New Hampshire Hosts Energy Conference

November 7, 2001

News Release

Governor Office of Energy and Community Services
57 Regional Drive, Suite 3, Concord, NH 03301
1-603-271-2611 ﵠFax: 1-603-271-2615

For immediate release

Contact: Barbara Bernstein, executive director, WasteCap, 224-1517
Bill Burtis, communications coordinator, ECS, 271-2688

DURHAMaking New Hampshire industries more competitive by improving resource conservation and energy efficiency was the focus of a conference here Thursday, November 1, where UNH faculty, industry leaders, and state and federal officials met to discuss combining forces to create ndustries of the Future./P>

The conference brought together 60 people, including members of a variety of UNH science, engineering, continuing education, and research departments, representatives of New Hampshire forest products, metals, and rubber and plastics industries, and officials from the U. S. Department of Energy, the universities of Massachusetts and Maine, and the New Hampshire Governor Office of Energy and Community Services.

Discussion at the conference focused on waste reduction and energy-efficient manufacturing processes, as well as human resources issues. Industry representatives were able to give UNH faculty specific examples of how the university expertise can help these New Hampshire industries become more efficient, improving the financial and environmental bottom line for these industries, identified as among the most energy- and resource-intensive in the state.

Specific areas of concern included reengineering manufacturing processes to eliminate or reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and finding ways to reuse or recycle waste products, which can then save money by reducing reclamation or disposal costs. Techniques discussed ranged from employing space-program gauging and sensor technologies to reduce waste and the development of new polymer applications in paper products and metal fabrication.

Participants heard Professor Carl Irwin, director of West Virginia Industries of the Future program and OIT Partner of the Year, discuss successes in that state steel and glass industries, among others. Irwin urged faculty and industry representatives to define research priorities that affect the ifebloodof New Hampshire industry and rite some proposals, get funded and get to work.

ee found that this is a great way to get positive energy flowing between industry and the university, and it really helps university faculty and students to et realIrwin said of work at West Virginia University.

Both UNH Vice President for Research and Public Service Don Sundberg and Arthur Greenberg, dean of the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences concurred, welcoming participants and noting the importance of what Sundberg called he three-part partnership of government, industry and education./P>

Next steps under consideration for the group are a formal process for continued discussion and networking, the potential establishment of an industrial assessment center in New Hampshire, pooling grantwriting resources and sharing information about funding opportunities, and creating a mechanism industry can use to access information at UNH.

The conference was organized by the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences in cooperation with the New Hampshire Industries of the Future program, run cooperatively by the Governor Office of Energy and Community Services and the WasteCap Resource Conservation Network of the New Hampshire Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire.