2025 P3 Project Overviews

NITAC Intern: Brandon Cervania 
Major: Mechanical Engineering
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Summer Activities 

Joined NITAC as an intern this summer. This included being trained to make environmental and cost saving recommendations for manufacturing facilities and collaborated with other interns as well as the directors of NITAC/P3 to work towards learning to become an analyst on manufacturing facility assessments.

Company Background 

Five facilities were assessed, across sectors such as rubber components, food processing, municipal wastewater, tape manufacturing, and doors.

Pollution Prevention Benefits 

Some tangible and intangible benefits to the facilities include a significant reduction in their GHG emissions, improved worker satisfaction, as well as process optimization. 

Results

Table 1 below summarizes the pollution prevention impact the recommendations will have if all are implemented. 

NITAC Intern: Juriah Lawson
Major: Mechanical Engineering
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Recommendations Made and Special Project

Juriah went on a total of five assessments over the summer. The first assessment was at a hospital, followed by a wood processer, tortilla producer, concrete equipment manufacturer, and finally a sand processor. The assessment at the sand processing plant was led by Juriah right before the submission of this report. During these assessments, recommendations were made yielding in potential cost, energy, and greenhouse gas emission savings as shown in Table 1-1. I first found the savings in reducing downtime and reducing equipment failure through implementing new automatic transfer switches. The use of cogged belts for belt-driven supply fans for rooftop AC units was also recommended. Lockout tagout covers were suggested to prevent the inappropriate use of compressed air for cooling bearings. Additionally, two facilities were helped apply for tax exemption on their water and electric bill. Finally, it was recommended that a facility replace their electric heaters with natural gas heaters. An additional measure to insulate hot piping found near some boilers was also suggested.

For the special project, a video to demonstrate how to use and analyze the data gathered from our three-phase power loggers was made.

NITAC Intern: Trent Kisker
Major: Mechanical Engineering
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Overview of Assessments

Had the opportunity to go on assessments to five facilities over the summer. Some of the recommendations included working on shifting equipment use. This allowed for a decrease in the demand of the facility, saving money throughout the year. One of the more technical recommendations that was worked on included heat recovery. One application was relatively simple, figuring out the savings associated with venting heat from an air compressor onto the manufacturing floor to help reduce the heating load during the winter. The other application involved a heat exchanger along with a glycol loop to transfer exhaust heat back into the process. The replacement and upgrading of machinery were also investigated. Other AR’s general included compressed air and deduct meters. 

Special Project 

Trent’s special project was over the topic of solar energy. These included solar panels, battery storage, facility types, community solar, rebates and incentives, and talking with vendors. With solar panels the different types and how each one might be beneficial to manufacturers were investigated. From research it was determined due to higher efficiency that bi-facial panels allow for the most energy being gathered along with durability. Battery storage is an important aspect of solar energy as the sun isn’t always shining and currently lithium-ion batteries only last for about 4 hours before needing to be recharged. With the introduction of iron-oxide batteries, it could allow for cheaper and longer lasting energy storage. Community solar is a great concept allowing the public to participate in renewable energy without the need to install solar power of their own. However, for manufacturers it doesn’t make much sense due to the additional cost associated with participation as well as not saving any money. Rebates and incentives are going away as solar becomes more common. Another big encouragement of renewable energy is the Investment Tax Credit. Expanded in 2022 it allows for a 30% tax credit on installing solar. However, due to recent passage of a bill in July, this will be dissolved in 2028. 

NITAC Intern: Mia Perales
Major: Environmental Engineering 
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to provide a summary of the work completed and progress made over the summer on assessments as an analyst and lead student. This includes assessment recommendations at various stages of completion, work specific to lead student requirements, and a special project. 

Facility Information

Four assessments were completed this summer, including: Lester Electrical in Lincoln NE, American Wood Fibers in Pella, IA, Mi Mama’s in Omaha, NE, and American Laboratories in Omaha, NE. The assessment at Lester Electrical was completed as the equipment coordinator and one AR for upgraded lighting was completed. The second facility visited was American Wood Fibers, which was assessed as the safety coordinator and two AR’s were completed, one for Venturi Nozzles for Air Dusters and one for replacing V-Belts with Cogged V-Belts. The third facility visited was Mi Mama’s where one AR for Upgrading Dust Collector Valves was completed. The fourth facility visited was American Laboratories, which was assessed as the lead student, which included preliminary research, preparation of presentations, organizing transportation, utility analysis, and writing of the final report as additional responsibilities. For this assessment one AR for HVLS Fan Implementation was completed.

Pollution Prevention Benefits

Some intangible benefits to the facilities include a significant reduction in their GHG emissions, improved worker safety and satisfaction, and maintenance optimization. Summarized below in Table 1 are the results of the pollution prevention impact the recommendations will have if all are completed. 

Analyzed the cost & energy savings from upgrading LED lighting, installing deduct meters, replacing machines, replacing boiler systems, replacing V-belts with cogged V-belts, installing a photocell sensor onto lighting, implementing a compressed air leak detection program, and switching to an electrostatic spray paint gun from a manual spray paint gun. 

NITAC Intern: Nga Pham 
Major: Electrical Engineering Undergraduate
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Summer Activities
Joined a diverse team of analysts on a total of 4 assessments with different roles on each: was the lead on one, an analyst on all, and a safety & equipment coordinator for two site visits. 

