| Nov 3 , 2008 | Vol. 2. No. 18 |
IN THIS ISSUE: MMPEI IN THE NEWS, U-M IN THE NEWS, ENERGY NEWS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, UPCOMING EVENTS and RESEARCH AND FACULTY POSITIONS
MMPEI IN THE NEWS
MMPEI welcomes director for outreach and development
Greg Sadler joins MMPEI as the new director for outreach and development. Greg
earned a bachelor's degree in biophysics and an MBA from Wayne State University,
and received a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from UM. He brings
industrial experience from his years at Johnson Controls and Visteon,
at which he was senior manager of innovation, marketing and advanced
business development. He gained experience working with universities
through positions in which he was responsible for university
relations at both companies. Prior to joining UM, Greg ran his own
consulting company and he has also held an adjunct faculty position in
mechanical engineering at Lawrence Technological University since
2002.
MMPEI on the move
As of October 30, MMPEI is operating from Suite 1240 of the Robert H. Lurie Engineering Center which is located at 1221 Beal Avenue on U-M's North Campus. It will be temporarily located in the Lurie Center for approximately 4 months while the Engineering Programs Building (EPB) is being renovated.
U-M IN THE NEWS
How parked cars could power the future
Imagine running a parking meter backwards and actually being paid to park your car. Along those lines, electric vehicles might one day make money for their owners by providing electrical storage for the nation's power grid.The monthly income could add up to a lot more than what you pay for a big-city parking ticket and many moving violations. The concept, called vehicle to grid (V2G), is based on the fact that your car is typically not being used 90 percent of the time. "What if it could work for you while it sits there?" said Jeff Stein from the University of Michigan.
ENERGY NEWS
As fuel prices fall, will push for alternatives lose steam?
"Declining oil prices can give us an artificial and temporary sense that reducing oil consumption and energy consumption is an issue we can put off," said Greg Kats, a managing director of Good Energies, a multibillion-dollar venture capital firm that invests in global clean energy.The credit crisis is compounding that threat by making it more difficult to finance capital-intensive projects, whether they are new auto assembly lines or solar panels or wind turbines.
Nuclear power may be in early stages of a revival
After three decades without starting a single new plant, the American nuclear power industry is getting ready to build again. When the industry first said several years ago that it would resume building plants, deep skepticism greeted the claim. Not since 1973 had anybody in the United States ordered a nuclear plant that was actually built, and the obstacles to a new generation of plants seemed daunting.But now, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 21 companies say they will seek permission to build 34 power plants, from New York to Texas. Factories are springing up in Indiana and Louisiana to build reactor parts. Workers are clearing a site in Georgia to put in reactors. Starting in January, millions of electric customers in Florida will be billed several dollars a month to finance four new reactors. For a story on U-M Nuclear Engineering's record enrollment .....
Thinking It through: Scientists call for policy to guide biofuels industry toward sustainability
As the United States and other nations commit to the path of biofuels production, a group of scientists is calling for sustainable practices in an industry that will, as MBL(Marine Biological Laboratory's) scientist Jerry Mellilo says, "reshape the Earth's landscape in a significant way."
Tilting at Windmills: Is small-scale turbine power viable--or just an illusion?
Downtown Muskegon, Mich., population just over 40,000 people, has one thing on New York City's Times Square: a small-scale wind turbine powering a liquid-crystal display. Only this (smaller) billboard gives the time, temperature, wind direction and wind speed, along with the cumulative energy generated by the turbine, rather than featuring the latest ad from Samsung or Calvin Klein. It's the first sign of what Grand Rapids, Mich.–based plastics manufacturer Cascade Engineering hopes will be a revolution in wind turbines for businesses and residences. For an additional story on Cascade Engineering's small wind turbine from Great Lakes IT Report ...
Regulators plan Great Lakes offshore wind generation
Imagine sections of the Great Lakes dotted with rows of gleaming, 12-story turbines, blades whirring in the stiff breeze as they generate electricity for homes and businesses onshore. It's only an idea -- for now. But government regulators are bracing for an expected wave of proposals for offshore power generation in a region that never seems to run short of wind. Despite its allure as a plentiful source of clean energy, they say, offshore wind power could affect the aquatic environment and commerce. State and federal officials are taking initial steps toward writing rules, as conservation activists watch closely.
