluations of ineffective production procedures, excess waste production, and other production-related problems. More recent additions to the IAC program scope include improving cybersecurity awareness, exploring smart manufacturing technologies, and implementing comprehensive energy management systems.

Currently the IAC program is administered through the Advanced Manufacturing Office under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy.

IAC Program Awards

Student Research Awards

Awarded Center/Research Title
2022 Lehigh University Lehigh University IAC: Solar Powered Membrane Distillation for Desalination Applications.
2022 Mississippi State Mississippi State IAC: Impact Analysis on Implementation of Electric and Thermal Energy Storage Systems at Industrial and Commercial Facilities.
2022 University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee IAC: Photovoltaic Cover for Treatment Tanks in Wastewater Treatment Plants.
2022 Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University IAC: Field Validation Study of an In-house Developed Cooling Tower Efficiency Model.
2022 University of Dayton University of Dayton IAC: Decarbonization and Energy-Saving Potential of Pure Oxygen Aeration for Wastewater Treatment Plant.
2022 University of Nebraska–Lincoln University of Nebraska–Lincoln IAC: Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics (AFDD) for Packaged Rooftop Units Using Data-Driven Approach and Impact of Fault Elimination on Energy and Cost Savings.
2022 Michigan State University Michigan State University IAC: Developing a Virtual Assessment Process for More Efficient Student Training and Post-Assessment Analysis.
2022 University of California, Irvine University of California, Irvine IAC: Mixing Hydrogen with Natural Gas as an Alternative for Fuel Switching in Manufacturing for Decarbonization/Reducing GHG Emission.

IAC Resources


IAC Case Study
IAC Assessment Protocol
The following guidelines are designed to describe the process of a typical IAC energy assessment.
View Assessment Protocol
IAC Case Study
IAC Case Studies
These case studies highlight specific assessments with notable recommendations and implementation.
View All Case Studies
IAC Case Study
IAC Related Published Papers
The IAC centers published multiple papers each years based on and inspired by IAC related activities.
View All Published Papers
IAC Case Study
IAC Technical Documents
Includes IAC program manuals, guidelines, and other related technical documents.
View All Technical Documents
IAC Centers Map
Center Code University Years of Operation
BS Boise State University 2012 - 2021
BD Bradley University 1994 - 2017
CL Clemson University 2017 - 2021
HO Hofstra Univ. 1991 - 2000
IA Iowa State University 1991 - 2017
LM Loyola Marymount University 2001 - 2007
AT North Carolina A&T 1985 - 1989
NC North Carolina State 1993 - 2021
ND Notre Dame Univ. 1991 - 2000
OD Old Dominion Univ. 1994 - 2000
PV Prairie View, A&M 1985 - 1985
TP Prairie View, A&M 1999 - 2000
DS South Dakota State 1994 - 2000
ST Stevens Institute of Technology 1984 - 1986
Center Code University Years of Operation
KG Texas A&M, Kingsville 1994 - 1997
TS Tri-Cities University 1984 - 1986
KU Univ. of Kansas 1981 - 2000
AR University of Arkansas 1993 - 2000
UK University of Kentucky 2012 - 2021
LL University of Louisiana, Lafayette 2001 - 2012
ME University of Maine 1993 - 2000
UM University of Michigan 1994 - 2017
MO University of Missouri, Rolla 1990 - 2000
NV University of Nevada 1994 - 2000
TN University of Tennessee 1982 - 2000
TA University of Texas, Arlington 2001 - 2006
WI University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 1987 - 2006
IAC State Impacts IAC Assessments by NAICS Recommendation Implementation Rates

IAC Database

A collection of all the publicly available assessment and recommendation data is available online in the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) Database. This includes information on the type of facility assessed (size, industry, energy usage, etc.) and details of resulting recommendations (type, energy & dollars savings etc.).

As of 05-29-2023, the IAC database contains: The Database can be searched by:

A Recommendation Index is available for all assessment recommendation codes (ARC) and Recommendation Implementation Rates can be charted by center, years, or state.

Nationwide locations of assessments and recommendations can be mapped using the IAC Activity Map.

Top Ten lists of assessments and recommendations can be generated for specific criteria.

The IAC database is also available for download.