TRANSFORMINGOUR GLOBAL ENERGY FUTURE

Newsletter 2009Volume 2

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR: CARL KOVAL Over the past few months, the Energy Initiative has accomplished one of its key long-range goals – to becomea new institute at CU-Boulder in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This goalwas first stated in 2005 in the white paper produced by the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Committee,and this goal was reaffirmed in 2009 by the EI Steering Committee that was appointed by Provost PhilDiStefano, who is now the UCB Chancellor. Given its history, it is not surprising that the new institute’s name isthe Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI, pronounced “racy”). In the previous EI Newsletter, Idescribed the Steering Committee Report that was submitted to the Provost on March 20th. Since then, the CUBoard of Regents approved a motion from the Boulder Campus to form RASEI. Furthermore, CU-Boulder andNREL signed an MOU that will allow RASEI to operate as a joint institute in a manner similar to JILA (apartnership with NIST) and CIRES (a partnership with NOAA).

First, I would like to publicly thank the people who helped RASEI to become a reality. Their names are toonumerous to include here, but they include faculty, staff, students and administrators at UCB as well as asmaller but equally enthusiastic contingent from NREL. These people spent many hours attending meetings,exchanging e-mails, answering questions, and writing and revising reports and other documents. Theyattempted to engage a broad audience, so that the formation of RASEI would be a considered decisionrepresenting a consensus reached by many parties at both institutions. Finally, I want to thank the members ofthe EI’s Leadership Council for their input, support and advice throughout the process of developing the EnergyInitiative and creating RASEI.

So, what does the formation of RASEI really mean, and what will happen to the Energy Initiative? Let meaddress the second question first. All of the programs that the EI has developed over the past 3+ years, and thestaff members that support them, will become part of RASEI. These programs include the EI’s undergraduateand graduate energy certificate programs, the yearly research symposium, seed grant and proof-of-conceptgrant programs, business outreach activities, public speakers and panel discussions, etc. As part of RASEI, theseprograms are likely to expand and evolve, but RASEI will be just as committed to encouraging a broad range ofenergy-related research, teaching and business outreach activities as the EI has been. The immediate nextsteps for RASEI, which are described in the MOU between UCB and NREL, are the appointment of an interimDirector for the institute (or possibly co-directors), and inviting researchers from UCB and NREL to apply tobecome either Fellows (high expected level of participation and involvement in institute governance) orAffiliates (moderate expected level of participation, mostly related to interdisciplinary research projects) ofRASEI. This process will begin shortly and be completed by the end of the summer.

In the longer term, RAS EI Fellows and Affiliates will develop research and other programmatic priorities, searchfor and appoint a permanent Director, develop new facilities and capabilities, and generally try to emulate themany contributions that the other institutes make to the Campus, state, nation and world. The rapid change innational priority to find innovative solutions for energy production and utilization, coupled with the growingglobal impetus to reduce greenhouse gases and the harmful effects of climate change, make it an exciting anddynamic time to be involved in these efforts. As stated in the EI tag line, RASEI will be committed to“transforming our global energy future”.

RASEI—University of Colorado at Boulder 3

Energy ResearchCU-BOULDER PART OF WINNING ENERGY FRONTIER RESEARCH CENTER (EFRC)PROPOSAL The joint proposal headed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the National Renewable EnergyLaboratory(NREL) will bring between $1.2 to $2M to Colorado through the Center for Revolutionary SolarPhotoconversion (CRSP). The State will match the Colorado portion of the award up to 15 percent at aminimum of $300K.

Called The Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics, CU participants include Arthur J. Nozik, a senior researchfellow at NREL, adjoint professor in the Chemistry Department at CU-Boulder, and the scientific director ofCRSP, as well as, David Jonas, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-director ofCRSP.

The Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics will work to capitalize on recent advances in the science of hownanoparticles interact with light to design highly efficient materials for the conversion of sunlight intoelectricity. Experts in nanoscience will create novel spherical and planar architectures of nanometerdimension for manipulation of solar light absorption and electron transport and collection for use in solarelectricity and fuel production. Significant synergy in this program is provided through planned collaborationsbetween NREL, the University of Colorado at Boulder , the University of Minnesota, the University of NorthCarolina, the University of California-Irvine, Rice University, and the Colorado School of Mines.ABOUT EFRCSThe U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science will invest $777 million in Energy Frontier Research Centers(EFRCs) over the next five years. In a major effort to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs needed to build anew 21st-century energy economy, 46 new multi-million-dollar EFRCs will be established at universities,national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms across the nation.

