Biofuels
Conversion of organic matter to biofuels is an emerging area
of research at Rutgers. Numerous types of
natural and anthropogenic carbon materials are potential substrates for
biofuels. Current studies on the degradation of organic matter via microbial
and abiotic processes focus on metabolic pathways, production of natural
sources of cellulosic feedstock (switchgrass), and on potential use of domestic
and industrial solid waste streams. Rutgers research facilities in support of
biofuel production include faculty research laboratories on School of Environmental
and Biological Sciences and Busch campuses and at the EcoComplex center. The Laboratory for
Molecular Analysis in the School
of Engineering provides
analytical chemical support for experiments aimed on characterizing biofuel
production mechanisms.
Energy policy
There are several centers at Rutgers that are actively
engaged in the study of the application and impacts of new energy technologies
as they emerge from the Rutgers labs. Within
REI these centers are the Center
for Energy, Economics, & Energy Policy, the Center for Green Building, and the Rutgers EcoComplex. The Rutgers Energy
Institute has also partnered with the New
Jersey Sustainable State Institute to integrate emerging energy
technologies at a state and regional level.
Wind energy
Wind energy can be harnessed and converted into electricity that can be
used instead of burning coal or oil. In areas where winds are common, turbines
can harness and convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity that
can contribute to local power grids. Accessible mountain areas such as the Altamont or San Gorgonio
passes are ideal for wind farming because they have consistent and
predictable wind patterns. Additionally, coastal areas also tend to have high
winds, although the predictability of coastal winds is less certain compared to
mountain areas. Oceanographers and meteorologists from Rutgers
University have been working with the
State of New Jersey and PSE&G to improve
predictive capabilities of coastal winds on the Jersey
Shore and in the Delaware
Bay. The results of the Rutgers
Offshore Wind Analysis are being used to plan wind turbine sites and to help
allocate wind energy utilization during peak winds. Wind energy is an ideal
replacement for fossil-fuel electricity generation because it is clean,
renewable, and widely available.
More information about wind generation can be found at the websites listed
below. If you would like us to include your wind energy-related website in the
following list, send us an e-mail through the Contact page, with the message
subject "wind energy."
Hydrogen
Rutgers has a range of
hydrogen fuel related research activities, including hydrogen generation,
storage, and use/conversion. Programs include novel Fischer-Tropsch and steam
reforming chemistries, photocatalytic production of hydrogen from water using
biological, biomimetic and inorganic catalytic methods, metal organic framework
materials and hydrides for hydrogen storage, novel nanoscale characterization
methods, computational modeling, fuel cell materials, and device design.
Solar energy & photovoltaics
Solar energy results from the conversion of the sun's light into
electricity. This conversion is achieved when a material efficiently absorbs
sunlight such that electrons are excited and the excited electrons are
subsequently used to "push" an electrical current. At Rutgers, solar
energy research is focused on the fundamental aspects of the conversion of
light energy to useable electricity. For example, several labs from Materials Science Engineering
and Electrical and Computer Engineering
are working together on coupling the absorption of several wavelength-range
specific absorbers of sunlight into an integrated system that would lower the
cost associated with solar cells.
The Rutgers University groups working on solar
energy research have established a website
which provides background information about the basics of photovoltaic devices
and information about
different types of solar cells, as well as links to the specific solar
energy research labs.
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Energy Information 
