Sustainable Summer
CSE3 helps industries save energy, fight pollution through workshops
Pollution doesn’t take a summer vacation.
That’s why the East Carolina University Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering (CSE3) has been busy putting on webinars, technical courses and workshops aimed at pollution prevention and green energy manufacturing throughout the summer.
CSE3 is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to advancing sustainable energy, environmental engineering and resilient ecological systems. Its research spans a wide range of fields, including biofuels, coastal hydrology, ecosystem restoration, energy efficiency, nature-based solutions and water quality.
In addition to its research mission, the center supports industry and organizations by providing technical assistance and offering professional development courses aimed at preventing and reducing pollution, further advancing sustainability across the state.
Sandra Enciso, senior energy and sustainability project manager at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute, speaks during a workshop in the Isley Innovation Hub.
Last week, the center hosted two courses in the Isley Innovation Hub. Sandra Enciso, the senior energy and sustainability project manager at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute, led sessions for company leaders on International Organization for Standardization 14001, considered the backbone for a green industry, and ISO 50001, a framework for achieving carbon neutrality in business.
Encisco told attendees that identifying energy sources was the first step toward conducting an energy review that would help companies identify areas for improvement. That improvement can come through the creation of a culture of energy reduction, which ranges from something as simple as turning off lights to purchasing more energy efficient machinery.
“It’s been really interesting,” said Myrna Pacheco, an environmental engineer for Avient. “In some trainings, you will go outside with your mind, but I have been extremely focused. All of the information has been really important to what the needs are that we have. It’s one of our main focuses, reduction of resources.”
Avient is an environmental materials manufacturer in Greenville, so Pacheco said she appreciated the center putting on such a valuable course so close to home.
“The fact that ECU has this type of training and invites people from industry is really helpful,” she said. “And it’s helpful because this training is local. Our company is here in Greenville, and if not for this training, we would have to go to another place, have to travel, stay in a different city, so this is really convenient and also very useful.”
Support for last week’s courses came from an Environmental Protection Agency grant, Pitt County Economic Development and the Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance.
Beyond last week’s courses, CSE3 also put on two courses on energy efficiency earlier this summer in Sanford. The center has also conducted energy and lean assessments to help manufacturers improve efficiency, reduce waste and lower operational costs. The assessments are free to manufacturers thanks to federal pollution prevention grant funds. Biopharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers, metal fabricators and breweries across North Carolina benefited from the audits. A series of webinars focused on pollution prevention and sustainability and will continue throughout the fall.
CSE3 also hosts a webinar series on pollution prevention and sustainability, the archives of which are available on the center’s YouTube site. The series will continue this fall.
The center also brought industry leaders and faculty together for four in-person workshops on pollution prevention and sustainability in manufacturing. The half-day events held across the state brought industry leaders and faculty together to discuss ways to enhance operations while reducing environmental impact.
Upcoming events, webinars and workshops are regularly posted on the center’s website as well as on the center’s LinkedIn page.