Supported in part by funds made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (RecoveryAct), the EFRCs will bring together groups of leading scientists to address fundamental issues in fields rangingfrom solar energy and electricity storage to materials sciences, biofuels, advanced nuclear systems, andcarbon capture and sequestration.

The 46 EFRCs, which are to be funded at $2-5 million per year each for a planned initial five-year period, wereselected from a pool of some 260 applications received in response to a solicitation issued in 2008 by the U.S.Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

RESEARCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION . . . . . . . . .10FACULTY AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

2009 RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM AND SEED GRANT COMPETITIONThe Third Annual CU Energy Research Symposium is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at the UniversityMemorial Center (UMC) on the CU-Boulder campus. Registration, which is free and open to the public, will beavailable online at the RASEI website (rasei.colorado.edu) this fall. Researchers from the University of Colorado,as well as scientists from NREL, NOAA, NCAR and NIST, are encouraged to participate in the poster presentationat the research symposium and explore opportunities for collaboration. Posters should contain informationabout recent or ongoing research projects, research capabilities or techniques, and ideas for future researchdirections in an energy-related area. Topics covered by posters at past symposia have included Energy Materialsand Nanoscience, Environmental Science and Climate Change, Renewable/Alternative Energy Production, SocialTransformation, and Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure.

The symposium will also include a keynote address from a prominent energy expert. Past Research Symposiumkeynote speakers have included UC-Berkeley professor and former Obama campaign energy adviser DanielKammen, and MIT energy professor Daniel Nocera.

Researchers who participate in a poster presentation will be eligible to submit proposals for up to $50,000 infunding in the seed grant competition following the symposium. Funding for the seed grant program is providedby RASEI through the financial support of its Leadership Council to encourage innovative, collaborative researchon renewable and sustainable energy by University of Colorado researchers.

SEED GRANT AWARDS 2008-09Joseph Bunch,Mechanical Engineering, Graphene Thin Films as Novel Nanoporous Ethanol-Selective PervaporationMembranes

Barney Ellison, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Experimental Studies of the Thermal Decomposition of Biomass

Robert Erickson, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Michael Brandemuehl, Civil, Environmental and ArchitecturalEng., Smart Photovoltaic Roofs for Zero-Net-Energy Buildings

John Falconer, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Salt Filled Membranes for Hydrogen Separation

Barbara Farhar, Institute of Behavioral Science, Key Social and Behavioral Issues In Residential Demand Response

Daniel Feldheim, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Combinatorial Catalyst Synthesis Using Nanoparticle Precursors

Gerhard Fischer, Computer Science, Beyond Technologies Alone: Conceptualizing Energy Initiative Approaches

David Jonas, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Third Generation Organic Solar Cells

Henry Kapteyn, Department of Physics and JILA, Multiple Exciton Generation in Semiconductor Nanocrystals UsingFemtosecond Extreme-ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Douglas Kenney, Natural Resources Law Center, Law School, Energy–Water–Climate: Exploring Connections for theWestern US

Sarah Krakoff, Law School, American Indian Tribes, Climate Change, and Energy: Law and Policy Analysis and Solutions

John McCartney, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, Soil-Structure Interaction in Geothermal Foundations

Will Medlin, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hybrid Catalysts for Selective Reactions of Carbohydrates

Gary Pawlas,Mechanical Engineering, Wind Farm Power Optimization

Yele na Pichugina, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES), Title: Wind Turbine Wake Study by High-ResolutionDoppler Lidar

Ivan Smalyukh, Dept. of Physics, Organic Solar Cells Based on Liquid Crystalline Nano-confined Organic Semiconductors

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CU ENGINEERING STUDENTS BUILD, TEST HIGH-MILEAGECONCEPT CARImagine driving from New York to Los Angeles on a single tank of gas. Nowimagine having enough left in the tank for the return trip. Four University ofColorado at Boulder engineering students have designed a car that can dojust that, at least theoretically.

