The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), together with the UT Center for Industrial Services (CIS), proposed the East Tennessee Initiative for Smart Energy Management (ETISE) to promote the integration of smart manufacturing for energy management through technical assistance and workforce training.

Project Objectives

The overarching goal of ETISE is to create a regional model for technical assistance and workforce training to effectively integrate smart manufacturing in energy management systems into energy-related business practices. The resulting regional model could be applied by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to other regions to enhance the national goals of reducing manufacturing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Using East Tennessee as a test bed, ETISE will aim to three objectives: 1) understand the smart manufacturing implementation for energy management by industries and sizes in the region, develop a technical assistance and workforce training model at the regional level through ground service to manufacturers in East Tennessee, and 3) provide DOE and its Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) strategic suggestions to promote the adoption of smart manufacturing for energy management. Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) is a strategic partner for this initiative.

Technical Scope

To achieve the three project objectives, ETISE will pursue a good understanding on the SM implementation for energy management by industries and sizes in the region by 1) conducting a survey with manufacturers in different industries with different sizes and 2) using the team’s SM maturity models to analyze the status of SM applications for energy management and identify opportunities and barriers in East Tennessee and the nation. ETISE will develop a regional model of technical assistance and workforce training to promote SM for energy management systems by 1) conducting at least 12 technical assistance sessions, 2) delivering at least four public workshops for public awareness, 3) delivering at least four training sessions to workforces in the manufacturing sector, and 4) developing a protocol for technical assistance to help manufacturers adopt SM, implement energy management information system, and practice ISO 50001. In addition, ETISE will provide DOE and AMO strategic suggestions and materials to promote the adoption of SM for energy management, including a report summarizing strategic suggestions, at least two promotion brochures, at least three case studies, and at least two journal papers. There will be two years for the ETISE project. At the end of the first year, ETISE will deliver at least six assistance, two workshops, two training sessions, and a report summarizing survey results. At the end of the second year, ETISE will deliver at least six more assistance, two more workshops, two training sessions, a report summarizing the SM maturity assessment, and three case studies.