FSU awarded $900,000 grant in energy efficiency collaboration with FTCC and PWC

Nearly one million dollars will be flowing into Fayetteville as part of a new collaborative initiative to curb energy use in commercial and industrial buildings. 

Fayetteville State University, which is helming the partnership between Fayetteville Technical Community College and the Fayetteville Public Works Commission, was awarded the $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, according to an Oct. 14 press release from FTCC. The funding will go towards establishing a Fayetteville-Cumberland Regional Building Training and Assessment Center (BTAC).

“FSU is accepting the charge to drive economic ascension in Fayetteville and the surrounding Sandhills Region by meeting the demand for workforce and sustainability needs with highly trained and skilled leaders living, learning and working in this region,” said FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison in the press release. 

The community partners hope the collaboration will provide a foundation for “new green-economy jobs” and fill a need in the energy efficiency market by tapping into an under-resourced area.

“Data from the U.S. Department of Energy indicates that the typical commercial building has the unrealized potential to cost-effectively reduce energy consumption by 40-60% per year, saving thousands of dollars in energy costs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process,” the press release states. “However, there are currently very limited resources available in southeastern North Carolina to help small businesses and churches and schools identify all these potential savings opportunities.”

The new training and assessment center is expected to provide certifications for students, technicians and contractors, while faculty from FTCC and FSU will work with PWC to provide “free energy assessments for qualifying buildings.” 

Fayetteville Technical Community College is “keenly focused on preparing a workforce aligned with the economic development needs of our state and region,” said FTCC President Mark Sorrells in the press release.

By targeting a 10-county region and providing training through the BTAC, the press release states, the community partners are hopeful that the initiative will serve as a driver for economic growth and promote sustainable energy.

“This collaborative effort to create new talent pipelines for next generation jobs is an excellent example of the strategies that are going to propel our community forward,” Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said in the press release.