In April the team put its hyper-efficient car, F-CAT, up against some of themost advanced in the world at the Shell Eco-Marathon at the Auto ClubSpeedway in Fontana, Calif. The “race” challenges high school and collegestudents from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and India to design,build and drive a high-mileage concept car the farthest distance using theleast amount of energy.

The CU-Boulder team managed an average 657 mpg on the ten-mile course, earning 12th place out of 56entries. The winning team from Quebec's Laval University achieved an astounding 2,700 mpg.

T.J. Sharp, CU-Boulder engineering student and one of four Eco-Marathon team members, said the teamwas happy placing so well, considering there were only four people on their team.

“We were ecstatic about our results,” said Sharp.

The Laval University team, in contrast, had an 18-member team and a highly modified engine. CU's carhas a standard fuel engine but is able to achieve higher fuel economy due largely to its low weight,aerodynamic design and a unique driving method.

"This year we are focusing mainly on our driving patterns to get the best mileage from our car," saidSharp. "We are using a very efficient method called the 'boost and coast method' where you boost thevehicle up to the most efficient rate of speed and then turn the engine off and coast and rely solely on theaerodynamics and rolling resistance of the car to coast as long as you can. When we get to a minimumspeed, we'll restart the engine and repeat the cycle."

Sharp said the next step in F-CAT's evolution will be custom engine modifications, something a newgroup of students will have to take on since Sharp and his teammates have graduated.

The project was an undertaking of students in the mechanical engineering senior design course, whichgives students hands-on experience with real-world projects.

To learn more about the CU-Boulder Eco-Marathon team and its car view the video atwww.colorado.edu/news.

CARBON MANAGEMENT CENTER UNDER DEVELOPMENTThe Carbon Management Center (CMC) is an early-stage research and policy center specializing intechnological and policy solutions to carbon abatement. CEES Senior Fellow Kevin Doran serves as theFaculty Site Director for the CMC, which includes institutional participants from the Colorado School ofMines, Colorado State University, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “We've identified over125 researchers at CSU, CU, CSM and NREL interested in participating in the Center's activities,” notesDoran. CMC research will cover six broad “thrust areas”: carbon capture; carbon utilization in industrialprocesses; terrestrial carbon storage and GHG emission reductions; geological carbon storage; integratedassessment and decision support; and education and service.

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NOVEL CU-BOULDER TECHNIQUE SHRINKSSIZE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY CIRCUITRY A University of Colorado at Boulder team has developed anew method of shrinking the size of circuitry used innanotechnology devices, something that could have bigimplications for the future of solar energy technology.

Like current methods in the nanoengineering field, onecolor of light inscribes a pattern on a substrate, said CU-Boulder Assistant Professor Robert McLeod of theelectrical, computer and energy engineering department.But the new system developed by McLeod's team uses asecond color to "erase" the edges of the pattern, resultingin much smaller structures.

CU-Boulder Professor Garret Moddel of the electrical,computer and energy engineering department said thenew technique could be used to form nanostructures ofsemiconductors to produce more efficient solar cells.

“There is also an area called 'photovoltaic rectification' inwhich you build nanoantennas and diodes and they pickup solar radiation like a radio,” said Moddel. “Both aredeeply meshed with nanotechnology.”

The team used tightly focused beams of blue light torecord lines and dots thousands of times smaller than thewidth of a human hair into patterned lithography on asubstrate, said McLeod. The researchers then "chopped offthe edges" of the lines using a halo of ultraviolet light,trimming the width of the lines significantly.

"We are essentially drawing a line with a marker on ananotechnology scale and then erasing its edges," saidMcLeod. The method offers potential new approaches inthe search for ways to shrink transistor circuitry, a processthat drives the global electronic market that is pursuingsmaller, more powerful microchips, said McLeod.

The new technology has the potential to lead to theconstruction of a variety of nanotechnology devices,including "nanomotors," said McLeod. "We now have a set of new tools. We believe this is a new way todo nanotechnology."

The research effort was funded by the National ScienceFoundation and through the University of ColoradoInnovative Seed Program. A preliminary patent based on the technology has been filed by the CU-Boulderresearch team.

Filtration and separation can representas much as 80 percent of the operatingcosts for many industries, andmembrane separations are gainingacceptance as a cost-effective option inmany production settings. Newer, moreefficient membrane separationtechniques can lead to morestreamlined production and producesignificant improvements in quality.

