C M Y K
100 46 0 0
C M Y K
0 61 97 0
C M Y K
20 0 100 19
C M Y K
0 0 0 60
annual report for the academic year 2020-2021
mission + goals
message from the directors
our mission is to develop solutions for our energy and environmental future
This year, like last, has been challenging in surprising and grueling ways, in day-to-day inconveniences and heartbreaking disasters. Fleeing unprecedented freezing conditions in Texas, for example, or wildfires and floods—all during a pandemic—is something few could have imagined as a possible reality. However, we see light peeking through as communities show their persistence, adaptability, and belief in science. During the year, the world became keenly aware of its connectedness and the need for collaboration. It hungered for equitable solutions to global problems, from stymieing the pandemic to reducing the buildup of atmospheric carbon.
+ accelerate innovation through funding, infrastructure, and intellectual discourse + foster a vibrant and interdisciplinary community + partner with industry, not-for- profit, government, and peer institutions + train the next generation of leaders in a broad context + be the leading center for information and advice
At the Andlinger Center, we made great strides on our path to develop energy and climate solutions. Our researchers and colleagues across the University came together to produce an ambitious and groundbreaking study on exactly how the United States could become a net-zero emitter of greenhouse gases, only releasing as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere as is stored permanently each year, by midcentury. When Princeton published the study in December 2020, known as the Net-Zero America (NZA) study, it quickly became a resource for the country and world at large to understand how a country could transform its energy systems, and along the way its economy and society, to become truly environmentally sustainable and prevent further damages from climate change. The research went beyond setting ambitions or goals and, instead, used advanced energy modeling and the Rapid Switch bottleneck framework to identify five feasible pathways for getting the country to net-zero employing existing technologies. It showed where thousands of infrastructure assets could be sited and how they would impact surrounding communities. For the first time, a study detailed the health, labor, and economic effects of various energy scenarios state by state, even identifying specific counties that would have cleaner air or more jobs from the shift. The data showed that a clean energy-powered economy and society is good for the country, and that a transition to net-zero emissions is a massive opportunity to invest in the American economy
and people, and one with big payoffs. The researchers found that by switching electricity systems to be powered by solar and wind, ramping up production of biofuels from energy crops, capturing carbon dioxide, and other efforts, the country could increase life expectancy, especially in low-income areas that are disproportionately affected by pollution; lower health care costs; and increase net employment in the energy sector. The research is described further on pages 10 and 11. NZA made waves in nearly every sector. The researchers conducted hundreds of hours of briefings with journalists, executives, investors, labor and health experts, and university researchers, who saw the value of the new research. The study inspired a project currently underway with University of Melbourne and University of Queensland researchers, in collaboration with Princeton scholars, evaluating how Australia could also reach net-zero emissions. That project is supported by new E-ffiliates charter member, Worley, a global provider of engineering, procurement and construction services, who we are thrilled to work with because of their potential impact executing clean energy projects. Companies across the spectrum got excited to partner with our researchers; our corporate membership program expanded significantly, into consulting, finance, and venture capital for the first time. As our researchers continue to make advances and learn, for example, how the public thinks about carbon capture, described on page 13, and conduct other timely research, more and more companies want to engage with us to learn how a clean energy transition may unfold. Beyond expanding our external collaborations, we also invested in people and projects to support new energy and climate solutions. We funded research developing more practical energy models that better incorporate risk and allow for optionality, detailed on page 14. Battery and energy storage expert Kelsey Hatzell joined the faculty, adding expertise in another facet of the energy system. She is featured on page nine. We are excited to continue our work on what we believe is one of the most pressing issues of our time. To increase our impact in this quest to address large-scale energy and climate issues, we need partners. Every ton of carbon counts, and every fraction of a degree has implications for our future. We hope you’ll join us in this fight. Thank you for your engagement and support, and for being a part of the Andlinger Center community. Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo and Z. Jason Ren
Growth & Impact: Reflecting on Lynn Loo’s Leadership Lynn Loo resigned as director as of August 1, 2021, to join the newly founded Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, based in Singapore, as its first chief executive officer. Loo has served as director since 2016 and has been on the leadership team since the founding of the Andlinger Center. Under Loo’s leadership, the Center has become a national leader in energy and environmental research and a model for industrial partnership. Loo championed a systems approach in tackling the most challenging energy problems, recruiting top talent from around the world, and deepening engagement with stakeholders outside of academia. She was a strong proponent of external collaborations to ensure research was practical and addressed key contemporary problems. Loo spearheaded the launch of the Rapid Switch initiative and the groundbreaking Net-Zero America project, which presents clear pathways for the United States to decarbonize its entire economy. In addition to expanding Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership, the Andlinger Center's corporate affiliates program, she created a visiting fellows program to bring in experienced practitioners from industry, government, national labs, and other universities. In five short years, Loo has built a world-leading team of experts with deep knowledge in energy systems, energy storage, and the energy-water nexus. “Lynn has been a true visionary and inspirational leader,” said Andrea Goldsmith, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. “She brought an entrepreneurial spirit and deep experience to her role, along with wisdom and urgency that led the Center to have real impact in the race to transform energy systems and mitigate climate change.” Loo has grown the Center to a national powerhouse in developing interdisciplinary solutions to complex problems. Under her guidance, the Andlinger Center has had an impact greater than the sum of its parts. Her service to the University and to the world has been greatly appreciated and widely felt.
Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo Director of the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering; Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Z. Jason Ren Acting Director of the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
1
contents
Mission + Goals
1
Message From the Directors
3
Research Areas
4
Timeline 2020-2021
6 Excel 9
Growing Our Scholarly Community
10
Net-Zero America
12
New Research
14
Investing in Cutting-Edge Research
17
The Andlinger Community Thrives
18 Engage 21
Annual Meeting
22
Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership
25
E-ffiliates Member Highlights
26
Strengthening the Andlinger Community
28 Inform
2
31
Educating Undergraduates
34
Summer Internships
36
Graduate Spotlight
37
Educating the Public
38
Leadership
39
Supporters
research areas
built environment, transportation, and infrastructure Smart infrastructure, resilient cities, building efficiency systems and retrofits involving faculty from the School of Architecture; microgrids and networks, green cements, cleaner burning combustion engines, electric vehicles, and water desalination technologies
electricity production, transmission, and storage Emerging technologies to harvest wind and solar power, nuclear fusion, power electronics and superconducting materials that enable more power transmission, grid-scale electricity storage, and modeling of grids with high renewables penetration
fuels and chemicals Advanced fuels and chemicals from engineered microorganisms and artificial photosynthesis, development of catalysts with abundant elements, and techno-economic and lifecycle assessments of advanced biofuel production systems
environmental sensing and remediation Sensors to detect emissions of carbon and nitrogen cycle gases to the atmosphere from the energy, water and food sectors; carbon capture and storage; and wastewater treatment and soil remediation technologies using nanoparticles and microorganisms
decision and behavioral science, policy, and economics In partnership with faculty and researchers at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, individual and collective decision-making and economic analysis related to energy and environmental policy
environmental and climate science In partnership with faculty and researchers at the High Meadows Environmental Institute, environmental monitoring and modeling of Arctic sea ice, carbon dioxide absorption by oceans, extreme weather, and coastal impacts
3
andlinger center timeline 2020 -2021
July
August
September
October
November
December
Andlinger Center
Egemen Kolemen
Andrea
The Andlinger
Lynn Loo,
Princeton
for Energy and the Environment appoints Chris Greig, Australian energy leader and former industry executive, as senior scientist, strengthening energy systems expertise.
