| September 15, 2009 | Vol. 3. No. 16 |
IN THIS ISSUE:U-M ENERGY NEWS, ENERGY NEWS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES and EVENTS
U-M ENERGY NEWS
U.S. energy demand on the decline due to population migration
As Congress and the White House explore ways to encourage Americans to conserve energy, a new study by the University of Michigan shows that the average individual energy demand for heating and cooling has decreased over the past 50 years. The reason? The country's population shift to the more moderate and warm climates of the American West and Southwest, says Michael Sivak, a research professor at the U-M Transportation Research Institute.
University of Michigan's ex-Pfizer site acquisition is 'watershed moment'
Stephen Forrest, U-M’s vice president for research and chairman of Ann Arbor SPARK, said the university’s acquisition of the ex-Pfizer site marks an unprecedented opportunity. “It’s truly a watershed moment in the university’s history - probably the biggest event in 50 or maybe 100 years,” he said in an interview at the ex-Pfizer site. But Forrest also argued that the site’s transition could prove to be an economic turning point for the area. The implications are widespread (including) ...
• Jobs: The university expects to add 2,000 to 3,000 jobs over the next 10 years to populate the site, which has been renamed U-M North Campus Research Complex.
• Research revolution: U-M is rethinking its research strategies and planning to invest heavily on various forms of research at the site, including the most promising areas in biomedical, alternative energy and nanotechnology. The new site is likely to encourage new types of collaborations and open research environments that produce innovation.
Fuel economy higher, thanks to Cash for Clunkers
Cash for Clunkers may have run out of money, but certainly not gas. Thanks to the federal program, the average fuel economy of all new vehicles purchased in the United States in July and August improved about 3 percent, according to a University of Michigan study. Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of the U-M Transportation Research Institute found that the program improved fuel economy of all purchased vehicles by 0.6 mpg in July, from an expected 21.5 mpg without the program to an actual fuel economy of 22.1 mpg. August was even better—an increase of 0.7 mpg, from an expected 21.7 mpg with no program to an actual 22.4 mpg under Cash for Clunkers.
ENERGY NEWS
Energy secretary 'optimistic" but cautious
Steven Chu is an optimist. The secretary of energy, who won a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1997, believes science can solve many of the nation's energy challenges. "Scientists by their nature are very optimistic," he said. "We learn about Newton, about Maxwell, about Einstein. And yet you want to do some science that can contribute on the shoulders of those giants — you've got to be pretty optimistic. Listen to NPR podcasts, including podcasts on clean coal and building nuclear power plants economically and safely.
Feds: Plan needed to spur clean-energy jobs
A comprehensive federal plan to limit carbon emissions is the key to creating clean-energy jobs, federal officials said. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Ed Montgomery, head of the Obama administration's effort to help struggling auto communities, used the Regional Clean Energy Economy Forum here to urge Congress to develop and approve a plan that will encourage companies to invest in the clean-energy sector, and generate demand for their products.
E&E TV's Samuelsohn, Kaplun discuss impact of health care debate on climate, energy bill
Will the Obama administration's focus on health care reform derail efforts to pass cap-and-trade legislation this year? During today's OnPoint, E&E reporters Darren Samuelsohn and Alex Kaplun discuss prospects for climate and energy legislation in the Senate. They comment on the Senate's timeline for rolling out a bill and explain how the momentum for an international agreement has shifted. See video.
U.S. and Australian advanced geothermal projects face setbacks
Efforts to develop and commercialize a new type of geothermal energy, called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), are facing technical setbacks in both the United States and Australia. EGS involves injecting water at high pressure into deep, hot rock formations to fracture the rock, creating either a new geothermal reservoir of hot water embedded in hot rock or expanding an existing geothermal reservoir. But drilling into hard rock at high temperatures and pressures has always presented a technical challenge to EGS technology.
