Upcoming events:

• Webinar: Mechanical Vapor Recompression in Chemical Processes – Real-World Success Studies by Energy Group Webinars (July 21, 2026)

• Chevron Innovation Competition- Elimination Round (July 24, 2026)

• 2026 Steam System Masterclass Workshop (Aug 20-21, 2026)

• 2026 Southwest Process and Technology Conference (October 22-23, 2026)

Past Events:

• Home Energy Rebates. Please visit Inflation Reduction Act Opportunities for Feedback for more information

Shahriar and Gary discuss the article written by Shahriar about the energy efficiency of oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. This process has promise, but is it ready? 

To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Our guest on this episode of the podcast is James R. Risko, MBA, CEM, PEM, presenter, consultant, author, inventor. Jim is the retired president of TLV Corporation, Charlotte, NC, formerly responsible for US & Canadian operations. We talk about his forty-eight years of troubleshooting steam systems in all sizes of plants. Jim is the instructor of the upcoming Risko Refinery & Chemical Plant Steam System Workshop at the Innovation Center, Technology Bridge at the University of Houston, 5000 Gulf Freeway, Houston, TX 77204. It takes place Thursday & Friday, August 20 - 21, 2025, 8:00am - 3:30pm. This course is suitable for engineers of all experience levels, plant operators, and maintenance managers seeking to deepen their practical understanding of steam and condensate systems and how they affect the serviced processes.  It is particularly well‑suited for young professionals wanting to navigate the realm of complex and interconnected technologies in energy services. Registration information here: https://store.mynsm.uh.edu/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1540

To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Upcoming events: 

• Chevron Innovation Competition- Elimination Round (July 24, 2026) 

• 2026 Steam System Masterclass Workshop (Aug 20-21, 2026) 

• STS-AIChE Southwest Process Technology Conference (October 22-23, 2026) 

Past Events: 

• Industrial Energy Technology Conference (May 19-21, 2026) 

• Energy in Action Seminar, Digital Twins (May 29, 2026) 

Shahriar and Gary discuss the article written by Shahriar about the energy efficiency of propane dehydrogenation processes. A semi-quantitative analysis is presented despite a lack of accurateprocess information. 

To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Our guest on this episode of the podcast is Dr. Lars Grabow, professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering here at the University of Houston. His research focuses on computational catalysis through which he gains tremendous understanding of various reaction systems and how catalytic reactions fundamentally work.

Computational catalysis is being used to discover new catalyst formulations.  Improved catalysts leads to improved energy efficiency by increasing activity, improving selectivity and increasing catalyst life. Dr. Grabow talks about how a fundamental approach is used to find new alloys and reaction pathways faster than traditional experimental methods. He also talks about a non-steady-state operation that also increases catalyst activity, selectivity and life.

Upcoming events: Energy in Action Seminar, Digital Twins (May 29, 2029)Steam Workshop (to be determined)2026 SPTC (October 22-23, 2026)

Past Events:CCUS Technical Forum (Apr 29, 2026)Southwest Catalysis Society Annual Meeting (May 1, 2026)Commencement (May 14, 2026)Industrial Energy Technology Conference (May 19-21, 2026)

The CCUS Technical Forum generated a lot of discussion amongst the attendees.  Some of that is captured here.To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Upcoming events:

• Industrial Energy Technology Conference (May 19-21, 2026)
• Energy in Action Seminar, Digital Twins (May 29, 2029)

Past Events:

• Coogs for Energy Hackathon (April 10-11, 2026)
• 2026 AIChE Spring Meeting and 22nd Global Congress on Process Safety (April 12-16, 2026)

Carla and Gary discuss the article written by Carla about the energy efficiency of geothermal power generation. What is old is new again. Energy efficiency is a difficult metric to describe geothermal, but the low levelized cost of production makes this an exciting evolving technology. To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Upcoming events:

• Coogs for Energy Hackathon (April 10-11, 2026)
• 2026 AIChE Spring Meeting and 22nd Global Congress on Process Safety (April 12-16, 2026)
• Industrial Energy Technology Conference (May 19-21, 2026)

Past Events:

• Energy in Action Seminars - Artificial Intelligence in Energy Processes (February 27, 2026)
• TIEEP Pinch Analysis Workshop, and Water Forum (March 5-6, 2026)
• Energy Transition Webinar Series (March 10, 2026)

Carla and Gary discuss their experience and the presentations at the pinch analysis workshop and the water forum. Following this, Hisham and Gary discuss the article written by Hisham about the energy efficiency of plastic recycling methods. Landfilling, incineration, mechanical recycling, and the more novel chemical and thermal decomposition recycling methods are summarized with their economic and energy efficiency metrics.To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Gary talks with Todd McAllister, CEO of SPEER (South Central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource), about energy efficiency across Texas and Oklahoma. Todd explains what SPEER is and how it works through training contractors, engaging with the PUC, and partnering with local governments and universities. Todd and Gary also talk about heat pumps vs. resistance heating, why demand response hasn’t fully taken off, and how the real challenge is getting landlords, utilities, and customers on the same page in regards to incentives. Tune in this week to hear their practical look at how small changes could add up to big impacts on the grid.To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Upcoming events:

• Energy in Action Seminars - Artificial Intelligence in Energy Processes (February 27, 2026)
• TIEEP Pinch Analysis Workshop, and Water Forum (March 5-6, 2026)
• Energy Transition Webinar Series (March 10, 2026)

Past Events:

• Energy in Action Seminars - AI and the Net-Zero Journey with Shell (February 13, 2026)
• Energy Transition Institute Seminars - PACE Financing: A Scalable Tool for Energy and Water Efficiency, Resilience, and Economic Development February 10, 2026)

Gary and Carla discuss whether AI-powered energy systems can be trusted to manage industrial processes. Gary recounts his own plant operations experience to urge some caution, suggesting that it is better to use AI as a pattern recognition tool than giving it full control of a process. Next, Hisham previews his research into advanced plastic recycling, taking a closer look at the range of thermal and chemical decomposition methods and how they compare in terms of energy efficiency. Keep an eye out for his full write-up in the March newsletter.To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/

Gary talks about PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) with Dub Taylor, the CEO of Texas PACE Authority. PACE is a financing program that's helping property owners finally move forward on energy and water efficiency projects for which traditional bank loans just don't work well. Dub walks Gary through how the program works, who it's for, and why the private capital behind it means no public dollars and no budget cycles, and how there’s a lot more flexibility. He also gets into some of the more surprising applications showing up on PACE's radar lately, including the infrastructure powering the data center boom here in Texas.To learn more about the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), go to https://www.uh.edu/energy/tiee/