Solar energy in the Rockies
Enter the —€˜Collaboratory'
August / September 2008
Volume 6 Number 4
Performing world-class research on renewable energy is one thing. Transferring that research to the marketplace in a timely manner is another. The Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory is doing both. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory helped create the Collaboratory in 2007 in association with the University of Colorado, the Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State University. Hailed by Governor Bill Ritter as an economic boon, the Collaboratory has also been recognized for its outstanding efforts in economic development by the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (MDEDC).
Working with public, private and nonprofit entities, the organization aims to:
—€ Increase the production and use of energy from renewable resources
—€ Support economic growth in Colorado and the nation with renewable energy industries
—€ Build a renewable energy economy in rural Colorado and rural America
—€ Establish Colorado as America's leading center of energy research and production
—€ Educate the nation's energy researchers, technicians and workforce.
In 2006, the Colorado Legislature approved $2 million per year for three years for the Collaboratory to use as matching funds to qualify for federal and private research projects. The funding must be repaid to the state by income earned from the technologies that are developed and transferred to private industry.
At the signing ceremony for the Collaboratory agreement, Senator Wayne Allard said, "Colorado is in an excellent position to make a substantial contribution to our nation's—€”and the world's—€”renewable energy future. We are strategically placed geographically, as well as home to some of the finest universities and institutions in the world. The partnership that is being formed with the signing of this document will be one of the best and most important of its kind."
Representative Mark Udall also offered praise. "The Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory is a unique undertaking," he said. "It will give us the ability to harness the intellectual capacities of our public institutions and the institutional knowledge of the premier energy laboratory in the world, NREL.
Working together, CU, CSU, the School of Mines and NREL will enable the Collaboratory to compete for private and public research projects that will help reshape our energy economy. It will also give Colorado an economic advantage by quickly moving technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace, creating jobs and growing industries."
So far, the Collaboratory has created three research centers.
The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2) will conduct research on new biofuels and biorefining technologies and how to quickly transfer the results to the private sector. Companies participate in C2B2 as a sponsor by paying a membership fee. These fees will fund shared research, and sponsors may participate in the discoveries and patents generated by that research.
"This collaboration is extremely important for workforce development," said NREL's executive director of strategic partnerships, Stan Bull. "Students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty from the universities will work closely with national laboratory scientists and engineers and industry professionals, developing the skills needed to help the nation develop clean, secure sources of energy."
The Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP) will perform research on converting the sun's energy to low-cost electricity and fuels. The Collaboratory's four institutions will conduct the research, with participation from 12 founding companies—€”Applied Materials, Ascent Solar Technologies, DuPont, Evident Technologies, Konarka, Lockheed Martin, Motech Industries, QuantumSphere, Sharp, Solasta, Sub-One Technology and SunEdison—€”and other companies that have joined since the center was established.
"CRSP represents a wonderful opportunity for DuPont to participate in developing the next generation of critical solar energy conversion technologies by working with some of the thought leaders in this important field of science," said Steven Freilich of DuPont Central Research and Development.
The Center for Research and Education in Wind (CREW) was established by the four core Collaboratory institutions and two federal research institutions: the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Led by CU, CREW's research will focus on wind turbines, forecasting and control systems.
Several more centers will be established in the future, the first being The Solar Technology Acceleration Center. This demonstration, testing and research center will be directed toward near-term technologies and improvements in photovoltaics and concentrating solar power.
In June, the Collaboratory received the MDEDC'S Chair Award for Outstanding Efforts in Economic Development.
Kittie Hook, senior vice president for corporate services for Fuller Real Estate and chair of MDEDC's board of governors, said, "Nowhere in the world has an asset such as this unique research partnership. Instead of marketing their individual programs and research, the four founding members present themselves to the world as one single entity through which sponsored research, public-private partnerships and technical consultation are available."
Karen Atkison is a communicator at NREL.
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