The Center for Membrane AppliedScience & Technology was founded in1990 to conduct research, transfertechnology and promote education inmembrane technology.

The MAST Center is a National ScienceFoundation Multi-siteIndustry/University CooperativeResearch Center (MUC I/UCRC), withsites at the University of Colorado andthe University of Cincinnati.Headquartered in Boulder, the MASTCenter has a 17-year track record ofinnovation, operating efficiency, andbroad-based corporate support whichmakes it a leading global membraneresearch center.

The MAST Center specializes in basicresearch for development applications.Global companies are currently focusedon expanding markets, developingproducts and services that fit existingdistribution, and maximizingshareholder return. The MAST Centerwas designed to complement itssponsors' strengths in productdevelopment, with a focus on sponsor-relevant research. MAST has receivedglobal recognition over the past twelveyears for high quality technological andresearch results.

Some of the largest membrane-products companies in the world(including ConocoPhillips, W.L. Gore andAssociates, Eli Lilly and Company andDow Chemical) are MAST Centersponsors. The MAST Center has greatlybenefited from a sponsor mix that isbalanced between major membranemanufacturers and a diverse group ofmembrane users from thepetrochemical, chemical,pharmaceutical, water treatment andfood and beverage industries. Thesecompanies use their sponsorship to helpmaintain leadership in their markets.

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Rich Noble, University of Colorado ChemicalEngineering professor, left, works with post doctoralstudent Adolfo Avila, in the NSF Industry/UniversityCooperative Research Center for Membrane AppliedScience and Technology.

CU RESEARCH CENTER SPOTLIGHT: The Center for Membrane Applied Science & Technology (MAST)

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Energy EducationLAUNCH OF UNDERGRAD CERTIFICATE PROGRAMOne goal of RASEI's education programs is to attract CU's best and brightest students to the energy field.Judging by the quality of applicants to our undergraduate energy certificate program, we're succeeding. Wereceived over 50 applications to the program, and accepted the top 17 students. This inaugural classincludes students from Physics, Marketing, Geography, Environmental Studies, Engineering, English, andother disciplines. The mean GPA of this group is an impressive 3.58.

At the first meeting of the new class, we asked the students why they were interested in energy. Answersvaried, but many mentioned a wish to be part of the solution by playing a role in solving our energychallenges. It was distinctly gratifying to see this level of commitment and enthusiasm in the nextgeneration of energy professionals!

STUDENTS GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY: FIRST ANNUAL ENERGY FIELD COURSE JUST COMPLETEDHave you ever been in a coal mine, peered into a power plant boiler, or visited a natural gas well? Neitherhad our graduate energy certificate students. In order to give those students some hands-on exposure tothe energy industry - and an appreciation of all that's involved in extracting, converting, and transportingenergy - we put together a new course, ENVS 5100 'Field Course in the Energy Industry.' This course, led byRASEI Energy Education Director Paul Komor, is an intensive, three-day whirlwind tour of Colorado's energyinfrastructure. This year our site visits included a 324 MW pumped hydro facility, a 1.7 MW PV system,natural gas wells, compressors, and processing plants; a coal surface mine, a 1200 MW coal-burning powerplant, and an underground longwall coal mine.

Students returned from the trip thoroughly exhausted,but with newfound respect for the scale and complexityof our energy systems. Here are some student's commentsand quotes from their final papers:

“I'm amazed at how much I got out of this trip, fromdiscussions at dinner to the coal dust still in my hair.”

“Getting the opportunity to see the natural gas industryfrom these different perspectives gave me a betterunderstanding of the industry in general and put a humanaspect to the gas lines that come into my home.”

“The most amazing part of the tour was getting to climb upto the 7th floor where a two-foot by two-foot door wasopened for us so that we might peer down upon the greatfireball itself. Unfortunately there is no way to do thisexperience justice except to say that everyone on our teamwalked away from the fiery portal with a look in their eyesreminiscent of Moses after his infamous bout with hismaker…simultaneously terrifying and enchanting.”

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“Like it or not, we need coal and it is unfair to villainizethose companies and individuals who provide it.”