New research could lead to practical uses for metal-organic frameworks
Scientists at U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National laboratory are putting the pressure on metal-organic frameworks (MOF). In MOF materials, metal ions can be connected by organic molecules to form scaffolding-like structures similar to a molecular Tinker toy. The struts that make up the framework structure do not fill space efficiently, in the way that Lego blocks might, leaving extra spaces in the structure which are capable of containing guest molecules.Behaving as molecular-scale sponges these MOFs have wide ranging potential uses for filtering, capturing or detecting molecules such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen storage for fuel cells.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Photovoltaic Supply Chain and Cross-Cutting Technologies - Due 01/07/09
The purpose of this DOE announcement ( DE-PS36-09GO99003) is to identify and accelerate the development of unique products or processes that are expected to have a large impact on the solar photovoltaics (PV) industry, or a segment of the industry, in support of DOE Solar program goals. Successful applicants will focus on component and/or manufacturing technologies with the potential to have a near-term impact on a substantial segment of the PV industry.
Graham Institute: Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge - Due 11/15/08
As part of its 2015 sustainability commitments, the Dow Chemical Company has established the Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge award to recognize innovations aligned with the Company’s sustainability goals. Based on demonstrated academic excellence in the field of sustainability, the University of Michigan is one of six Universities on four continents selected to participate in this program. The Dow Challenge presents a unique opportunity to recognize outstanding students at the University of Michigan for their innovative sustainability efforts. Visit http://www.graham.umich.edu/funding/dow.html to learn earn more about this opportunity.
Find out about the DTE Energy/U- M Clean Energy Prize
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/info/funding.html for additional funding opportunities.
UPCOMING EVENTS
“Changes in the energy market and their impact on the chemical industry”
When: Thursday, Nov. 6, 4:30 p.m.
Where: University of Michigan, Lurie Engineering Center, Johnson Rooms
Speaker: Dr. William F. Bandholzer, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, The Dow Chemical Company
What: The Walter J. Weber, Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Environmental and Energy Sustainability
Focus on the Future Conference Series: New Powertrain Technologies
When: Monday, Nov. 10, 9 - 4 p.m.
Where: University of Michigan, Michigan League
What: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's second conference of the year will focus on one of the most important challenges facing manufacturers in the next few years as they roll out new powertrain technologies: If they provide these new powertrain technologies, will consumers buy them? To answer this question we will hear from market research firms, UM researchers looking into consumer and market models, as well as the manufacturers themselves. Attendees will learn of alternative approaches and tools being used to understand the adoption by consumers of new powertrain technologies.
Climate Savers Computing Initiative: "The business response to climate change: solutions and challenges"
When: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 4 - 5:30 p.m.
Where: University of Michigan, Rackham Auditorium
Speaker: Matt Banks, Senior Program Officer, Business and Industry Program, World Wildlife Fund will present a talk which will explore how businesses are orienting themselves within the complex and still emerging "climate change playing field" for business. It will also highlight the unique approach the information technology industry is taking to further green computing practices.
Erb Colloquium: Judith Walls
When: Monday, Nov 17, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Where: University of Michigan, Michigan League
Speaker: Judith is an Erb Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. Her research explores the relationship between corporate governance and environmental strategy, mechanisms of industrial symbiosis strategy, corporate strategic responses to renewable energy policies, and innovation in energy efficient technology.
"How to get into hot water, without taking a bath"
When:Friday, Nov 21, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Where: University of Michigan, Ross, E1530
Speaker: Bob Tucker, Managing Director and Co-Founder Geoglobal Energy will participate as part of the Erb Speaker Series. Mr. Tucker has nearly 30 years of experience in the Power Industry with more than 20 years in the Geothermal Power Sector. Read more about Geoglobal Energy LLC
Wind energy siting and policy issues: Workshops for Michigan's renewable energy
With Michigan’s growth in wind energy dependent on community adoption of the necessary wind siting laws, Michigan Citizen Planner is offering a “What You Need to Know about Wind Energy Siting and Policy Issues” workshop at nine locations throughout Michigan during December 2008. Sponsored by Michigan Farm Bureau and Michigan State University, the 3½-hour workshops will provide planning and zoning officials, local leaders, concerned citizens, farmers and landowners interested in wind the tools and resources necessary to create and implement a strategic plan for wind energy development in their communities.
For futher information: http://www.citizenplanner.msu.edu/regionalworkshops.html
RESEARCH AND FACULTY POSITIONS
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/careers/facultypositions.html for information on University of Michigan open faculty positions exploring energy storage and social science and energy.
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