wins 2020 Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award from Fusion Power Associates.
Goldsmith begins her first academic semester as dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Center for Energy and the Environment holds the 2020 Annual Meeting focusing on securing a sustainable energy transition with keynote speaker, The Honorable Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, current White House Homeland Security Advisor.
Nicholas Davy, and Melda SezenEdmonds receive a 2020 Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey for their patent on a single-junction organic photovoltaic device, used as a transparent onboard power supply for a smart window.
University publishes a ground-breaking study, “Net-Zero America,” laying out five technological pathways to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 2050.
excel engage inform The Andlinger Center drives impact in three key areas: research in excel, external partnerships in engage, and educational offerings in inform.
Jeffrey Bielicki,
associate professor at The Ohio State University, and Anthony Ku, CTO at China Energy’s National Institute of Clean and low-carbon Energy, NICE America Research, join the Andlinger Center as non-resident fellows during a year of remote activity.
The timeline represents select highlights of the events and activities of the past year and does not reflect all milestones.
4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
The Andlinger
Stephen
Global
Julie Euvrard
The Andlinger
The
Kelsey Hatzell,
Center welcomes asset management firm, Mercator Partners, to its corporate membership program, Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership.
Pacala and Jesse Jenkins are chair and co-author, respectively, of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, “Accelerating Decarbonization of the U.S. Energy System.”
industrial lab, NEC Labs America, and climate technology venture capital firm, 2150, join Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership.
joins the cohort of Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows with research on organic semiconductors and energy technologies.
Center hosts a panel at a virtual Princeton Reunions 2021, “Tackling the Complexities of the Energy Transition: The Princeton Approach.”
Andlinger Center hosts its eighth annual E-ffiliates Retreat, focused on pathways to achieving net-zero emissions around the world.
a battery expert, joins the faculty as assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
Z. Jason Ren
Egemen Kolemen
and Christos Maravelias receive a $3.1M Department of Energy grant to develop novel synergistic processes to convert food waste to jet fuel and hydrogen.
is promoted to associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
Australian
Two
Allyson
construction and engineering services firm, Worley, and global consulting firm, Deloitte, become newest members of Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership.
graduate students are awarded the 2021-2022 Maeder Graduate Fellowship: Karina Alventosa, who studies alternative sustainable cements, and Tianran Liu, who studies perovskite solar cells.
McGaughey joins as a Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow with research on material innovations for advanced water treatment.
Forrest Meggers
is promoted to associate professor of architecture and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
5
excel / new research
6
excel / new research Rising to the occasion of quickly deploying solutions related to energy and environmental issues around the world requires rigorous research to back diverse strategies and technologies. The focus of the research program at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University is to weave together academic disciplines to study and answer questions that have not been asked before, and produce knowledge that will inform practical tools. Our researchers link energy modeling with studies of community acceptance of alternative technologies, explore the material
Claire White (Photo by David Kelly Crow)
excel
science behind new membranes that provide low-energy routes to water treatment, study the factors that influence how much power offshore wind farms can generate, and much more. Transforming systems across sectors to produce net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and serve societal needs is a gargantuan challenge. For such a task, no field of study is off the table, no discipline irrelevant to the problems that society faces at the intersection of global energy use and environmental impact.
“The Andlinger Center invites and creates space for people with a shared interest in energy and the environment to hold stimulating discussions, build new collaborations, and ultimately conduct more impactful research.” – Claire White , acting associate director for research at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Melissa Ball, presidential postdoctoral research fellow, handles photovoltaic materials inside the glovebox at the Organic and Polymer Electronics Lab at the Andlinger Center. (Photo by Aaron Nathans)
7
andlinger center / excel
$7,000,000
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
47
by Research Area
22 %
Research Projects supported by the Andlinger Center
39 % 16 %
$4,000,000
$1,000,000
$30,000,000
Built Environment, Transportation, and Infrastructure 24% Electricity Production, Transmission, and Storage 37% Fuels and Chemicals 16.3% Environmental Sensing and Remediation 15.3% Decision and Behavioral Science, Policy and Economics 5.4% Environmental and Climate Science 2%
2 % 2013 2014
$35,000,000
436
7 %
$2,000,000
2015 2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Graduate Students and Postdocs Supported
2021
85
Publications Resulting from Andlinger Center Seed Fund Support EXCEL Research Projects Supported - 46 Projects / 7.1 Million Invested 2013 – $1.9 million 2014 – + $1.5 million 2015 – + $600,000 2016 – + $500,000 2017 – + $800,000 2018 – + $600,000 2019 – + $600,000 2020 - + $600,000
14 %
$3,000,000
$40,000,000
127
$7.2 Million Invested
$41 Million in Grants by Research Area
19 %
External Grants awarded to the Andlinger Center
46 %
Kofi Christie, presidential postdoctoral research fellow (Photo by Aaron Nathans)
17 %
$25,000,000
$20,000,000
7 %
$15,000,000
9 %
$10,000,000
Andlinger Center Research Areas Built environment, transportation, and infrastructure Electricity production, transmission, and storage Fuels and chemicals
2 %
$5,000,000
2014 2015
8
2016 2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
All above information shows cumulative growth at the Andlinger Center.
Environmental sensing and remediation Decision and behavioral science, policy, and economics Environmental and climate science
excel / growing our scholarly community
New Faculty
Leadership and Growth
Lynn Loo, the Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering and professor of chemical and biological engineering who has served as Andlinger Center director since 2016, stepped down as of August 1, 2021, and joined the newly founded Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, based in Singapore, as its first chief executive officer. Loo is taking a two-year leave from Princeton University to fulfill this new role. Claire Gmachl, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering, associate chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and head of Whitman College, is serving as the interim director of the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. An international search for a permanent director began in the fall of 2021.
