An energy center proposal by Ramin Moghaddas, an associate professor in the University of Miami College of Engineering with a secondary appointment in Miami Herbert's Department of Management Science, has been selected for funding by the Department of Energy (DOE). The expected cost of this five-year project is more than $2 million, with $1.7 million coming from federal funding.
Through various research, training, and educational activities, the project will focus on energy analytics and efficiency, improving productivity, enhancing cybersecurity, promoting resiliency planning, and providing training to various small-to-medium-sized manufacturing entities in Florida and Puerto Rico – particularly in disadvantaged communities. This project will also study the use of sensors, smart devices, and data loggers to assist industrial users in better manage energy consumption through optimizing programmable settings based on technical requirements, monitoring and controlling the behind-the-meter distributed energy resources, and utilizing more efficient and cost-efficient equipment and processes as well as other systems-level efficiency improvements.
The Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) at the University of Miami is one of the 32 selected centers nationwide to help manufacturers in the region improve their energy efficiency. IACs will also assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers in reducing their carbon emissions and lowering energy costs while training the next generation of energy-efficiency workers. In addition to the main center, a satellite center at the University of Turabo and a support center at the Miami Herbert School of Business will be supported under the direct supervision of Moghaddas, a National Science Foundation CAREER award recipient.
“In this project, my team will work closely with other key entities in Florida, including but not limited to, Florida Power and Light, the Miami Dade County Office of Resilience, and the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department,” said Ramin Moghaddas. “This five-year grant will bring many research and educational opportunities for engineering and business students at the University of Miami and the University of Turabo.”
The IAC program is one of DOE’s longest-running programs managed by the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and has provided nearly 20,000 no-cost assessments for small and medium-sized manufacturers and more than 147,000 recommendations for improvement measures. IAC’s typically identify more than $130,000 in potential annual savings opportunities.
“My students in the Data Analytics Lab and the Energy Center will work closely to develop new techniques and tools for energy analytics and efficiency improvement,” Moghaddas said. “It is expected that over 75 undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds will be involved in the activities planned for the Center in the next five years. I am thrilled about this opportunity and would like to thank all my collaborators, including my PhD students, Dr. Amaury Malave at the University of Turabo, who will be serving as the director of the satellite center in Puerto Rico, and Dr. Jamie Buitrago who will serve as the assistant director of the Miami center.”
Read the full story here about the new initiative.
