Virtual Trainings offered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Plants program are the online version of the multi-day workshops known as In-Plant Trainings (INPLTs). As with in-person Trainings, the VTs help attendees identify energy conservation opportunities, quantify savings from those opportunities, and implement projects to realize the cost savings.
These training workshops enhance the attendees’ understanding of working principles, knowledge of best practices, and capability of analyzing the energy performance of industrial energy systems. As of now, DEO has hosted 31 virtual trainings with more than 2,200 participants and over $11M energy savings opportunities have been identified.
The Better Plants program will deliver a VT on process heating (PH) systems from April 2 to May 21, 2025. The industrial process heating systems include furnaces, ovens, kilns, dryers, heat treat furnaces, etc. The PH VT will be performed by an industrial process heating expert and Technical Account Managers using online video communication technologies. The PH VT is comprised of 2.5-hour online training sessions (2-hours formal training and optional 0.5-hour Q&A) that will be delivered every Wednesday 1:00PM – 3:30PM ET for eight (8) consecutive weeks. Participating in this VT is free and open to all the Better Plants program partners.
Participants will be trained in industrial process heating fundamentals and undertaking of a system-specific energy assessment, including virtual hands-on training on the process heating assessment module within the Manufacturing Energy Assessment Software for Utility Reduction (MEASUR) tool. To maximize the benefits from attending VTs, homework assignments will be given to the participants at the end of each session and will be due by the next session. These homework assignments are designed to enhance participants’ understanding of process heating heat balance analysis, as well as to identify and quantify energy savings opportunities. During the last session of the VT, participants are expected to create a summary presentation based on their assessment, present their findings, and share the scrubbed version with DOE.
At the completion of the VT, Professional Development Hours (PDHs) Certificates will be prepared for the attendees on demand basis. Participants are expected to collect measurements/data from their own process heating equipment, perform an assessment, and identify energy efficiency opportunities with help from the instructors. To collect the assessment data, in some cases, diagnostic equipment can be arranged and shipped to the partners. The Better Plants diagnostic equipment is available on a first come, first serve basis.
Apr 2 to May 21, 2025; Every Wednesday 1:00PM–3:30PM ET (2-hour formal training + optional 0.5-hour Q&A)
Week 1 – Process Heating Basics and Introduction to PH VT; April 2, 2025
Process heating (PH) experts introduce the rationale for system-specific in-plant trainings, describe the overall process of conducting a PH VTs, explain the fundamentals of PH systems, and demonstrate the pre-screening process used during the PH VTs. VT attendees receive their 1st homework assignment on pre-screening their PH equipment based on annual energy use and energy cost. The PH systems include furnaces, ovens, kilns, dryers, etc.
Week 2 – PH Assessment Methodology and Hands-on Training on DOE’s MEASUR Tool; April 9, 2025
Training experts will provide an overview of PH assessment methodology and demonstrate the PH assessment module within DOE’s Manufacturing Energy Assessment Software for Utility Reduction (MEASUR) tool.
Week 3 – PH Diagnostic Equipment and Data Collection Form; April 16, 2025
Training experts will demonstrate the diagnostic equipment used during PH assessments and discuss the PH data collection form. VT attendees receive their 2nd homework assignment on collecting baseline assessment data for the selected PH system identified during the pre-screening step.
Week 4 – Energy Efficiency Opportunities in Process Heating Systems; April 23, 2025
Training experts and VT attendees review the baseline assessment data for the selected PH systems identified for the demonstration assessments. Participants provide an overview of their baseline models. The experts present various energy-saving methods and their applicability to PH systems. VT attendees receive their third homework assignment, which involves creating modified models within the MEASUR tool and submitting data files to the instructors.
Week 5 – Assessment and Analysis of MEASUR Data for Finding Opportunities; April 30, 2025
Training experts discuss the waste heat reduction, recycle, and recovery technologies. VT attendees provide overview on their modified models and review their what if analysis and results with the PH experts. VT attendees discuss the energy saving measures and their effect on energy use, present and discuss the results to the group, and complete the energy assessment by evaluating the results. VT attendees receive their 4th homework assignment on creating power point slides summarizing the outcomes from PH VT.
Week 6 – Part 1: Process Heating VT Results Discussion and Review of Final Presentations; May 7, 2025
With assistance from process heating experts, VT attendees finalize their PH assessments within the MEASUR tool. VT attendees discuss and review their results slides with assistance from PH experts.
Week 7 – Part 2: Process Heating VT Results Discussion and Review of Final Presentations; May 14, 2025
The remaining VT attendees finalize their PH assessments within the MEASUR tool, discuss and review their results slides with assistance from PH experts. VT attendees receive their 5th homework assignment on finalizing their power point slides summarizing the outcomes from PH VT.
Week 8 – Process Heating VT Wrap-up Presentations; Mar 21, 2025
VT attendees present and discuss the results from their virtual PH assessment and complete the VT by evaluating the results. VT participants could invite their upper management to attend the wrap-up session. Once completed, VT attendees are given a Certification of Completion from US DOE.
Sachin Nimbalkar (Process Heat Systems INPLT)
Dr. Nimbalkar is the group leader of ORNL’s Energy Efficiency Research and Analysis Group. Dr. Nimbalkar has more than ten years of professional experience which includes working as a R&D Staff at ORNL. Dr. Nimbalkar provides technical support to DOE AMO’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Partners through energy road map development, baselining analysis, in-plant trainings, field visits to investigate feasible measures to reduce process energy requirements. Dr. Nimbalkar assists AMO’s international activities through technical program management support, planning and development of tools and materials. Dr. Nimbalkar held several training workshops and webinars throughout Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Turkey, and covering energy efficiency in process heat systems, waste heat recovery from industrial process heating equipment and DOE’s Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST). Dr. Nimbalkar is actively involved in research activities in industrial process heating, waste heat management (reduce, recover, and recycle), smart manufacturing, and water-energy nexus areas. He is also conducting research in life cycle energy and emissions analysis, modeling, and projection of energy efficient technologies and innovative manufacturing processes. Dr. Nimbalkar is an active member of Sigma Xi since 2010. He has achieved the “Qualified Specialist” recognition in using three key DOE energy efficiency software tools – the Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST), the Pump System Assessment Tool (PSAT), and the Steam System Assessment Tool (SSAT). These are comprehensive tools used to evaluate energy savings improvements in pump, process heating, and steam systems. Dr. Nimbalkar received his PhD and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