Andrea Goldsmith (Photo by David Kelly Crow)
Andrea Goldsmith, an expert and entrepreneur in wireless systems who has served in campus-wide leadership roles at Stanford University, began as dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University Sept. 1, 2020. Goldsmith is a leader in the fields of information theory and communications, with a focus on creating innovations in wireless communications, cyberphysical systems, and neuroscience.
Kelsey Hatzell (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Kelsey Hatzell joins Princeton University as assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, effective July 1, 2021. She comes to Princeton from Vanderbilt University. Her expertise is in solid-state batteries, which use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid or gel polymer electrolyte used in common lithium-ion batteries. Her lab focuses on the fundamental questions related to processes that control battery performance and long-duration thermal energy storage systems, along with translational research related to battery manufacturing. Solid-state batteries allow for more energy-dense anodes than lithium-ion batteries, meaning electric vehicles could potentially travel a greater distance before needing to recharge, with the added benefit of not being flammable. Hatzell was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, an ITRIRosenfeld Postdoctoral Fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in chemistry, and received several prestigious industry and academic awards.
According to Goldsmith, engineering can play a pivotal role in addressing energy and environmental challenges because they require interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation, along with interactions with industry and public policy. Goldsmith joins the Princeton faculty as the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical Engineering. Egemen Kolemen has been promoted to associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment and is also a physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Forrest Meggers has been promoted to associate professor of architecture and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Kolemen and Meggers joined the executive committee as of Sept. 1, 2021, in addition to Gabriel Vecchi, professor of geosciences and the High Meadows Environmental Institute and director of the High Meadows Environmental Institute, and Chris Greig, the Theodora D. '78 and William H. Walton III '74 Senior Research Scientist at the Andlinger Center. 9
Building a Net-Zero America Today, about 80% of energy consumed in the United States
the nation-building effort and enduring social contract that will be
is generated from the combustion of fossil fuels, releasing
needed to shift to a national clean-energy economy. The study was
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that accelerate climate
led by Eric Larson, senior research engineer at the Andlinger Center
change. Princeton researchers identified five pathways by which
for Energy and the Environment, Chris Greig, and Jesse Jenkins,
the U.S. could reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by
assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
2050, using known technologies. The study, known as Net-Zero
and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
America, found that such transitions could be accomplished
Stephen Pacala, the Frederick D. Petrie Professor in Ecology and
without increasing annual spending on energy as a fraction of
Evolutionary Biology, proposed and consulted on the project, and
gross domestic product. The widely-cited work used a novel suite
researchers at the High Meadows Environmental Institute also
of energy system transition models to design, map, and estimate
contributed their expertise.
the cost of deploying tens of thousands of new infrastructure assets that would be needed. This allowed the team to describe
To download the full Net-Zero America report and data from the
employment, health, and environmental impacts state by state.
study, please visit https://netzeroamerica.princeton.edu/. There
The work contextualizes the unprecedented pace and scale of
you can also see the media coverage of the study.
Four key differentiating variables Five different least-cost energy system pathways were
Electrification
constructed by changing input assumptions around four key variables: the level of electrification of transportation
Solar and wind
and buildings; the degree to which solar and wind electricity
Biofuels
generation are relied upon; the extent to which bioenergy use
Fossil fuels with carbon capture, and nuclear
is expanded; and whether fossil fuels with carbon capture and nuclear are allowed.
Putting the U.S. on any of the net-zero pathways would mean:
250,000 to 400,000 Americans see life expectancy increases due to air quality improvements through 2050
500,000 to 1 Million
$1 Trillion
savings in health care costs due to improved air quality
net new energy jobs across the country in the 2020s alone, with net job increase in most states
10
Solar, Wind, and Transmission Different scenarios deploy solar, wind,
Transmission Capacity
0.0005
Wind and solar site capacity factors (CF) are reflected in color intensity: darkest color = highest CF
16.628 33.257 49.885 Population density > 100/km2 Wind projects Utility-scale solar projects
and transmission systems at different rates. The map at the right shows where solar, wind, and transmission assets might be installed to meet the net-zero target for a middle-of-the-road scenario. One of the five scenarios limits the amount of solar and wind capacity that can be built each year to 1.4 times more than has ever been built previously in a single year (2020) in the United States. Other scenarios involve building 6 to 15 times more wind and solar farms each year by the late 2040s than were built in 2020.
CO2 Capture, Transport, and Storage E+ Scenario
All net-zero pathways rely on capturing large amounts of CO2 from energy and industrial processes and/or the
929 million tonnes of CO2 /year 106,000 km pipelines Capital Investments: $170 billion
CO2 point source type
CO2 point sources Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage power and fuels Cement with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) Natural gas power CCS oxyfuel
CO2 captured (million tonnes of CO2 /year) 0.0006449 7.9144 15.8282 23.7419
Trunk lines
(capacity in million tonnes of CO2 /year) < 100 100-200 > 200
atmosphere. Four of the pathways permanently store most of the captured CO2 underground. In the fifth case, when CO2 storage is disallowed, the CO2 is combined with clean hydrogen to make synthetic fuels. All cases rely heavily on CO2 capture at facilities converting sustainable biomass into hydrogen or electricity. CO2 capture facilities were mapped, along with a pipeline network that connects capture facilities to storage or utilization sites. The research team also estimated the potential for removing CO2 from the atmosphere via modified agricultural and forestry practices.
11
excel / new research
Newly Discovered Polymer May Create Infinitely Recyclable Plastics As the planet’s burden of rubber and plastic rises unabated, scientists look to the promise of closed-loop recycling to reduce trash. Paul Chirik, the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Chemistry, discovered a new molecule and process for chemically recycling plastics, opening the door to sequestering carbon in the things we use and managing plastic waste on a large scale. His research team, including first author of the study Megan Mohadjer Beromi, a postdoctoral research fellow in Chirik’s lab, found that the common molecule, butadiene, which is a major byproduct of fossil
ABOVE
Iron-catalyzed [2+2] oligomerization of butadiene produces (1,n'-divinyl) oligocyclobutane, a new polymer that can be chemically recycled. (Figure by Jonathan Darmon) RIGHT
Princeton researchers led by Paul Chirik and Megan Mohadjer Beromi have discovered a potentially game-changing new molecule with vast implications for making plastics that are truly recyclable. (Photo by C. Todd Reichart)
12
fuel development and also is an abundant organic compound, could be turned into a new polymer. Known as oligocyclobutane, this polymer has properties that can not only make a hard, strong plastic, but in a rare feature, can also be chemically broken down and returned back to butadiene. The process of both creating the polymer and recovering the building block, butadiene, is known as chemical recycling and relies on a unique iron catalyst, which the team discovered. It is the only known trigger that enables both the creation of this new plastic base and its reversibility. The paper was published in the journal Nature Chemistry.
