Solar Energy Workshop at WCROC
Are you thinking about purchasing a solar energy system?
Are you thinking about a career in solar energy?
Do you wonder how well solar energy works in Minnesota?
Join our friends from the University of Minnesota-Morris and the West Central Research and Outreach Center for their Solar Energy Workshop on June 12, 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
Several small-scale solar energy systems are in use in the Morris area presenting a rare learning opportunity. The West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) is hosting a solar energy work-shop to discuss the solar resource available and ex-plain the technology used to collect it. There will also be a tour and presentation on performance data from local installations including a solar air conditioning system using evacuated tube collectors at the WCROC office building. The other local systems include pool heating, hot water, and electric systems. Minnesota solar manufacturers will be on hand and there will be a keynote address by University of Minnesota professor Jeffrey Bielicki.
Click here to register, to view the workshop’s agenda and to check out Renewable Energy Initiatives at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Online registration is requested prior to June 1st. Space is limited so register today.
Solutions Summit 2012 – collaboratively solving sustainability challenges
Keynote speaker for the event is internationally renowned environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken, author of Natural Capitalism, Blessed Unrest and five other books. Hawken will share his perspectives on the economic and ecological landscape in which innovation will be fostered in coming years, with focus on climate, minerals and oceans. Other featured presenters include sustainability leaders from 3M, Environmental Defense Fund, Caldrea,The Nature Conservancy, General Mills, eBay and Truth Studio.
- Learn sustainability leaders’ strategies for success
- Go beyond sound bites to in-depth conversations about sustainability challenges and solutions
- Connect with other sustainability professionals to forge partnerships for future progress
- Help shape the research agenda for solving sustainability’s biggest challenges.
To learn more about Solutions Summit 2012, click here.
Fungi for the next generation of bioconversion systems
The University of Minnesota has become well-known as a center for lignocellulose biodegradation research, particularly in regards to woody cell wall breakdown. Robert Blanchette, a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, and Jonathan Schilling, an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering have teamed up to begin interdisciplinary research that combines forest biology, wood microbiology and bioprocessing technology to provide superior fungi for the next generation of bioconversion systems.
Their research will provide a better understanding of how fungi degrade wood and other lignocelluosic materials so they can be used in processes involving the bioconversion of plant biomass. To use nonedible plant biomass as a feedstock for fuels and chemicals, it is necessary to alter cell wall components and free cellulose from surrounding lignin. Our goal is to identify the organisms with the greatest potential for bioconversion potential and with the ability to pioneer and outcompete other microbes in biological pretreatment scenarios.
Read more about Blanchette’s Seed Grant from IREE.
U technology to help in green energy generation project
Martin Saar and his research at the University of Minnesota is in the news! Saar’s research has led to new technology and a start-up. He was originally funded by the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) in 2009. The initial research resulted in a major federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Read the story about Martin Saar and CO2 Plume Geothermal in today’s Business section of the Pioneer Press.
Check out U of M News story for more technical information and links.
Big Question: Can we make plastics sustainable?
Plastics are a vital part of our lives, but they also are rife with adverse environmental impacts. In “Can We Make Plastics Sustainable?”, the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and the Center for Sustainable Polymers explore how we can enjoy the benefits of plastics and keep our planet healthy, too.
The Initiative for Renewable Energy & the Environment provided funding for the Center for Sustainable Polymers. Learn more about the research funded by IREE in our online project database.
