News

GW Energy Institute Growing
to Meet Global Challenges

The multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers at the Energy Institute has an ambitious mission: to ensure a sustainable energy future. They are exploring innovative approaches to energy science and technology, with an eye on developing new sources of renewable energy and increased energy efficiency.

The Institute's work will bolster the research and technology expertise and infrastructure needed for a vibrant energy industry in Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth. It also offers opportunities for industries to improve energy efficiency in buildings, processes, and products through cooperative research projects.

Laboratories within the Institute support research in solar energy conversion, fuel cells, battery development, and carbon dioxide sequestration. Researchers in energy technology engineering are exploring ways to improve efficiency and cut costs for energy generation systems. Their work covers a broad gamut: wind energy; energy-efficient computing; nanomaterials for low-cost structures, energy transmission and solar photovoltaic systems; and energy management and control of buildings' energy use. The Institute's future plans include construction of wind and solar test bed facilities.

Institute Faculty

Dr. Stephen Hsu, a chemical engineer, directs a wind energy initiative. His research has centered on surface chemistry, advanced materials, energy efficiency in automobile and diesel engines, manufacturing, metrology, and nanotechnology. He is vice chairman of the Implementing Agreement on Advanced Materials for Transportation of the International Energy Agency.

Dr. Stuart Licht, an electrochemist, is a leader in clean, renewable energy solutions, including solar energy, batteries, and fuel cells. He has served as chair of the Chemistry Department at the University of Massachusetts and program director in the chemistry division of the National Science Foundation.

An alternative state of carbon dioxide is the research focus of Dr. John Tossell, a geochemist. His research seeks ways to capture and store this greenhouse gas.

Institute faculty members are creating an innovative graduate certificate and master's and doctoral degree programs to prepare highly trained professionals and researchers to meet the dynamic needs of the energy industries.

Additional Institute faculty is being recruited in physics and mechanical engineering. The University's High Performance Computing Laboratory supports the Institute, which also has staff based at GW's Foggy Bottom Campus.