“I see the fact that there is little public information on the topic and technology as an opportunity for storytelling and education campaigns.” —Elke Weber
RIGHT
Lyman Spitzer (1914-1997), Princeton astrophysicist, stands beside the Stellarator A. (Photo courtesy of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)
Don’t Know About Carbon Capture and Sequestration? You’re Not Alone Capturing carbon at the smokestack is a promising way to combat climate change, but the majority of Americans are unfamiliar with the technology, according to a new study by Elke Weber, the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and professor of psychology and the School of Public and International Affairs, and colleagues. The carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) process involves capturing carbon dioxide gas from facilities—such as fossil fuel power plants, factories, and refineries—before it enters the atmosphere and then piping it underground for permanent storage. CCS promises to reduce emissions from industrial processes like steel and cement production that are difficult to decarbonize, and according to the Net-Zero America study, it is crucial in nearly every scenario to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. According to Weber’s research, published in the journal Energy Policy, over 80% of Americans either do not know of the technology or could not definitively say that they recognized it, which points to a gap in communication.
become an inexhaustible energy source, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission greenlighted the project, which later became the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. By the late 1960s, as global energy and environmental crises came to the fore, Princeton established the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies (CEES) to respond to national issues and provide meaningful, timely research that influenced energy conservation policy. Part of CEES eventually became the Energy Systems Analysis Group (ESAG), which was incorporated in Princeton’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment during the tenure of founding director Emily Carter, the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment, emeritus and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and applied and computational mathematics, emeritus. ESAG researchers played a leading role in the Net-Zero America study, a Princeton study, produced by researchers at the Andlinger Center and the High Meadows Environmental Institute, which identified five technological pathways through which the United States could achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The study is widely regarded as the most comprehensive
Tough, Timely, and Team-driven: 50 Years of Energy and Environmental Research at Princeton Since the mid-20th century, researchers at Princeton University have been at the forefront of understanding the world’s energy problems and developing pathbreaking solutions. From performing critical studies that help to uncover the full impact of human energy usage to developing innovative green technologies, Princeton scientists have been unrelenting in their quest to find new methods that can lead the world toward a clean, sustainable energy future. This legacy dates to the 1950s, when Princeton astrophysicist Lyman Spitzer proposed a way to produce controlled fusion on Earth. Realizing that fusion could
and granular look at how the country’s energy system could be transformed over the next three decades, city by city and state by state. To read the full story about Princeton’s legacy in energy and environmental research, visit https://www. princeton.edu/news/2020/08/21/tough-timely-andteam-driven-50-years-energy-research 13
excel / investing in cutting-edge research
One Year Later
Evaluating Infrastructure and Cities Post-pandemic Project
In the last year, the project team has: Q
Conducted interviews with public officials in 26 U.S. and Indian cities regarding challenges faced, adaptive response strategies, partnerships, long-term learnings, and knowledge gaps that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of the interviews was on several physical provisioning systems, including food, water, sanitation, energy, shelter, waste management, mobility, information-communication technologies, and public green spaces.
Q
Formed partnership with Google to identify opportunities to collaborate and use Google’s mobility data to explore behavior changes during COVID-19 in the United States and in India.
Q
Hosted a virtual workshop for city stakeholders in April 2021 with over 100 participants from 40 cities, universities, think tanks, and national labs across the globe to discuss findings in the researchers’ draft paper, “Building Back Better: Pandemic-Resilient, Sustainable, and Equitable Cities.”
Optimizing Offshore Wind Farm Design Project
In the last year, the project team has:
14
Q
Begun installation of a two-turbine setup in an on-campus wind tunnel to be able to experimentally characterize turbine-turbine interactions, as well as new capabilities for varying the incoming flow, which will be a future target of the computational campaign.
Q
Developed a new model for computational fluid dynamics simulations to better understand the influence of sea surface waves on offshore wind turbine wakes.
Q
Conducted preliminary studies to introduce additional physical effects into wind turbine models for computational fluid dynamics simulations. These models will be assessed against experimental measurements in the wind tunnel.
Andlinger Center Grant for Innovative Research in Energy and the Environment Energy Models Under Uncertainty Christos Maravelias is leading a team of researchers in a new project to identify pathways to achieve net-zero emissions by ensuring that the models take into account various types of uncertainty as well as bottlenecks that may arise along each pathway. Maravelias is the Anderson Family Professor in Energy and the Environment and professor of chemical and biological engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. The researchers are developing new modeling techniques and methods that allow models to incorporate the deep and diverse types of uncertainty in energy systems, quantify risk, and identify net-zero emission energy-system pathways that have low risk, rather than simply the lowest cost. These models build on modeling done in the Net-Zero America project, and now consider aspects such as supply-chain constraints, labor shortages, public opposition to changing landscapes and seascapes, environmental justice concerns, the impacts of climate change on energy infrastructure itself, and others. By explicitly modeling uncertainty, the selected transition pathways minimize the risk of failure by identifying a portfolio of alternative mitigation options and allow for pivots along the way. Funding for the Andlinger Center grant for Innovative Research in Energy and the Environment was provided by: Addy/ISN North American Low Carbon Emission Energy Self-Sufficiency Fund; John E. Cross ’72 and Mary Tiffany Cross; de Carvalho-Heineken Family Fund for Environmental Studies; High Meadows Foundation’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment Director’s Fund; Lewis W. van Amerongen ’62 Fund for Energy Research; and anonymous gifts.
“The more interaction that we have between NREL and Princeton, the more rapidly we can develop technological solutions for clean energy.” —Michael E. Mueller
Princeton Teams up With National Renewable Energy Laboratory Princeton University has signed a master agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), based in Golden, Colorado, allowing the easy exchange of researchers and students between the two institutions to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies. Michael E. Mueller, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, helped facilitate the agreement and has been appointed a faculty researcher at NREL. The master agreement is designed to increase collaboration between anyone at the University with colleagues at NREL by streamlining the appointment process and standardizing terms related to intellectual property.
