NJ Offshore Wind Project

An Advanced Atmospheric Ocean Assessment Program Designed to Reduce the "Risks" Associated with Offshore Wind Energy Applications,  14 April 2011-13 April 2013

The advanced and adaptive monitoring/modeling programs developed by RU-COOL have been extensively applied to determine the climatology and associated variability of both the mesoscale and microscale wind resource encompassed by NJ’s offshore area that is designated for wind energy development (Glenn and Dunk, 2013). The final report, “An Advanced Atmospheric/Ocean Assessment Program Designed to Reduce the Risks Associated with Offshore Wind Energy Development Defined by the NJ Energy Master Plan and the NJ Offshore Wind Energy Economic Development Act”, associated with this study can be reviewed using the link provided below.

• Final Report
• pdf Webinar: Evaluation of New Jersey Offshore Resources
• Click here to read more

Get to Know Rutgers NJAES: Spotlight on the EcoComplex

Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) off-campus research centers are sometimes located in remote parts of the state, providing limited opportunity for others to know the scope of their work. In the Get to Know Rutgers NJAES Series, we’ll take a look at these centers and find out just what they do. Serpil Guran, director of the Rutgers EcoComplex, provides us with an up-close look at what goes on at the EcoComplex Alternative Energy Innovation Center in Bordentown, NJ.

Q. What types of research are conducted at your facility? Initially, the Ecocomplex was established to perform applied research and demonstration on technologies and practices in the fields of solid waste management, environmental and controlled environment agriculture. In addition to these activities, the EcoComplex also serves as an “Alternative Energy Innovation Center” to promote clean, low carbon alternative fuels, clean power and energy efficiency. The EcoComplex also provides testing and verification of these emerging alternative energy and energy efficiency technologies. 

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Production of Sustainable Energy Takes a Step Forward

For years, scientists and researchers worldwide have confronted the daunting challenge of making sustainable energy sufficiently cost effective to be mass produced. Recent testing at the U.S. Department of Energy’s research center on artificial fuels may indicate a solution has been found in the lab of Rutgers University Chemistry Professors Charles Dismukes and Martha Greenblatt .

“Developing chemical processes that will facilitate mass production of economical, environment-friendly solar and wind electricity is one of the biggest challenges of the energy crisis,” said Dismukes. “The noble metal catalysts that are presently used in electrolyzers, the devices that convert direct electric current harnessed by solar panels into fuels, are very expensive."         Read More

Rutgers Solar-to-Vehicle (S2V) Project

Rutgers Solar-to-Vehicle (S2V) Project, sponsored by the Rutgers Energy Institute and the EcoComplex officially  started on December 4, 2012.  The S2V Project is headed by REI member Prof. Dunbar Birnie (Department of Materials Science and Engineering), aimed at testing electric-vehicle day-time work-place charging in conjunction with solar canopy parking structures.

Visit the website to check on latest S2V project progress

• Comments can be posted in blog mode at: Solar2Vehicle.blogspot.com.
• Specific questions or inquiries can be sent to Prof. Birnie: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 "Part of our emphasis is on quantifying the fraction of typical work-a-day commuter driving that can be powered on electricity that is sourced from solar generation. This has economic and green-house-gas impacts as well as providing information relevant to the design of future electric and hybrid vehicles, their battery units, and the furtherance of infrastructure to support plug-in vehicles...We hope that this information about charging availability, electric usage models, green energy, and vehicle characteristics will be useful. " said Prof. Birnie. 

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Alan Goldman Receives First ACS Catalysis Lectureship

Professor Alan Goldman was recently awarded the first American Chemical Society (ACS) Catalysis Lectureship for the Advancement of Catalytic Science, recognizing Goldman’s groundbreaking research on the manipulation of hydrocarbons focused on the development of cleaner, more efficient fuels.

Goldman’s work is particularly important in addressing U.S. dependence on foreign fuels as well as the search for cleaner energy. Goldman has conducted extensive research during his 25-year career focused on the conversions of hydrocarbons – organic compounds found in fossil fuels – and other small molecules. Goldman has developed a process to use low value byproducts that may be obtained from coal, natural gas or plants, into a synthetic diesel fuel that is more environmentally friendly than traditional diesel fuel.

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