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UT creates School of Solar and Advanced Renewable Energy
By Matt Lockwood : April 15th, 2009As the United States increasingly seeks energy independence to reinvent its economy and to become more environmentally friendly, The University of Toledo Board of Trustees has approved the creation of a School of Solar and Advanced Renewable Energy.
UT, located in the Glass City, transitioned from glass-related research into solar research more than 20 years ago and today is a nationally recognized leader in solar energy technologies.
The new school will consist of faculty members from multiple disciplines, including physics, chemistry, engineering and business. A group of deans and faculty members are working out the details, including the types of degrees the school will offer and the number of students it will accept.
“The renewable energy field is changing rapidly,” said Dr. Rosemary Haggett, Main Campus provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “We will be educating students for jobs not created yet and preparing them for a changing economy.”
In addition to its leadership in solar research, UT has a strong research presence in other advanced renewable energy fields, including fuel cells, biomass, electricity management, energy storage and wind.
UT also houses the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, a university, industry and government collaboration focused on reducing solar costs, improving technologies, and transferring knowledge from laboratories to the production line; the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio, which coordinates collaboration among state universities in the discovery, development and commercialization of energy-related technology; and a Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator, which assists startup companies.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
This paper could be made more informative by adding specifics, such as, for example, evidence of UT leadership and productivity in solar research, and criteria of faculty selection for the new school. So far, UT news informed that a group of faculty succeeded in obtaining significant funding for PV commercialization from the state. It would be interesting to know what has been achieved in commercialization, new scientific results and solar technology, and what is going to be delivered in the nearest future.