Using Light to Trigger Reactions Bio-Inspired Light-Escalated Chemistry (BioLEC), an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) based at Princeton University and in its third year of funding, aims to reduce the energy and emissions burden of chemical
manufacturing. The EFRC, led by Gregory Scholes, the William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry, is developing catalysts and processes that draw inspiration from biological systems to funnel light energy into reactions, generating valuable chemicals from plentiful waste or plant feedstocks. It brings together diverse research fields, such as photophysics and organic synthesis, to achieve these aims. Polyethylene, which makes up the bulk of the material in plastic carryout bags, is difficult to break down and typically requires high pressures and temperatures to recycle. Recent BioLEC work has successfully deconstructed a version of polyethylene using light, a first step to breaking down standard polyethylene using this method. This approach requires less energy than typical processes and breaks the plastic into useful smaller molecules that can serve as building blocks for new applications. The Andlinger Center advises on the strategic management of BioLEC and provides support for distinguished postdoctoral researchers who work across all BioLEC research groups.
Growing Startups at the Andlinger Center Andluca Technologies is a startup that spun out of Lynn
Flux Marine builds zero-emissions, high performance electric
Loo’s lab to commercialize a smart window technology with an onboard power supply from a transparent solar cell. Nicholas Davy is co-founder and CEO of Andluca Technologies.
outboard boat motors. Ben Sorkin, Class of 2017, and Jonathan Lord, Class of 2018, both graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton, and serve as the company’s CEO and chief technology officer, respectively.
In the last year, the company: Q
Received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Program grants from New Jersey.
Q
Was accepted into the DeltaClimeVT accelerator program, which will allow the company to sharpen its business model and identify customers.
Q
Was selected as one of the 10 finalists to participate in Round 4 of the Luminate NY Accelerator competition focused on optics, photonics, and imaging enabled applications.
In the last year, the company: Q
Tripled in size and moved its headquarters to East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
Q
Raised seed funding from institutional and private investors, including the Princeton Alumni Angels group.
Q
Was awarded National Science Foundation and Air Force SBIR grants.
15
excel / investing in cutting-edge research
“I hope I can contribute to society beyond satisfying my own curiosity. Being part of the Andlinger Center makes me believe that this research will be useful in the long term for energy research.” —Julie Euvrard
Julie Euvrard and Allyson L. McGaughey (Photo by Bumper DeJesus)
Andlinger Center Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows
Rising Stars in Energy and the Environment Seminars
Julie Euvrard and Allyson L. McGaughey have been appointed as the Andlinger Center Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows. Euvrard was selected for her work on engineering organic semiconductors for use in solar cells and LEDs, and McGaughey for improving the performance of tools used for water treatment. Euvrard brings expertise in a new and highly specialized methodology for characterizing organic semiconductors. Euvrard is working with Barry Rand, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, and Antoine Kahn, the Stephen C. Macaleer ‘63 Professor in Engineering and Applied Science. McGaughey creates novel polymer-based tools for preventing membrane degradation in large-scale water treatment systems. McGaughey is working with Rodney Priestley, the Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and vice dean for innovation, and Z. Jason Ren, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. The fellowship aims to support researchers who bridge the gap between two or more Princeton labs and use expertise in each to advance an emerging field and find solutions related to energy and the environment.
The Andlinger Center started a seminar series to highlight early career researchers affiliated with the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. The lectures this year ranged from harvesting natural energy for water vaporization as a means to Sunxiang (Sean) Zheng sustainable desalination, presented by Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow Sunxiang (Sean) Zheng, to designing net-zero emissions energy systems to address environmental and societal objectives, presented by Erin Mayfield, a postdoctoral research associate at the High Meadows Environmental Institute.
Launch Pad Our past Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows are making waves with their research. Here is a highlight of where they’ve landed after their fellowships:
Luis Ceferino Assistant Professor in the Civil and Urban Engineering Department and the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University
Rebecca Ciez Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University
Tapomoy Bhattacharjee Assistant Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
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excel / the andlinger community thrives
And the Honor Goes to... Egemen Kolemen received the 2020 Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award. Kolemen was awarded for his contributions to the analysis, control, and optimization of current and future fusion experimental facilities, according to Fusion Power Associates, the nonprofit that grants the award. Among Kolemen’s cited contributions are his exploration of “the potential use of liquid metals to enable high heat flux exhaust systems operation in fusion power plants” and his application of wide-ranging results to fusion projects in the United States, China, Korea, Japan, and the ITER project under construction in France. René Carmona, the Paul M. Wythes ‘55 Professor of Engineering and Finance, was named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society, one of the highest honors in the field of mathematics. The society honored Carmona for “contributions to probability theory and its applications to mathematical physics, image processing, and financial mathematics.” He has
Margaret Martonosi, the Hugh Trumbull Adams ‘35 Professor of Computer Science was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for “contributions to power-aware and power-efficient computer architecture and mobile systems.” The election is among the highest honors awarded to engineers. At the time of the award, she was on leave from Princeton serving as leader of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, one of seven top-level divisions within the NSF. From 2017 until February 2020, she directed Princeton’s Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education.
applied this expertise to commodity and energy markets and used game theoretic analyses of the energy and emissions markets to understand the economic, environmental, and policy implications of specific market designs. Lynn Loo was recognized along with Nicholas Davy and Melda Sezen-Edmonds for contributions to clean energy research and development by the Research & Development Council of New Jersey. They won an Edison Patent Award in the energy category for their transparent solar cell. Patents and research teams are nominated and evaluated based on the significance of the problem addressed, as well as the potential for social and economic value and commercial impact. Davy and Sezen-Edmonds were graduate students in Loo’s lab. Davy is cofounder and CEO of Andluca Technologies, a startup that spun out of Loo’s lab to commercialize smart window technology, and Sezen-Edmonds is now a research investigator at Bristol Myers Squibb. Nan Yao, founding director of Princeton’s Imaging and Analysis Center has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, honoring his efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. Yao is an inaugural Professor of the Practice at Princeton University and a senior research scholar in the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials. He uses advanced imaging, diffraction, spectroscopy, and in-situ techniques, in tandem with theoretical simulations, to study fundamental properties of nanostructured materials, biomaterials, organic/inorganic interfaces, and other complex energy materials. Some of his discoveries include the co-discovery of the first natural quasicrystal and the second quasicrystal of any kind found in nature, and work that identified the earliest known existence and use of various organisms and materials.