McKinsey report cites $1.2 trillion in potential savings from energy efficiency
A new report on energy efficiency from the consulting firm McKinsey found that the United States could save $1.2 trillion through 2020, by investing $520 billion in improvements like sealing leaky building ducts and replacing inefficient household appliances with new, energy-saving models.
How to turn seawater into jet fuel
Faced with global warming and potential oil shortages, the US navy is experimenting with making jet fuel from seawater. Navy chemists have processed seawater into unsaturated short-chain hydrocarbons that with further refining could be made into kerosene-based jet fuel. But they will have to find a clean energy source to power the reactions if the end product is to be carbon neutral. The process involves extracting carbon dioxide dissolved in the water and combining it with hydrogen – obtained by splitting water molecules using electricity – to make a hydrocarbon fuel. (See RFI on seawater to fuel below.)
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation 2010 - Due 10/09/09
The EFRI Office of the National Science Foundation is launching a new funding opportunity for interdisciplinary teams of researchers to embark on rapidly advancing frontiers of fundamental engineering research. EFRI will consider proposals that aim to investigate emerging frontiers in the following two specific research areas:
- Renewable Energy Storage (RESTOR)
- Science in Energy and Environmental Design (SEED): Engineering Sustainable Buildings.
Funding is approximately $500,000/award with a total of $29,000,000 in FY 2010 pending availability of funds. This is funding opportunity number: NSF 09-60. For a pdf of the solicitation visit here.
Methods for Utilizing Seawater to Create Liquid Fuels - Due 10/05/09
For this RFI DARPA is seeking ideas to utilize the abundance of carbon and hydrogen sources in ocean water to create liquid fuels. The objectives are to: (1) identify a novel catalytic route for converting seawater to liquid fuels or intermediates in a known liquid fuel pathway, and (2) improve conversion efficiency and conversion rate, as well as increase the process scale beyond the bench top. Submissions may focus on harvesting carbon dioxide from the ocean or using the primary form of dissolved carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, directly. Ideas should emphasize unique opportunities for novel catalyst development to facilitate the overall reaction in a minimum number of reaction steps. Significant advances in current density and reaction rate are of particular interest. Ideas based entirely on pre-existing processes and technologies and incremental advances of current technologies should not be submitted. This is Request for Information Solicitation Number: DARPA-SN-09-66
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/info/index.html for additional details and funding opportunities.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The PEW Project on National Security, Energy and Climate
Mon. Sept. 14 - Detroit
Tues. Sept. 15 - Lansing
Former Senator John Warner (R-VA)
Admiral John B. Nathman
Former Ambassador & Governor James Blanchard
On the web: http://www.pewclimatesecurity.org/
University of Michigan 14th Annual Energy Fest
Tues. Sept. 15 - Central Campus
Thurs. Sept. 17 - North Campus
Keynote Speaker: Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czar at Google
Tues., Sept. 15, 2009 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm
1040 Dana Building, 440 Church St.
Special Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Seminar
Fri. Sept. 18 - 12:00 p.m.
1500 EECS Building (North Campus)
Speaker: Professor Willy Verstraete
"Anaerobic digestion in the biorefinery market economy"
Ross Energy Club Carbon Symposium
Fri. Sept. 18, 8:15 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Michigan Ballroom, University of Michigan
Keynote speaker: Duke Energy CEO James Rogers
Time: 9:30 a.m.
The National Energy Summit & International Dialogue
Sept. 23 - 24
Washington, D.C.
ACEEE's 5th National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource
Sept. 27-29
The Drake Hotel, Chicago
Organic Photovoltaics Summit USA
Oct. 15 - 16
Boston
The Business of Plugging In
Oct. 19 - 21
Detroit
Call for Papers: ASME 2010 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability
Abstracts Due: Sept. 30, 2009
Conference: May 17 - 22, 2010
Phoenix, AZ
Visit http://www.energy.umich.edu/careers/opportunities for information on University of Michigan open faculty positions and opportunites in energy research.
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