“Oftentimes, those of us in the environmental fieldforget how much history and labor has gone intobringing us the electricity that we enjoy and take for granted.”

“…a tremendous educational experience that will notbe soon forgotten.”

Many thanks to the organizations that welcomed us, showed us their facilities, and answered our manyquestions: Xcel Energy, city of Rifle, EnCana, Enterprise Products Partners, Trapper Mine, Craig Station/Tri-State, and Twentymile Mine/Peabody Energy.

RASEI SPONSORS SCIENCEEXPLORERS K-12EDUCATION OUTREACHPROGRAM Science Explorers conducted aworkshop series entitled(Em)Powering the Future: KidsExploring Alternative andRenewable Energy during the2008-2009 school year. At eachworkshop teachers and studentsexperimented with solar energy,wind power, and alternativefuels through engaging hands-on activities.

During the solar session, each group learned how a solar panel works, how the Earth's atmosphere can trapthe sun's heat, resulting in the greenhouse effect and experimented with energy production through PVCs-running, fans, lights and toy cars. In the wind session, groups used the scientific method and pre-madeturbine blades to test some of the variables that can affect the amount of energy a wind turbine canproduce. The science teams were then challenged to create their own set of blades using their creativity andthe data collected. The most successful set of blades allowed the turbine to pump over 200ml of water in 12seconds! Finally, during the fuel cell session, teachers and students learned how hydrogen fuel cells breakwater into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis and then use the resulting hydrogen to create energy.Groups were then able to use miniature hydrogen fuel cells to power toy cars.

As our future scientists, engineers, and citizens these students will make critical decisions about how topower our future. Colorado students need to understand the principles of physical science as they apply toalternative energy in order to make educated decisions about energy use and new technologies. For moreinformation about Science Explorers please contact Kristi Dahl at 303-492-0771 or Kristi.dahl@colorado.edu

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RETOOL: RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES WORKSHOPRenewable energy technologies are one of the few bright spots in a troubled economy. Manyrenewable start-ups are succeeding beyond expectations, renewable companies are expanding andhiring, and massive amounts of federal funds are flowing into the renewables industry. The DemingCenter for Entrepreneurship teamed up with RASEI to offer a two-day training workshop that coveredthe critical factors that drive the adoption of renewable energy technologies. The workshop detailedwhich technologies are likely to have immediate impact and which may have impact further in thefuture, and laid out the policies that promote (and inhibit) new renewables, providing currentexamples of companies - large and small - that have successfully entered the renewables industry.Workshop participants left with the fundamental knowledge needed to engage their careers and theircompanies in this booming industry. For information about future energy training workshops contactJoOnna Silberman at the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at 303-735-5415 orJoOnna.Silberman@Colorado.edu.

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RASEI—University of Colorado at Boulder 10

TRENT YANG AND ERIC FRAZIER JOIN RASEI BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMWe are delighted to announce that we have a new entrepreneurship and business development director,Trent Yang. Trent is a CU alum who has been working in the financial sector in Boston, developingcleantech practices, incubating startups, and working with MIT’s Energy Initiative.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to come back to my alma mater and helpguide CU in becoming a hub for innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship inthe alternative energy space. Colorado is well positioned to become a national andinternational leader in clean and efficient energy solutions for the next century, and Ilook forward to working with our faculty and students to build strong connections withthe energy community including corporations, investors, research labs and legislatorsin leading this transformation.”

We are also pleased to announce the addition of our new MBA intern, Eric Frazier.Eric comes to us from Indianapolis and is now actively involved in the promotion ofthe cleantech industry here in Colorado through leadership roles in the RASEIStudent Association and participation in the Graduate Energy Certificate program.He will provide valuable assistance to the RASEI Business Development Program aswe work toward many new objectives.

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NTechnologyCommercialization

RASEI AND TTO AWARD SPRING PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS RASEI and CU Technology Transfer Office awarded three $50,000 grants to promising projects as part of itsRenewable Energy Proof of Concept grant program.

The first grant went to David Denkenberger and John Zhai for demonstrating an improved micro-channelheat-management device for power plants, energy-efficient vehicles and buildings and other industrialapplications.

Conrad Stoldt and Se-Hee Lee received funding to improve lithium-ion battery performance via solid-state nanostructuring.