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engage / new research
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engage / new research At the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, we believe that scientific and engineering solutions are most exciting and impactful when they are produced in concert with professionals and decision-makers and used to help society at large. Ensuring our research community is connected with people far outside of the academy, whether in government, industry, or the nonprofit space, is a core objective of the Andlinger Center. Through events, briefings, workshops, and conferences, we bring together stakeholders from all parts of the energy and environmental sphere, leveraging their diverse perspectives to provide new insights and spark technological, socioeconomic, and policy innovations.
Collaborations and engagement, formal and informal, help our
engage
research community sharpen their research questions and more easily share data to address complex and interwoven global challenges related to energy and the environment. The corporate membership program, Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership, is one way the Center helps enable collaboration and knowledge sharing across sectors. Through these partnerships, our researchers can more effectively track problems that are developing and identify
Barry Rand (Photo by Tori /Repp / Fotobuddy)
expertise that can ultimately improve the world.
“Partnerships bring about transformational designs and innovations with outsized impacts. They are part of the fabric of the Center, and have been since the start. They are valuable to everyone involved.”
—Barry Rand, associate director for external partnerships at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
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andlinger center / engage
13.1 million
$
Cumulative Funding for all research projects via Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership
$13.1 Million in Funding by Research Area
16 %
$12,500,000
23 %
$10,000,000
27 %
$7,500,000
Key to Andlinger Center Research Areas Built environment, transportation, and infrastructure
16 %
$5,000,000
Electricity production, transmission, and storage
9 %
Fuels and chemicals Environmental sensing and remediation
$2,500,000
9 %
Decision and behavioral science, policy, and economics Environmental and climate science 2013
82
Faculty, Researchers, and Students Impacted
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
55
Collaborations Formed as a Result of E-ffiliates Research
Maria Curia, graduate student in the Department of Civil and Enviromental Engineering (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
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The above information shows cumulative growth at the Andlinger Center.
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2020
2021
engage / annual meeting
PSEG Undergraduate Poster Awards Taj-Jahnae Brailsford-Forde, Class of 2022 / “Geothermal Heat Exchangers for the Campus of the Future” —Advised by Forrest Meggers, associate professor of architecture and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment Diane Yang, Class of 2023 / “Modeling the Optical Properties of Top-emitting Perovskite LEDs” —Advised by Barry Rand
American Tower Graduate Student Poster Award Wilson Ricks / “Enhanced Geothermal Systems for Grid-scale Energy Storage” —Advised by Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Community Energy Graduate Student Poster Award Galen Mandes /“Moisture Absorbent Temperaturecontrolled Hydrogels for Atmospheric Water Extraction” —Advised by Sujit Datta, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering
2020 Andlinger Center Annual Meeting: Securing a Sustainable Energy Future Sponsored by Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership Cities and states will play a key role in efforts to address climate change, but they will not be able to solve the challenge without strong leadership from the federal government, noted Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, former U.S. deputy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall energy secretary, at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment’s ninth Annual Meeting on October 30, 2020. Delivering her keynote address, Sherwood-Randall, who served in the Obama administration’s energy department, encouraged federal leaders to create an effort that fully integrates clean energy, climate, economic, and national security goals. Achieving that goal will require involving all stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and nonprofit organizations. She was one of several leaders who discussed expanding the role of sustainable and affordable electricity in the economy to power everything from buildings to transportation.
ExxonMobil Postdoctoral/ Researcher Poster Award Yenan Chen / “Two-stage 48V-1V Hybrid Switched-capacitor Point-of-Load Converter with 24V Intermediate Bus” —Advised by Minjie Chen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Diane Yang
Left to right: Jesse Jenkins; Ben Fowke, chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy; Ralph Izzo, president and chief executive officer of PSEG; and Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of the New York Power Authority.
Sherwood-Randall also emphasized the importance of implementing security measures related to energy sources, supplies, and infrastructure. Security experts discussed threats specific to the power grid and ways to protect against them. Experts asserted that protecting power assets and technologies will require an evolving set of solutions. The leaders discussed the benefits and risks of widely deploying microgrids, which can operate in “island mode,” disconnected from the central grid. They also acknowledged that microgrids could amplify the risk of attacks by increasing the points of entry to the power system and the complexity of the electric system as a whole. In another panel, chief executives from electric utilities discussed the future of the industry and ways in which the government and private sector could cooperate to meet the challenge of cutting emissions while providing reliable, reasonably priced power. Three CEOs, of the New York Power Authority, Xcel Energy, and E-ffiliates member Public Service Energy Group (PSEG), also reiterated Sherwood-Randall’s sentiment on the need to keep electricity affordable to ensure that the energy transition does not further burden the country’s most financially constrained. The executives each spoke to the role of government, noting that carefully designed federal and state policies are needed so that carbon is accounted for, not only in the power sector, but in automobile manufacturing, shipping, and industrial processing too.
Taj-Jahnae Brailsford-Forde
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engage / princeton e-ffiliates partnership
“We need to get down to the grassroots, the real grassroots, and talk about ‘do I have a stake in this nation?’” —Art Cullen
2021 E-ffiliates Retreat: Making the Rapid Switch to Net-zero Carbon Emissions To successfully slash greenhouse gas emissions, the United States must ensure rural communities benefit from producing solar, wind, biofuels, and other low-carbon fuels, experts said at the annual Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership Retreat on June 3, 2021. The E-ffiliates Retreat focused on execution challenges, stakeholder perspectives, and energy modeling techniques as they relate to a clean energy transition. It explored findings from a Princeton study, Net-Zero America (NZA), released in December 2020, which mapped out five technological pathways for the United States to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050. The study found that utility-scale carbon capture technology, high-voltage transmission lines, swaths of solar and wind farms, and biofuel plants all must be deployed rapidly, and that the Midwest is an ideal location for much of that infrastructure. On a panel about stakeholder perspectives, Art Cullen, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter and editor of The Storm Lake Times in northwest Iowa, said that this transition could become a form of restorative justice for the country, and one that is both affordable and necessary to help farmers who were economically squeezed by the industrialization of corn and hog farming by large conglomerates.
Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership Selected Timeline
Over the last 10 years, the Andlinger Center has built a corporate membership program, Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership (E-ffiliates), that enables researchers to connect with companies to foster transformational changes in energy and the environment. Here are highlights from the program’s first decade.
