Research Engineer Recognized as a Qualified Specialist by Department of Energy

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Chase Harding measures electrical power input to an industrial system.

Chase Harding, a research associate in the department of mechanical engineering, has earned the Department of Energy’s certification of qualified systems specialist for compressed air systems. Harding is the first engineer in Arkansas to be named a qualified specialist by the DOE. This certification reflects his expertise in using AIRmaster-plus software to improve the efficiency of compressed air systems.

Compressed air is used in industrial facilities to run many different types of machines and tools, and to regulate processes such as applying plating or paint. Ensuring that these systems operate as efficiently as possible can save time, money, and energy for these facilities.

“Chase is also a certified energy manager and has a strong background in both industrial manufacturing and utilities, so becoming a qualified system specialist is just one more professional competency that allows him to serve the industry within Arkansas,” said Darin Nutter, associate professor in mechanical engineering and director of the Arkansas Industrial Energy Clearinghouse.

In his role as a staff engineer at the Industrial Energy Clearinghouse, Harding visits industrial and manufacturing plants to conduct energy audits and provide resources and technical support to facilities that want to reduce their energy costs. In the past year and a half, the Industrial Energy Clearinghouse, which is a joint effort of the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions, has helped companies cut their energy bills through recommended measures that have potential energy cost savings of around $3 million across the state.

“We’ve been able to understand Arkansas industry and focus on their needs,” explained Harding. “We’re hopefully helping the manufacturing base stay in Arkansas, by helping them save money with the same, or in some cases, with even better productivity.”