The Iowa Energy Center will hold an open house for its new Energy Resource Station, on the Des Moines Area Community College campus in Ankeny today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Iowa State President Martin Jischke and DMACC Vice President Don Zuck will be guest speakers for the event, said Adriene Koett-Cronn, communications specialist for the Iowa Energy Center.

The ERS, a program through the ISU-based Energy Center, “provides detailed performance evaluations of building energy systems and the controls that optimize system performance,” Koett-Cronn said.

The station will be able to test systems under “real-world conditions,” and will give consumers the information they need to select the most efficient options for their energy systems, she said.

“Iowa spends about $5 billion on energy a year,” she said. “Ninety-seven percent of the energy we purchase is from outside the state.”

“If we can save some of that money, the money stays in the state,” she said.

The station will focus largely on big businesses. “We’re looking at how we can make the biggest impact,” she said. “A large portion of energy used is by commercial and industry users.”

Koett-Cronn said the ERS will help Iowans save money and energy, boost the economy and reduce pollution. “The ERS is the only one of its kind in the country,” she said. “We’re just thrilled about it, and we haven’t even started.”

Perks offered by DMACC officials lured the station to Ankeny, Koett-Cronn said.

“DMACC provided $600,000, and gave us land, parking and access to their conference center,” she said. “ISU and DMACC are cooperative anyway, so it will fit right in.”