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
The Princeton Energy and
The Princeton Energy and
E-ffiliates welcomes Princeton
ExxonMobil joins as a
Associate director for external
Environment Corporate
Environment Corporate
Power Systems, a designer
charter member of E-ffiliates,
partnerships, Lynn Loo, is
Affiliates Program launches in
Affiliates Program formally
and manufacturer of energy
supporting projects on organic
appointed director of the
the 2011-2012 academic year,
becomes Princeton E-ffiliates
storage, microgrid, and electric
photovoltaics, battery storage,
Andlinger Center, effective July
with the announcement of
Partnership (E-ffiliates) in
vehicle charging systems, as a
plasma physics, and other
2016, and brings her passion
PSEG as its first member.
spring 2013.
new member.
energy topics.
and commitment to expanding
Southern Company, DuPont,
FERC commissioner Cheryl
Power Survey Company, now
and Lockheed Martin become
LaFleur speaks at the second
Osmose, a utility services
E-ffiliates members.
Annual Meeting.
company, joins E-ffiliates.
The corporate affiliates
Archewild, a full service
program’s inaugural Annual
ecological restoration company,
Meeting, “Synergize,” is held
joins E-ffiliates.
corporate collaborations to the role.
in November. Michel Di Capua, head of U.S. Analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, is the keynote speaker.
CHARTER MEMBERS
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/
*E-ffiliate members listed are as of July 2021.
GENERAL MEMBERS
“The world must wholly transform the way projects are delivered.” — Geeta Thakorlal
The event brought together energy modelers, policy researchers, leaders in infrastructure and finance, and community representatives to discuss how the United States could minimize greenhouse gas emissions and, ultimately, how to release into the atmosphere Geeta Thakorlal only as much greenhouse gas as is captured and stored each year. NZA showed that energy crops could be grown to produce hydrogen or electricity and could provide a diversified source of revenue for farmers who grow corn today. Experts said deploying these technologies requires more than just technological readiness—it requires social and political acceptance also.
Geeta Thakorlal, president of digital and energy transition at Worley, a global construction and engineering firm and E-ffiliates member, said the world cannot continue to execute projects in the same ways because they are too complex and slow. Projects consistent with net-zero goals should be expedited. In addition, experts posed that integrated assessment models, like those used in the NZA study, allow researchers to account for nonfinancial outcomes, such as reduced air pollution, which help address several political and social challenges. These options may not appear as the lowest cost option but may provide overlooked benefits that could make a pathway more desirable and viable than previously thought.
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
NRG Energy, an integrated
American Water, a public U.S.
A group of more than 100
Community Energy, a U.S.
E-ffiliates expands into
energy and consumer services
water and wastewater utility
experts from academia,
renewable energy developer,
new sectors. Mercator, a
company, and Siemens, a
company, joins E-ffiliates.
government, and industry
joins E-ffiliates to tap into
sustainability-focused asset
convene to begin a project
energy systems analysis
management firm, and 2150,
called Rapid Switch, focused
expertise.
a venture capital firm, join as
technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and health care, join E-ffiliates.
In the keynote address of the Center’s seventh Annual Meeting, N.J. Governor Phil Murphy, sketches his plan to
on identifying bottlenecks to a global energy transition.
Andlinger Center renews its partnership with ExxonMobil.
members. NEC Labs America, a global
American Tower, an
bring new technologies to the
Applied behavioral science
industrial lab, and Deloitte,
international owner and
state, including significantly
company, Evidn, joins E-ffiliates
a multinational professional
operator of wireless and
expanding offshore wind.
to collaborate on studies of the
services network, join E-ffiliates.
broadcast communications
psychological components of
infrastructure, joins E-ffiliates
climate action.
to collaborate on research on
Princeton’s Net-Zero America project results inspire Worley, a global construction and project
self-sustaining microgrids for
management firm, to join
communications sites.
E-ffiliates as a charter member and support a Net-Zero
/
AFFILIATE MEMBERS
Australia study.
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engage / new e-ffiliates members
E-ffiliates Expands Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership added five members to the program over the 2020-21 academic year, bringing in companies in consulting, private equity, and venture capital for the first time. Interest was piqued by Princeton’s NZA study and other research on energy systems and transitions. Please see pages 10 and 11 to learn more about the study.
Worley Worley, a global provider of engineering, procurement, and construction services that operates in 48 countries with 50,000 employees, joined Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership as a charter member, with a desire to help move the world to carbon neutrality through its vision for sustainable projects and operations. Teppakorn/ stock.adobe.com
“Investment is a key piece of commercializing and scaling new clean energy technologies. Unless there is the capital to actually fund the transition, decarbonization efforts will likely come up short.” –Barry Rand
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The company, headquartered in Australia, provides services to private and public asset owners and operators in the energy, chemicals, and resources sectors in the United States and around the world. Worley builds, consults on, provides the technology behind, and helps maintain chemical plants, solar farms, pipelines, and other energy and non-energy infrastructure. Through its E-ffiliates membership, Worley is seeking to improve project delivery approaches to accelerate the energy transition and, to achieve this, is supporting a new Net-Zero Australia (NZAu) study, using Princeton’s Net-Zero America study as a model for assessing ways a country can effectively decarbonize its economy. The project is a collaboration between researchers at the Andlinger Center, University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, and Nous Group.
Deloitte Deloitte, the largest professional services firm in the world and one of the four largest accounting firms in the United States, joined E-ffiliates to tap into Princeton’s expertise on energy systems and transitions. The company aims to develop a roadmap to
a low-carbon future for the chemicals and specialty materials sectors, among others. The partnership provides a way for Princeton to collaborate on the challenges of accelerating a clean energy transition with a company deeply connected to diverse businesses and operations around the world. Research may focus on how to transform supply chains, processes, and facilities to meet environmental goals.
NEC Labs America NEC Labs America is an industrial research lab that supports the product and commercial vision of NEC Corporation. With research efforts on topics ranging from sensing to machine learning to 5G networks, it fills a niche between academic research and corporate research and development. The new partnership builds on the company’s previous work with Princeton University faculty on atmospheric sensing technology and will expand to include areas such as energy systems and decarbonization technologies, artificial intelligence and privacy, 5G networks, cyber security, and robotics.
Mercator Partners Mercator Partners is a sustainability-focused asset management firm based in Princeton, New Jersey, that invests principally on behalf of institutions into transportation, power generation, and manufacturing. Mercator is now looking to deepen its understanding of pathways to decarbonization across the economy and to help identify investment opportunities to facilitate a clean energy transition.