In lieu of a grant Robert Erickson received the $50,000 in the form of a proof of concept investmentwritten to Phobos Energy, a CU startup based on Erickson's technology to develop "smart" electronics forsolar photovoltaic panels that maximize the energy captured by each panel.

BIOFUEL INNOVATOR CONTINUES PROCESS DEVELOPMENTOPX Biotechnologies (OPX) has recently closed a $17.5 million financing roundenabling them to continue funding the development of new processes to createbiofuels and green chemistry products. Born out of research conducted at theUniversity of Colorado, OPX is advancing innovative ways to bring bioproductmanufacturing cots in line with petroleum-based alternatives. They continue thelong tradition at CU of successfully commercializing ideas shaped from research oncampus. Through close collaboration between OPX and the staff of Colorado’s TechTransfer Office, the research faculty on campus and the students at the LeedsSchool of Business, OPX has successfully turned a concept into a promisingenterprise. They continue to grow by bringing in new talent, sponsoring next-generation research, and aggressively securing additional financing. OPX is poisedto become a major player in the biofuels industry in the years ahead.

TECH TRANSFER LUNCHEON SHOWCASES ION ENGINEERING, A COMPANY WHICH BEGAN IN A CU-BOULDER LABCarbon capture technology is about to get a whole lot better thanks to aninnovative company started by two CU-Boulder scientists.

At an April luncheon celebrating faculty entrepreneurship at CU-Boulder, DeanCamper and Doug Gin discussed their company ION Engineering, which got itsstart through research at Gin's CU lab. Gin and Camper developed ionic solventswhich are able to absorb carbon dioxide, replacing water in the amine solutionscurrently used to capture carbon in processes including natural gas sweeteningand carbon capture from coal power plant emissions.

ION Engineering began work with the BIC last spring and since that time has formed a company, identified abusiness driver who now serves as CEO (Buzz Brown), secured a license to the technology from CU (along with aproof of concept investment), and presented at VCIR, a large investor conference.

The event, sponsored by Faegre & Benson and hosted by the CU Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and the BoulderInnovation Center (BIC), offered insight into the process of taking a technology from a University laboratory andsteering it to commercialization. Before the formal program kicked off, those in attendance had the opportunityto peruse posters for several new inventions developed at CU on topics including building controls that helpoptimize peak electricity usage.

COLORADO HAS LARGE AND FAST-GROWING PIECE OF CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMYAccording to a new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts, Colorado has a large and fast-growing piece ofAmerica's clean energy economy. The state had more than 17,000 jobs in the clean energy economy in 2007.Colorado has also attracted more than $620 million in venture capital in the past three years-the fifth-largestamount in the nation-three quarters of which has been invested in clean energy generation. To find out more go to:http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewcenteronthestatesorg/Fact_Sheets/Clean_Economy_Factsheet_Colorado.pdf

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Faculty Awards CU-BOULDER ADJUNCT PROFESSOR CHUCK KUTSCHER WINSGOVERNOR'S RENEWABLE ENERGY AWARD

Chuck Kutscher, a University of Colorado at Boulder adjunct faculty member, as

well as a CU-Boulder alumnus and principal engineer at the National Renewable

Energy Laboratory, has been selected to receive the Governor's Excellence in

Renewable Energy Award for 2008 for his outstanding contributions to protect

Colorado's environment and provide clean power through renewable energy.

Kutscher, who received the award in the individual category, has been a

committed advocate for renewable energy technologies as an employee of NREL

for over 30 years. He has worked in a variety of areas in renewable energy, including solar cooling

technologies, solar industrial process heat, geothermal energy and concentrating solar power. He is

currently a principal engineer at NREL and group manager for the Thermal Systems Group.

He led the study "Tackling Climate Change in the U.S." published by the American Solar Energy Society in

2007 to raise public awareness about the serious dilemma of global warming and to offer practical energy

efficiency and renewable energy solutions that can effectively reduce U.S. carbon emissions over the next

two decades.

He teaches the mechanical engineering course "Climate Change Solutions" as an adjunct professor at CU-

Boulder. He is a frequent speaker about climate change and renewable energy on campus, and also serves

on the mechanical engineering department's Industrial Advisory Council.

He earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering at CU-Boulder in 1992.

