Energy Highlights
A twice-monthly energy news update from MMPEI
March 7 , 2008
Vol. 2 No. 4
U-M NEWS
U-M Teams Sweep Cleantech Venture Challenge
Teams from the University of Michigan have won first prize and received additional top honors in the Cleantech Venture Challenge hosted by the University of Colorado at Boulder's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Coached by the faculty and staff from The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, University of Michigan teams captured the $15,000 first prize, $5,000 third prize, $2,000 fourth prize and shared the $10,000 second prize. The winners of the Cleantech Venture Challenge were announced on February 29, 2008
FACULTY NEWS
Survey Reports Michigan Residents' Views on Global Warming and Energy Policy
A new U-M survey conducted by MMPEI Fellow Barry Rabe reports that three out of four residents in the state of Michigan would be willing to pay for ways to increase the role of renewable energy sources. Professor Rabe's podcast can be found here.
Energy Researchers Elected to National Academy of Engineering
Dennis Assanis's work on fuel-efficient engines and Pallab Bhattacharya's studies on quantum dot optoelectronic devices have earned the professors the distinction of being elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
ENERGY NEWS
Texas Leading the Way As the U.S. Increases Wind Power Investment
Currently supplying enough power for 4.5 million homes, wind power continues to grow at a fast pace with the potential to provide 5-7% of U.S. energy needs. With high winds and "friendly regulatory environment ", Texas leads the country in wind power investment. Most of the major Texas projects are being developed by European power companies.
Solar Cell Directly Splits Water To Produce Recoverable Hydrogen
Plants trees and algae do it. Even some bacteria and moss do it, but scientists have had a difficult time developing methods to turn sunlight into useful fuel. Now, researchers have a proof-of-concept device that can split water and produce recoverable hydrogen. Researchers have developed a catalyst system that, combined with a dye, can mimic the electron transfer and water oxidation processes that occur in plants during photosynthesis.
New Materials Can Selectively Capture Carbon Dioxide, Chemists Report
Using zinc and cobalt, a new class of materials, zeolithic imidazolate framework (ZIFS), are porous and chemically robust with the ability to selectively capture carbon dioxide. This material research can lead to power plants efficiently capturing carbon dioxide without using toxic materials.
Water Provides an Ocean of Opportunity for Clean Energy
As researchers continue their search for new sources of clean energy, their attention has turned to the Gulf Stream. Rushing at 8.5 billion gallons per second, the Gulf Stream represents a potential non-stop flow of new energy.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence - Due 06/04/2008
The Department of Energy (DOE) is requesting applications to fund one multidisciplinary Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence (CoE) team. This CoE team will complement the work of existing independent projects and the three materials-based hydrogen storage CoEs (adsorbents, metal hydrides and chemical hydrogen storage materials) by researching and developing onboard vehicular hydrogen storage systems and components that will allow for a driving range of greater than 300 miles while meeting vehicular packaging, safety, cost and performance requirements.
Additional funding opportunities are listed on the MMPEI Opportunities Page.
UPCOMING EVENTS
School of Natural Resources and Environment : Renewable Energy and Competition (A Panel Discussion)
When: Monday, March 17, 2008 (5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.)
Where: Ford School, Annenberg Auditorium, 1120 Weill Hall, 735 S. State St.
Remarks by Marc Spitzer, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Panel discussion to follow. Panelists include Rob Gramlich, Policy Director of the American Wind Energy Association; Barry Rabe, Professor of Public Policy and Environmental Policy; and Meredith Fowlie, Assistant Professor Public Policy and Economics.
Climate Savers Computing Initiative - Growing Greener Computing Practices
When: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 (10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
Where: Palmer Commons (Great Lakes South Central Room), 100 Washtenaw Avenue
A campus kick-off event will be held to share U-M's local and national plans and promote awareness and involvement in all areas of green computing. Registration for this event is requested.
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