About ETAC

The Electrotechnology Applications Center (ETAC) provides confidential assistance to businesses and manufacturers to help them increase productivity, improve energy efficiency, and achieve and maintain environmental compliance. ETAC helps businesses gain a competitive advantage by applying alternative technologies to improve heating, drying, coating and curing processes. With support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), ETAC helps businesses investigate new equipment, materials and processes before making large investments or production changes.

Objectives - Read ETAC's mission to help manufacturers solve environmental compliance issues. Benefits - Discover the unique benefits of using ETAC's services. Welcome - Read a note from Dr. Michael Vasilik. Staff - View biographies of ETAC's expert staff. FAQs - Learn more about ETAC through frequently asked questions. Location - Find ETAC's facility using customized directions. Contact Us - Contact ETAC to learn more about our services and technologies.

ETAC was created through a partnership between Northampton Community College (NCC) and Pennsylvania Power and Light Company to demonstrate opportunities for using electric energy to PP&L's customers. After five years, the partnership with the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company was not renewed — ETAC is now wholly owned by Northampton Community College.

ETAC began operations in January 1994. In 1995, the operation moved into a new laboratory complex in NCC's Technology Hall and became the first Electric Power Research Institute-sponsored industrial technology center partnership in the U.S. Ben Franklin Technology Partners also provided a significant amount of support to establish and develop ETAC. In 1999, ETAC was awarded a two-year grant from PA DEP and has committed to helping manufacturers solve environmental compliance issues. Based on ETAC's success in helping Pennsylvania companies reduce their volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, the College was awarded the largest grant in its history - a 5-year, 3 million dollar grant for ETAC to continue work through 2005.

As of June 2002, ETAC had assisted over 280 companies in 43 counties covering 33 industries, resulting in a projected savings of 50,000,000 pounds of VOCs (of which nearly 10,000,000 pounds are hazardous air pollutants), 140,000 pounds of particulate, and 200,000 pounds of solid waste.

In 2002, ETAC was awarded the Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. In 1999, the American Lung Association awarded ETAC the Clean Air Act Award for its contributions in helping industry protect the environment. In addition, ETAC has been awarded the Ben Franklin Technology Innovation Award and the DEP/NEP National Pollution Prevention Certificate of Recognition.