The new Solar Fuels Institute (SOFI)An international team of leading scientists has chosen Evanston, Illinois and Telluride, Colorado to host a revolutionary new Solar Fuels Institute (SOFI). The ambitious goal of SOFI is to be a major and essential contributor to solving the world's energy crisis within a decade. This brochure explains how this will be done.

By mimicking one of nature's most fundamental processes – photosynthesis – SOFI scientists aim to fuel the planet sustainably using the ultimate energy source, the sun. Plants sustain their energy needs by capturing sunlight and turning it into nutrients. SOFI scientists aim to convert the sun's energy into clean fuels by following nature's photo-synthetic blueprint.

Future

A Brighter

The SOFI team, led by internationally-recognized Northwestern University Professor Michael R. Wasielewski, will transform the fundamental science of artificial photosynthesis into the technology that runs our households, agriculture, and industry. The solar fuels developed will use existing infrastructure requiring minimal change in industry and consumer behavior.

Global energy needs are expected to double over the next 40 years. Initiatives focused on finding cost-effective, carbon-neutral energy sources are critically important for meeting those needs and sustaining earth's balance.

However, excess carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by burning conventional fossil fuels is still in the atmosphere. The technologies SOFI scientists create will turn that CO2 back into clean fuels, thus mitigating the effects of CO2 on climate change. Recycling at its best.

How will this change the world?Imagine your children and grandchildren building on the legacy of a sustainable energy solution. Future generations will refine and enhance the capabilities of this new technology. Imagine not passing down the energy crisis.

Imagine the news without energy related disaster stories. Recent catastrophic events highlight the need for a new approach to meeting the world's energy needs: the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan after the massive tsunami and earthquake; contaminated water tables and inadvertent earthquakes caused by natural gas fracking; and destructive off-shore oil spills. These events remind us that business as usual is not working.

In a world fueled by solar energy, extractive technologies of oil, coal, and natural gas are old fashioned and outdated. Nuclear power becomes obsolete. Energy waste-product toxins no longer contaminate rivers and oceans. Planet earth rejuve-nates. Quality of life improves.

What are our global energy needs?Currently, the world’s total energy demand is about 15 trillion watts, or 15 terawatts (TW). This is projected to increase to 30 TW by 2050 and 45 TW by 2100 as the world’s population continues to grow and the economies of China, India, Brazil, and the developing world expand. If the world meets these demands by burning fossil fuels, atmo-spheric CO2 will be ten times higher in 2100 than it is today. Such concentrations have not existed for hundreds of millions of years and coincide with periods of mass extinction.

What’s more, the cost of extracting energy from fossil fuels is expected to increase throughout the remainder of the 21st century as resources become scarce. Implicit in the expanded use of fossil fuels is the assumption that this can be done without disrupting global economic growth.

To ensure worldwide economic stability, environmental sustain-ability, and human prosperity during the next few decades and beyond, drastic changes in our energy supply and infrastructure systems will be necessary.

Why is solar energy better?Five sustainable sources of carbon-neutral energy are currently being discussed and investigated to meet the anticipated global need of 30-45 TW. Researchers have calculated how much energy could be produced if current existing technologies were fully implemented around the globe.

EARTH: If the geothermic potential of all hot springs, geysers, and other natural heat sources were tapped for energy, less than 12 TW would be generated; a much smaller fraction is actually realistic. The Earth's usable heat is not sufficient to provide the world's energy demands.

WIND: If all the surface winds on the face of the Earth could be utilized, only about 12 TW could be tapped; realistically, only 2.5 TW could be generated.

BIOMASS: If sugarcane or some other high yield crop were planted on all cultivatable land across the world, only 6 TW would be produced and that would leave no land to grow food crops.

WATER: If all the potential hydroelectric energy available from all the water flowing downhill in all the rivers, lakes, and oceans on Earth is used, only 4-5 TW could be produced; 1.5 TW might be practically possible.

SUN: The sun is a giant nuclear fusion reactor at a safe distance of about 93,000,000 miles from our planet. The energy of the sunlight that hits the surface of the Earth in one hour is equal to the current worldwide energy demand for an entire year: 15 TW in 60 minutes.

SUMMARY: Developing the infrastructure to harvest energy practically from all hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, and biomass sources would yield only 12-14 TW — only half of what is needed by 2050. Conversely, implementing solar energy technologies alone on a modest global scale would meet our needs through 2100 and beyond.

Why are solar fuels better than solar power?While solar energy is clearly the way forward, it is not perfect. Since the sun does not shine everywhere all the time, solar energy must either be stored for use later or transported from where it is available to where it is needed.

Current solar energy technol-ogy, solar power, converts sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics, i.e. solar cells. Electricity storage in batteries is inefficient and expensive, and electricity transmission requires infrastructure not available in developing countries where the energy demand will be highest. Hence, current solar energy technology is difficult and expensive for use on a global scale.