CU ADJOINT PROFESSOR WINS UN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PRIZE FOR SOLAR RESEARCH

Adjoint Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Arthur J. Nozik has won the 2009

Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization Award for Science and Technology for his work as a

senior research fellow of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The

IREO/UN award recognizes energy innovators who are "leading the way of global development through

renewable energy, with the strength to challenge conventional wisdom and encourage critical thinking."

Nozik received the prize in a June 11 ceremony at the UN in New York City.

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NSF CAREER AWARDS IN CU CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT

University of Colorado at Boulder chemistry and biochemistry department chair David Walba said having a single

assistant professor win a National Science Foundation CAREER Award would be phenomenal. So it's not surprising

that he is ecstatic over the news that three of the department's junior faculty have been awarded the prestigious

honor.

CU-Boulder chemistry and biochemistry Assistant Professors Niels Damrauer, Rainer Volkamer and J. Mathias Weber

each will receive at least $500,000 over a five-year period. The money will be used for both teaching and research.

The Faculty Early Career Development Program, or CAREER, offers the NSF's most prestigious awards in support of

junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars.

Damrauer uses shaped laser fields and synthesis in efforts to control photochemical reactions. Prior to coming to

CU-Boulder he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Damrauer said he will

continue to work on solar energy conversion problems and will work to get the topic into the curriculum of

elementary and middle schools and to help teachers in those grades with professional development.

Volkamer is an atmospheric chemist studying urban air pollution in Mexico City, China and more recently in the

Denver-Boulder area. Volkamer also came to CU-Boulder from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Volkamer

will continue his work developing small, portable and high-tech optical spectroscopic instruments to measure

atmospheric composition and will build a hands-on learning experience for high school students to demonstrate

how scientists use light to investigate air quality and climate change.

Weber came to CU-Boulder in 2006 from the University of Karlsruhe in

Germany, where he was an independent junior research group leader.

Weber's current research centers around understanding how molecules

interact with each other to form complexes and how energy flows

through molecules.

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Leadership Council MembersThank you to our Leadership Council Supporting Members

Contributors: Roberta Klein, Paul Komor, Elaine TucciFor more information: http://rasei.colorado.edu

C ALENDAR OF E VENTS

• August 11, 2009Law Conference: "Multistate Decision Making for RenewableEnergy and Transmission: Spotlight on Colorado, New Mexico,Utah, and Wyoming."

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Doubletree Hotel, DenverSponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming,For more information go to: http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/workshops/law_conference_09.html

• August 9-12, 2009CEES and IBI to Present First North American Biochar Conference

The Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES) at the University of Colorado Law School is pleased to present the first North AmericanBiochar Conference. Cosponsored by the International Biochar Initiative (IBI), the conference will run from August 9-12. Biochar is a charcoal-basedproduct produced from biomass that can sequester carbon, enhance soils, and provide useable energy during the production process. CEES and IBIare honored to have U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack as the keynote speaker for this event. The North American Biochar 2009 conferencewill feature daily sessions on the science of biochar and a strong focus on the policy and economic dimensions of biochar. In addition to thekeynote by Secretary Vilsack, other confirmed participants represent the leading actors in the world on the topic of biochar. Poster sessions andnetworking opportunities will also occur daily. Conference Registration can be found online at: http://cees.colorado.edu/ibi_2009.html Pleasenote that student rates and sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact: jonah.levine@colorado.edu

• September 10, 2009 The 2nd annual Schultz Lectureship

A National Energy Policy for The 21st Century By James E. Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy5:00-6:00 PMPlease RSVP Danielle.Hayward@colorado.edu or 303-492-8048

• November 3-5, 200922nd NREL Industry Growth Forum

Join the ranks of sustainable energy companies who have gleaned windfall funding and focused expertise from within the catalytic atmosphere ofthe Forum. Working with the Forum will allow you to showcase your company to an audience of the world's leading energy investors, industryexecutives, and potential partners. If your company is looking for $1 million or $100 million in financing; this is the place for you! Presentingcompanies are selected by a committee that includes venture capitalists, investment banks, and energy experts from across the United States. The best presentations are awarded with cash prizes and in-kind technology consulting services from NREL. http://cleanenergyforum.com/

http://rasei.colorado.edu