Meet the Team
UCI SMART IAC: a formidable force
in the quest for sustainability
By SHARON HENRY
At the heart of SMART IAC's accomplishments lies a talented team of 24 students drawn from UC Irvine, California State, Northridge, and Cypress College campuses.
These driven individuals, spanning various engineering disciplines, have contributed significantly to the program's success. Their diverse backgrounds bring unique perspectives to the table, enriching the energy-saving recommendations with innovative ideas. The blend of experienced mentors and eager newcomers further fuels the team's success, propelling the program toward new horizons.
Dressed to assess
Fueling inspiration
What drew students to the SMART IAC program, and inspired them to become industrial energy assessors.
John Pham
4th Year Chemical, Engineering
UC Irvine
"IAC has provided me with a unique platform to leverage my chemical engineering knowledge towards enhancing the energy efficiency of diverse systems. This invaluable experience has not only allowed me to identify critical developmental gaps but has also kindled a passion for addressing these gaps through future research endeavors."
Lorena Martinez Aguilar
3rd Year Chemical Engineering
UC Irvine
“Since my early childhood, I've been keenly attentive to my surroundings, constantly posing questions and observing the world's beauty. I found myself pondering the reasons behind the annual rise in temperatures, the accelerating rate of animal extinctions, and the concept of climate change. To me, climate change stands as a pressing issue that demands immediate attention to ensure the protection of our Earth and has evolved into a developing passion for protecting our planet."
Pablo Ivan Diaz
3rd Year Chemical Engineering
UC Irvine
“The IAC program caught my attention because I hope to use my engineering training to work with energy and sustainability. What really stood out to me was the hands-on experiences that come with the program. It is a great opportunity to take what we study in the classroom and apply it to optimize and work alongside the machinery, spaces and people that power our daily lives, while creating a cleaner and more sustainable world.”
Daniela Ruiz
Mechanical Engineering, PhD
UC Irvine
"My favorite aspect of the IAC program is its unique opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and real-world impact. While classroom learning provides a solid foundation, IAC empowers us to apply this knowledge directly, effecting tangible change in the energy sector. We see the fruits of our efforts in reduced utility bills for clients and gain valuable insights from energy consumers, informing the direction of our research. This program inspires us to be the change agents driving sustainability goals forward."
Jaden Zhao
Electrical engineering, graduate student
UC Irvine
"Energy supply is pivotal to global development. Enhancing energy efficiency and wisely harnessing renewable energy are urgent issues to address. I joined the IAC Program driven by a passion to tackle these challenges and to gain a more comprehensive, practical understanding of them. Through the program, I delved into the intricacies of plant industrial production and the logistics supply chain system, as well as the plant manufacturing process. This experience sharpened my focus on energy economic efficiency and deepened my grasp of manufacturing energy systems. The IAC program has equipped me with hands-on knowledge for my future academic endeavors and has bolstered my entrepreneurial drive to address energy challenges."
Huiting Qin
Materials and Manufacturing, PhD
UC Irvine
"My favorite aspect of the IAC program is its unique opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and real-world impact. While classroom learning provides a solid foundation, IAC empowers us to apply this knowledge directly, effecting tangible change in the energy sector. We see the fruits of our efforts in reduced utility bills for clients and gain valuable insights from energy consumers, informing the direction of our research. This program inspires us to be the change agents driving sustainability goals forward."
Christopher Ramirez
4th year Mechanical Engineering
UC Irvine
"Joining the IAC program has given me more experience and opportunities than I had expected. We get to tour all kinds of different manufacturing facilities and companies and collect their energy usage data. It is amazing to see how these companies operate, and it really helps me narrow down what I want to be involved with in the future. It's also so captivating to see what we learn in our classes being applied to real-world applications and products we use every day."
"We have a mix of graduate students as well as seniors, juniors and sophomores. Having that blend of experience levels through our team has been beneficial as more experienced students have taken on leadership roles and been mentors for the newer students."
Abdullah Khaleel Alhussain
3rd year Mechanical Engineering
UC Irvine
"Energy efficiency has consistently played an integral role in both my personal routine, encompassing daily activities within my household, and my academic pursuits in various educational settings. The chance to enrich myself with substantial professional opportunities by offering consultation services on energy efficiency to local industries within the framework of the IAC program transcends the borders of mere educational enrichment, it encapsulates a genuine passion of mine."
Leon Yao
3rd year Computer Science
UC Irvine
“The experience at IAC has given me vision to combining energy efficiency knowledge with computer science, such as the IIOT devices used to collect data and facilitate energy controls. The assessments have really informed me the importance of not only know how to write programs but also understand the field knowledge behind it.”
Michael Gerald Perez-Lorenz
3rd year Aerospace Engineering
UC Irvine
“I love the in-person experience that comes with the SMART IAC. I have been able to observe how businesses work and see how they implement energy savings. We see a variety of energy progression which allows us to visualize what a company with energy efficiency should look like and how we can progress our other clients to a more efficient lifestyle.”
Antonio Samonte Velasco
2nd year Electrical Engineering
UC Irvine
"I've always been interested in the 'cutting edge' and pushing the boundaries of science, and creating technologies that are not only groundbreaking, but also more energy efficient and sustainable is crucial for the future. Doing assessments and research in energy efficiency is not only something that I'll learn a lot from, but also something that I enjoy and am passionate about."
With a team of talented students and a comprehensive approach to energy assessment, SMART IAC continues to inspire industries to embark on their journey towards a greener, more sustainable future.
If you're interested in learning more about how to become a SMART IAC student energy assessor, or would like to see if your local business qualifies for a free energy assessment visit smartiac.calit2.uci.edu
SMART IAC OVERVIEW
In 2021, UC Irvine received nearly $2.25 million of a $60 million investment by the U.S. Department of Energy to assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and lowering energy costs, while training the next generation of energy-efficiency workers.
The Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance for Research and Training Industrial Assessment Center (SMART IAC), housed at UCI’s California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CALIT2), operates the center with two satellite centers at CSUN and Cypress College. IACs provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers with assessments and recommendations on energy efficiency, productivity improvement, sustainability and competitiveness as well as measure the impacts of these recommendations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“While large, sophisticated companies like SpaceX dominate the public’s perception of manufacturing in Southern California, it is the manufacturers with fewer than 50 employees that produce most of the innovation, output and employment,” said G.P. Li, project PI and UCI CALIT2 director. “I am proud that UCI has been selected to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers across America lower their energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while remaining globally competitive. This is further acknowledgment of UCI’s commitment to clean energy. By harnessing the talent of our brightest minds, we can take on the energy, environmental and economic challenges of tomorrow.”
ABOUT US
Our SMART IAC provides no-cost energy consulting services to small- and medium-sized manufacturers within 150 miles of UC Irvine (Orange, Ventura, Imperial and Riverside counties.) We have expanded our program to provide commercial building assessments, too.
Our assessments typically require one day on site in your facility and we typically identify 10-20% energy and productivity savings.
As part of our services, we will deliver a detailed, professional report outlining several ways that your facility can save energy and money. Our analysis includes detailed engineering and economic calculation of potential energy saving ideas. We typically only target recommendations that result in a 2-year financial payback for our clients.
UC IRVINE CALIT2
featuring the SMART IAC
Credits
Writer: Sharon Henry
Video: Natalie Tso
Editor: Shelly Nazarenus
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