Go for the gold with DOE software tool training

U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program
Tags: energy management

Whether you are a world-class athlete preparing for a competition, or an industrial plant manager trying to reduce energy use at your facility, training is critical to achieving the goal. Peak efficiency is realized through instruction, dedication and discipline, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Through software training from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), you can learn how to use these powerful tools to reach goals of energy and cost savings, reduced maintenance and downtime, and increased productivity in your industrial facility.

ITP offers a variety of training options for its self-assessment software tools that can help you start going for the gold today. End-user training workshops will guide you on each tool’s capabilities and functions. Advanced Specialist Qualification training is available for those users who want to take their training a step further by expanding their skills and becoming experts in the use of ITP software tools. If you can’t attend training in person, ITP offers introductory Webcasts on each software tool as well as one-hour weekly Webcasts showcasing software demonstrations, energy assessments and ITP-supported technologies. View the training calendar for details on upcoming sessions.

“ITP’s training program helps plant personnel proactively address industrial energy efficiency goals by enabling them to identify and implement energy-saving upgrades to ensure plant efficiency, productivity, reliability and safety,” explains Bill Orthwein, ITP technology manager.

“Training is a key element of promoting enhanced industrial plant energy efficiency improvement,” adds Anthony Wright, Oak Ridge National Laboratory support program manager. “I am aware of many instances where plant personnel who attended ITP end-user training have gone back to their plants and immediately implemented savings opportunities. And the Specialist Qualification classes provide utility system experts with the knowledge of how to effectively make valid estimates of energy savings improvements in industrial plants.”

This is a photo of a group of men in hardhats centered around an instructor demonstrating a technique in an industrial plant environment.

Go for the gold with software tool training

End-User Training
End-user training is the right choice if you are involved in system or plant operations, engineering or management, and want to increase your skill and knowledge of efficient plant system operations. These one-day training sessions are offered throughout the year and around the country, and include sessions in compressed air, steam, process heating, pump, motor and fan systems. Take part in end-user training workshops to:

Increase your knowledge of energy management and industrial system capabilities
Identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency in your plant
Find ways to improve system performance, and decrease maintenance and downtime
Apply ITP software tools to your energy management strategy.

Specialist Qualification Training
Plant personnel can also choose to extend their knowledge of a software tool by attending Specialist Qualification training. Qualified Specialists are experienced industry professionals who have completed advanced training in the ITP software tools. These two- to three-day training classes are available for the Steam System Assessment Tool, Pumping System Assessment Tool, AIRMaster+, Fan System Assessment Tool, and the Process Heating Assessment Tool. After successfully completing this training and passing a rigorous exam, Qualified Specialists are recognized as experts in applying the software to help industrial customers identify and quantify potential system improvement opportunities. In fact, Qualified Specialists (as Save Energy Now Energy Experts) have carried out 770 energy assessments in support of ITP’s Save Energy Now initiative since 2006. Using ITP’s software tools, the Qualified Specialists identified more than $1 billion worth of energy savings upgrade opportunities.
Consider Specialist Qualification if:

You have substantial knowledge or experience in one of the software tools
You are interested in, and committed to, successfully completing the demanding curriculum and written exam
You want to expand your expertise and be recognized for your added value.

Webcasts
ITP also offers introductory Webcasts by system and one-hour weekly Webcasts on Thursdays. Introductory Webcasts provide a comprehensive in-depth introduction to energy management and other special topics including the use of DOE’s self-assessment software tools. Thursday Webcasts offer software tool demonstrations, and information on the energy assessment process and ITP-supported technologies that can be implemented in your facility today.

Additional Learning Opportunities
Energy assessments are a great training opportunity for plant personnel. The strong focus on training before and during a Save Energy Now energy assessment is a distinct feature of this type of assessment. Prior to the assessment, plant staff are encouraged to attend a one-day software tool training or Webcast. During the energy assessment, Energy Experts conduct the assessment while training plant personnel to identify energy-saving opportunities using the software tools. This training has been successful in promoting energy management in plants and pointing plant personnel to the numerous ITP resources available to support this effort. View the results from Save Energy Now assessments.
Take advantage of software tool training to learn new skills to add to your energy management portfolio. Check out ITP’s training calendar to learn more about training opportunities offered throughout the country, and register for one today!

ITP Training By the Numbers
18,000: Estimated number of people who have attended an ITP-supported training session since 1998.
5,600: Unique facilities that attended ITP-supported end-user training sessions from 1998 through 2007.
304 TBtu: Estimated cumulative energy savings from measures implemented after end-user training sessions from 1998 through 2007.
613: Number of ITP Qualified Specialists as of December 31, 2007.
79 TBtu: Estimated cumulative implemented energy savings from 2001 through 2007 from Qualified Specialists’ assessments.
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This article was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program and appeared in the spring 2009 issue of the DOE’s Energy Matters newsletter. For more information, visit http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/.