The solar energy of the future converts sunlight into solar fuels using artificial photosynthesis. Solar fuels are liquid hydrocarbon fuels similar to petroleum that can be stored in tanks and transported in vehicles powered by the fuels themselves.

What is artificial photosynthesis?Artificial photosynthesis adapts the principles of natural photosynthesis to create systems for solar fuels produc-tion that are simpler, more robust, and more efficient than the natural system. Like the natural process, it uses a solar-powered catalyst to split water and produce hydrogen. This hydrogen can either be used directly to power hydro-gen fuel cells, or it can be combined with CO2 via another photocatalyst to yield conven-tional liquid hydrocarbon fuels similar to petroleum.

Various catalysts capable of splitting water or synthesizing hydrocarbons exist today. However, most of them require an external electric current to function. The challenge is to discover or engineer catalysts that derive energy directly from photons. Direct solar fuels production that bypasses intermediate energy carriers, such as biomass or electricity, has the potential to be more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally benign than existing technologies.

What is photosynthesis?Photosynthesis is evolution’s answer to a key biological problem: how to take the energy from light and store it in chemical bonds. Plants and some microorganisms do this well, providing nutrients for all their life processes. The photosyn-thetic process converts energy from a form that is abundant, but transient, to a form that is storable and metabolically useful. Without it, plants and animals could not exist.

Photosynthesis uses the energy in photons to synthesize carbohydrates, using CO2 as a source of carbon and water as a source of hydrogen and oxygen. The process requires two catalysts: one to split water into its constituent atoms, and the other to drive the synthesis that uses CO2. Both catalysts are powered by light from the sun.

As it exists in nature, photosynthesis is very inefficient. Only a fraction of a percent of the energy in light incident on a plant’s leaves ultimately ends up in long-term storage. Much of the light is not absorbed by the right components, and much of the converted energy is used immediately for cellular metabolism and growth. Removing these limitations could yield much greater efficiencies of at least ten percent.

Why hasn't this happened yet? Why can it happen now?Achieving SOFI goals requires a sustained, integrated, focused, and managed global and cross-disciplinary, effort that has been lacking until now. SOFI will integrate and leverage 25-30 international labs already researching artificial photosynthe-sis, uniting them into an efficient coordinated research team dedicated to developing solar fuels and supported by sufficient long-term funding to enable the needed 10-year initiative.

Biologists, chemists, physicists, engineers, and computational scientists are all part of the project. Researchers at laborato-ries in the United States, Sweden, France, Japan, Germany, China, and ten other countries will focus on develop-ing the science and technology required to implement artificial photosynthesis. Linking such diverse disciplines and geographically and institutionally dispersed players requires the base of understanding, reputation as well as neutral meeting facilities the SOFI initiative provides.

At the same time, the program acknowledges that success will demand more than scientific exploration. We recognize that many technical but also non-technical barriers will need to be overcome and that uncertain-ties and developments along multiple dimensions must be identified, assessed, monitored and addressed. Accordingly, unlike other programs, SOFI has launched an ongoing roadmapping/scenario planning process with active industry involvement that will continually inform management and run alongside research.

Where are the knowledge gaps?Artificial photosynthesis is a promising technology poised to revolutionize the availability and use of carbon-neutral, geopolitically favorable fuels. However, no comprehensive, cost-effective artificial photosynthetic system exists today. Currently this technology remains in the research and develop-ment stages, relying heavily on the discovery of new materials and catalysts.

Advances in basic research have already increased understanding of the fundamental principles that govern solar energy conversion.

However, current technologies cannot yet produce efficient, scalable, and sustainable solar fuels that are economically viable.

Over the first five years of SOFI, scientific research will close the knowledge gaps necessary to achieve commercially viable artificial photosynthesis. These gaps include:• Learning how to capture sunlight efficiently• Discovering new catalysts for fuels production• Developing integrated systems that combine sunlight capture with catalysts for storable fuels production

Research efforts will focus on minimizing costs and increasing efficiencies. Moreover, the work will address the need to provide storable fuels that can make use of existing infrastructure.

Who is developing Artificial Photosynthesis? Artificial photosynthesis is an active field with more than 50 major international laboratories dedicated to this research. More than 450 research articles were published in peer-reviewed journals in 2010 alone.

The combined expertise necessary to push forward the technology of artificial photosynthesis exists, and a collaborative, team-oriented research model is emerging in the United States to develop artificial photosynthesis. Importantly, SOFI will expand this model to include the international scientific community.

Why Telluride? There is an almost poetic, historic connection. Telluride was the site of a major energy revolution in 1896 when Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and L.L. Nunn lit up the mining town with alternating current.

Telluride was the first town in the world to be illuminated by this technology. It was the birthplace of AC power utilization. It is only fitting that Telluride has a role in the next energy revolution.

