New Center Focuses on Energy Conversion, Conservation and Sustainability
The Penn Center for Energy Innovation, or “Pennergy,” is the University’s newest research center. Pennergy will harness the collaborative efforts of energy researchers across campus to create innovative technologies and materials aimed at meeting the world’s growing energy demand and achieving environmental and economic sustainability.
A shared effort between the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Arts and Sciences, Pennergy will utilize the strengths of Penn researchers to develop practical and innovative solutions to better use current energy sources and to create sustainable energy technologies. Currently, world-class researchers at the Center, with expertise in materials, nanoscale science and engineering, and in bio-mimetic materials are taking a team approach to investigating solar photovoltaics, solar-to-fuel conversion, thermoelectrics, fuel cells and mechanical studies of the behavior of material subject to real world environments.
“The energy challenge is much larger than any individual and can only be addressed in collaborative teams,” says George Pappas, the Joseph Moore Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering and Deputy Dean for Research of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. As Deputy Dean, it is Pappas’ top priority to launch centers like Pennergy.
The center just received its first two large-scale grants. The first is a $2.2 million grant from the Department of Energy and the second is a $1.66 million grant to investigate new materials to harness solar energy at the nanoscale.
Pennergy is co-directed by Cherie Kagan, Associate Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering and Andrew Rappe, Professor of Chemistry, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry.
Credit: Penn Engineering Magazine "On the brink of a new technological standard," by Amy Biemiller.
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