Company Background
Helped assist 4 facilities.  These sectors of these four ranged from food processors, rubber components, wood products, and a chemical producer.

Pollution Prevention Benefits
Some tangible and intangible benefits to the facilities include a significant reduction in their GHG emissions, improved worker satisfaction, as well as process optimization. A summary of the benefits can be found in table 1.

NITAC Intern: Budoor Alsaadi
Major: Ms. in Environmental Engineering 
School: University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Summer Activities
Participated in four NIAC assessments during the summer, taking on both analyst and coordinator roles. The first assessment was at an electrical equipment manufacturer, serving as a safety coordinator. The second assessment was at a door manufacturer, serving as the equipment coordinator. The third assessment was at a food processing facility, where Budoor contributed as an analyst. The final assessment was at a pharmaceutical manufacturer, serving as the equipment coordinator.

Recommendations Description
Across all four assessments ARs aimed at cost and energy savings were prepared, including applying for natural-gas tax exemptions and adjusting the air-compressor setpoint. At the second facility, there was a focus on equipment operations, recommending to install horizontal HVLS fans for better air movement and to implement a steel-waste donation program to reduce disposal costs and support reuse. For the food-processing facility, an AR to install an anaerobic digester for energy recovery and an AR to install a boiler-water analyzer and controller to tighten blowdown and chemical control were written. At the pharmaceutical manufacturer, equipment inspections were coordinated and the adjustment of the compressed air setpoint and adding an expansion tank to stabilize supply and cut electricity use were recommended.

NITAC Intern: Florence Blankson
Major: PhD Civil Engineering
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Company Background
Assisted five facilities, including those in sectors ranging from doors, office furniture, chemical production, municipal wastewater, and mineral processing.

Recommendations
A total of five recommendations aimed at improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact were completed while two more are still in progress. These recommendations, if implemented, are projected to yield significant energy and cost savings while also contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions, a summary of which can be found in Table 

NITAC Intern: Thomas Haar
Major: B.S. Chemical Engineering 
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Summer Activities
Took part in six assessments this summer with a variety of responsibilities, leading one, contributing as an analyst on all, and stepping in as safety coordinator for one visit and equipment manager for another.

Company Background 
Assisted six facilities during this project, each with a unique role in their industries. Bruckman Rubber Company in Hastings, Nebraska, is a top U.S. manufacturer specializing in precision rubber components for automotive and industrial applications. Safco Products produces durable office and educational furnishings, ranging from workstations to storage solutions designed for heavy use. Conagra Brands, a national food processing leader, operates facilities that produce well-known snacks and ready-to-eat meals such as Act II popcorn. American Laboratories, in Omaha, Nebraska, develops and markets enzyme-rich products for food, nutrition, and pharmaceutical sectors. The Columbus Wastewater Treatment Plant serves the local community by treating and recycling wastewater to protect public health and the environment. Finally, FLEXcon, a global company with a plant in Columbus, manufactures adhesive films and coatings used across industrial and consumer markets. 

Pollution Prevention Benefits
Across these diverse operations, pollution prevention efforts should result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, streamlined processes, and improved operational efficiency, reinforcing both environmental responsibility and business performance. Table 1 below summarizes the impact on pollution prevention that my recommendations will have if all are implemented.

Analyzed the cost & energy savings from upgrading to LED lighting for normal lighting and exit signs, applying for tax exemption, installing VFDs on air compressors, repairing compressed air leaks, replacing v-belts with cogged belts, and installing a cool air intake on an air compressor. 

NITAC Intern: Ashkan Asadish
Major: ArchitecturalEngineering
School: University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Summer Activities
Worked with the NITAC in Summer 2025, conducting on-site energy assessments for five industrial facilities. The work involved field data collection, staff interviews, utility analysis, engineering calculations, vendor outreach, and preparation of Assessment Recommendations (ARs) and Other Measures (OMs). The sectors assessed included healthcare, food processing, office furniture, and mineral processing.

Cost and Energy Benefits 
The ARs and OMs together have the potential to deliver annual savings of 403,862 kWh of electricity, 48,402 therms of natural gas, and $278,192 in costs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 197.3 MTCO2e. The following Table 1 summarize the savings for all ARs and OMs:

NITAC Intern: Seth Pennell
Major: Electrical Engineering
School: University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Summer Activities
This summer, 5 NITAC assessments, one of which was as the lead student. The goal was to write recommendations that save energy and/or money for the client. For each assessment attended not as the lead, one or two assessment recommendations (ARs) or other measures (OMs) were written.

Topics
Prepared ARs and OMs covered the following topics: installation of occupancy sensors, repair compressed air leaks, installation of recuperator for a burn-off oven, replacement of V-belts with cogged belts, installation of VFDs for compressors, and delay of startup time. A special report was written about a company’s product which claims to reduce energy usage by filtering ground and neutral harmonics, concluding that the product is likely illegitimate. If companies or assessment leads believe that power quality is an issue, it was noted that professional power quality audits are a better option than using the product analyzed.

Lead Report Savings
In the report for the lead assessment, the potential annual savings from measures recommended are: 167 gal of oil, 165 gal of paint, 279,000 kWh, 851.1 kW-months, 9,932 therms of natural gas, 64.8 MTCO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent), and $111,211. 

Individual Recommendation Savings