PennTAP 2019 Impact
PennTAP collaborated with businesses, local communities, and Penn State students across the Commonwealth and increased economic development, student engagement, and community entrepreneurship by:
- Helping businesses reduce operating costs by improving the energy efficiency of their building, freeing up capital for reinvestment in new jobs and business expansion.
- Providing students real-world experience through site visits to Pennsylvania manufacturers.
- Mentoring students and community entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams through opportunities such as the Inc.U Competition and the Invent Penn State innovation hub accelerator programs.
As a result of these activities, PennTAP worked on 15% more client cases, educated 7% more individuals, and realized 25% more economic benefit than last year. The PennTAP team is dedicated to helping Pennsylvania businesses grow and succeed while providing out-of-classroom experience for Penn State students to help them successfully transition into their post-graduation careers.
| Counties Served | 42 |
| Economic Benefit | $4.5M |
| Jobs Created or Saved | 14 |
| Penn State Students Engaged | 384 |
| Individuals Educated | 1,072 |
| Client Cases | 125 |
| Client Satisfaction | 4.8/5.0 |
Addressing Climate Change
In 2019, PennTAP technical assistance aligned with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Climate Action Plan. By performing energy efficiency assessments and training, PennTAP helped clients reduce 325 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout Pennsylvania. These actions also support the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals and the strategic plan at Penn State.
| Energy & Environment Cases | 70 |
| Penn State Students Engaged | 155 |
| School Districts Trained | 22 |
| BRT Training Participants | 45 |
| SBAG Funding Awarded | $76K, 15 companies |
| REAP Funding Awarded | $67K, 2 companies |
It is because of the PennTAP team that we are going to be better stewards of the environment and, as a bonus, save money while doing it!
Cultivating Innovation Across PA
Inc.U Competition PennTAP mentored and connected student startups with funding through the Inc.U Competition which culminated in “The Investment” television show on WPSU featuring six student startup companies competing for $30,000 in funding. Penn State Shenango student entrepreneurs Ali Izzo and Holly Masters won $15,000 for their startup Purpose Therapy Box, gift boxes that inspire positivity and enhance quality of life within the older adult population.
Penn State Learning Factory 32 companies collaborated and sponsored student teams working on 38 engineering design projects. A three-year, $100,000 support grant to PennTAP from the FirstEnergy Foundation made it financially possible for 17 companies to participate in the senior engineering design capstone program in 2019.
PA Engage! PennTAP is a proud partner of this statewide business retention and expansion program that offers companies advantages and connections to help them stay, grow, and excel in PA.
| Student Startups in Inc. U Competition | 26 |
| Learning Factory Team Sponsors | 32 |
| Companies Awarded FirstEnergy Grants | 17 |
| Learning Factory Projects | 38 |
| PA Engage! Company Interviews | 9 |
The opportunity to speak with judges and investors who are interested in hearing about your company, gives you the chance to get the word out about your business to the Penn State community, which has been extremely beneficial for our company.
Erie County Department of Health Saves $296,000
Backed by a grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) State Energy Program and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), PennTAP assembled regional cohorts of professionals working for K–12 schools and government facilities to conduct four hours of BRT classroom training followed by practical team-based walkthrough assessments of the participating facilities.
Erie County saw annual utility savings of $296,000 across six county owned and operated buildings. Utility savings were estimated at 74,000 Ccf of natural gas in the first year, just over 7.3 million gallons of water, and more than 2.2 million kWh of electricity.
Custom Molding Company Saves $27,000 per Year
The Ralph S. Alberts Company is a full-service and multi-faceted custom molding company that wanted their manufacturing process to be more energy efficient. With the help of PennTAP advisors, the company installed a fluidized bed furnace to replace an existing, less energy efficient, burn-off system and upgraded their lighting to LEDs.
Changes implemented by the company saved them 6,900 MMBTU of natural gas and over 10,000 kWh of electric consumption annually equal to $27,000 annual savings on natural gas costs and over $1,000 for electric costs. The energy efficiency and pollution prevention project eliminated 410 tons of carbon dioxide.