Telluride has continued to demonstrate a commit-ment to renewable energy and is home to major investors that, reflecting the community, are partner-ing with SOFI to raise the funds necessary to construct the new facility described on the next page and to fund solar fuels research and development.

There is a special quality to Telluride. The energetic beauty of this small mountain town opens dialogue, promotes collaboration, and heightens creative thinking. In Telluride, scientists are free from the constraints of their home institutions. The geographic isolation and neutral site has for years enabled productive interaction among researchers from around the world connecting scientists in a way other cities cannot.

Finally, and most importantly, it is home to the Telluride Science Research Center.

Telluride Science Research CenterTSRC is a world leader in convening multidisciplinary, international teams to advance scientific research.

TSRC is an independent science center providing the neutral ground essential for the free exchange of ideas among scientists. With a strong track record of attracting top interna-tional scientists to small multidisciplinary meetings, TSRC fosters new collabora-tions and sets powerful new directions for scientific research. The informality of TSRC is a key ingredient to creative scientific problem solving. The open platform leads scientists in unexpected directions.

New ideas stem more from networks than from isolated eureka moments. Innovation most often comes from cobbling together ideas that already exist, from cultivating hunches, from lingering ideas that blossom into theories in the company of a cohesive network of colleagues. Innova-tion needs a little chaos, an informal setting, focus, and down time. TSRC knows how to provide this environment, and has since 1984.

Today, TSRC meetings live at the creative crossroads of basic research and applied science in biology, chemistry, physics, computational sciences, and engineering – exactly the sort of teams SOFI needs to solve the energy crisis.

Addressing global problems requires a multidisciplinary, international, collaborative approach to find successful solutions. TSRC is SOFI's natural partner.

SOFI at Northwestern University2145 Sheridan Road / Evanston, IL 60208 / Contact: Michael Wasielewski / 847.467.4910 / m-wasielewski@northwestern.edu

SOFI at Telluride Science Research CenterPO Box 2429, Telluride, CO 81435 / Contact: Nana Naisbitt / 970.708.0004 / nana@telluridescience.org

The OpportunityThe Research: SOFI is being organized as a global consortium of research and development organizations that will develop the technology required to establish a solar fuels industry using largely private capital. SOFI’s overarching goal is the development of efficient, cost-effective photovoltaic and photocatalytic systems to capture sunlight that are integrated with high performance catalysts for water splitting and reduction of CO2 to liquid fuels. This consortium of laboratories will work closely together to generate the intellectual and collaborative resources needed meet this goal. A solid management approach will maximize success.

The Facility: SOFI and TSRC will partner to construct a large, year-round facility to house an environment that fosters creativity, idea generation, and innovation. This 30,000 sq. ft. $25 million dollar facility in Telluride will be equipped with meeting rooms, demonstration laboratories, a small lecture hall, classrooms, a visitor center, some lodging, and more. SOFI scientists will convene annually to utilize this space in Telluride. Additionally, research teams and scientists will be in residence at the Institute on a regular basis.

The Funding: SOFI and TSRC are partnering to launch a bold campaign to raise one billions dollars over the next ten years to fund research, bridge the knowledge gaps in the science of artificial photosynthesis, and use this science to drive new solar fuels technologies. Historically, the cyclic nature of research funding in this field has prevented solar fuels from becoming a reality thus far. It is time to break this cycle and ensure sufficient resources are available to finally make solar fuels an important part of meeting our future energy needs. Steady funding is absolutely key to the success of this endeavor, especially with the aggressive timeline of one decade. SOFI research and development funds will be used to augment and leverage existing solar fuels research at partner institutions to accelerate progress toward the goal of a viable solar fuels technology. In addition, SOFI and TSRC will partner to raise the funds needed for the Telluride facility. Fundrais-ing begins with identifying a substantial base of interested US and international investors.

Northwestern UniversityResearch thrives at Northwestern University, with an annual budget of over $1.6 billion and more than $500 million in sponsored research. Northwestern University is a comprehensive research institution providing exceptional resources in support of diverse research initiatives. At Northwestern, interdisciplinary teams work to solve society's problems and facilitate clinical and commercial use of their innovations.

Northwestern researchers have developed strong partnerships with their peers at Argonne National Laboratory through the Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research (ANSER) Center, and with top researchers at other world-class universities and institutes. The school has a strong and growing basic and applied energy research focus.

Since its inception in 1851, the University has been home to a strong tradition of collaborative research and leadership in interdisciplinary research programs, centers and institutes. More than one hundred centers and institutes exist as evidence of Northwestern’s commitment to such vibrant and interdisciplinary research.

The Solar Fuels Institute is proud to partner within Northwestern University to establish its administrative headquarters at Northwestern’s campus in Evanston, Illinois. Within an environment that fosters innovation and market translation, Northwestern will provide the capable expertise needed to manage and facilitate SOFI’s administration.