2150 2150 is a global venture capital firm focused on funding sustainability startups. 2150’s name refers to the technologies that the company hopes to support: innovations that will help ensure an environmentally prosperous 2150.The company is looking to support technologies that will reduce emissions and improve the quality of life for people in cities.
engage / e-ffiliates member highlights
Decarbonizing the PJM Electric Grid
Using Machine Learning to Manage Electricity Flows
With support from E-ffiliates members, the Princeton ZERO Lab, led by Jesse Jenkins, is completing two public-facing reports on the transition to a clean electricity system in the PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest electricity market region and home to Princeton. The first report, supported by PSEG, focuses on how New Jersey can carve a path to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2050, evaluating key policy choices and trade-offs facing the state with regard to offshore wind, local solar projects, the state’s existing nuclear fleet, and customer cost impacts. A second report, supported by Community Energy, provides a technical and economic blueprint for decarbonizing the PJM region by 80% by 2030, within a broader context of the national energy landscape and national goals. The study illustrates the cost and reliability impacts of various emissions-reduction strategies. A second phase will assess policy options that can support the delivery of such rapid emissions reductions in a way that is equitable and affordable.
Minjie Chen and his lab have designed a new power architecture for telecommunications (telecom) towers that uses machine learning capabilities to more efficiently distribute electricity between the grid and the telecom loads. The team’s device aims to facilitate more efficient conversion of power between the grid, energy storage systems such as batteries, and photovoltaic arrays, toward different loads in telecom towers. The work, which is supported by American Tower, helps provide an alternative to traditional ways of managing power in telecom towers, which either distribute power in AC and use bulky AC/DC converters to support each load, or distribute power in low voltage DC, which has low efficiency. The research teams’ work leverages the idea of 400V DC power distribution and multi-input-multi-output AC coupling in the energy router to better manage electricity flows with high efficiency.
Exploring the Use of Plasma to Make Clean Fuels In collaboration with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company Natural gas that comes up during oil extraction is often flared off and not utilized, usually because it is a byproduct that is not valuable enough in the market to warrant transporting and processing. But could that gas, and its key component, methane, be used to produce other high-value fuels in conjunction with renewable energy? This was a topic that Egemen Kolemen, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Yiguang Ju, the Robert Porter Patterson Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, explored in collaboration with ExxonMobil researchers Sumathy Raman, David Dankworth, and Robert Nielsen. They hoped to see if methane could be turned into methanol using renewable electricity as an energy source and using plasma to catalyze the reaction. The researchers, using novel laser techniques, were able to explore and measure the plasma in its entirety and detail the underpinning chemistry in time and spatial resolutions never achieved before. Ultimately, the research helped characterize the plasma and identify the temperature, density, ionization levels, and electric field to truly understand what is happening when methane is turned into methanol. Diagnostics techniques and numerical methods developed for this project paved the way for understanding how plasma can be utilized for general chemical reaction catalysis. Graduate student Timothy Chen worked on the research and was co-advised by Ju and Kolemen. After graduating in 2021, he began working at Sandia National Laboratories on laser diagnostics for chemical reactions and plasmas. 25
engage / strengthening the andlinger community
Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellows in Energy and the Environment Planning for Major Climate Displacements Current approaches for planning relocation for potentially millions of people affected by climate change and related risks are “woefully inadequate” and risk worsening societal inequities, experts wrote in a policy perspective in a special issue of Science on climate-induced relocation on June 18. One such expert was Richard Moss, a non-resident fellow at the Andlinger Center, a former Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellow, and a senior scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a partnership between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Maryland.
Moss is chair of the Science for Climate Action Network and has participated in national and international assessment bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The other authors include Patrick Michael Reed, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Antonia Hadjimichael, a postdoctoral researcher, both at Cornell University. Co-author Julie Rozenberg is a senior economist at the World Bank.
Creativa Images / stock.adobe.com
According to Moss, whose work during his fellowship focused on helping cities and states adapt to climate change, policymakers and scientists need to rethink how they work together to develop, communicate, and carry out relocation plans to effectively move people away from risk into entirely new settings. Moss said
facilitating relocation efforts requires new skill sets and requires that people working in science and governance increasingly manage trade-offs across interests, knowledge uncertainties, and institutional ambiguity created by overlapping jurisdictions. According to the research, past policy failures and deep structural inequalities in society have contributed to many of the displaced people being vulnerable in the first place and have frequently excluded them from planning processes, which makes successful relocation even more difficult. The authors laid out what it means to take a “pluralistic and integrated approach to action-oriented knowledge,” which they say would help make relocation more ethical and successful.
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The researchers highlighted the need for utilities to make decisions on plant retirements and investments that exploit natural windows for capital replacement, using anticipated coal plant retirements in China as an example. Ku also explored platforms for secure data sharing that would allow businesses to increase investment efficiencies and reduce the risks of supply chain disruptions that might hamper net-zero goals.
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Enabling Renewable Energy Production by Using Carbon Dioxide
Energy System Decarbonization and Supply Chain Sustainability Anthony Ku*, in his work as a non-resident fellow at the Andlinger Center, addressed some of the practical bottlenecks to energy system decarbonization. Ku, who is director of advanced technologies at the National Institute of Clean and low-carbon Energy (NICE) and chief technology officer of NICE America Research, identified two issues that limit the pace of global energy transitions: capital “lock-in,” referring to infrastructure that is capital-intensive and cannot be easily replaced, and uncertainty and instability in supply chains for critical materials. Ku collaborated with researchers in the Energy Systems Analysis Group, including Jesse Jenkins and Chris Greig, the Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Senior Research Scientist at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
As a non-resident fellow at the Andlinger Center, Jeffrey Bielicki* studied how geologic CO 2 storage could be coupled with geothermal energy production to simultaneously move atmospheric carbon dioxide underground and produce renewable energy. He collaborated with Forrest Meggers, who has advised on and conducted research related to the geothermal system that Princeton University is implementing on campus as part of its net-zero plans. Bielicki focuses on the technical aspects related to heat and fluid flows when using supercritical CO2, or CO2 captured from point sources or from the atmosphere, as a geothermal heat exchange fluid. He also studies the government policies and market factors that play a role in determining which novel technological solutions for climate change gain prominence among policymakers. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and direct air capture were used as case studies of technologies that gained attention after having initially been viewed as far-fetched. Bielicki is an associate professor at The Ohio State University where he holds a joint appointment in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering and in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. * Ku and Bielicki were named non-resident fellows due to mobility barriers related to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
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Preparing the next generation of climate and energy leaders requires a multidisciplinary educational approach and program that draws from the sciences, humanities, engineering, psychology, architecture, and many other fields. At the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, we strive to infuse a sense of urgency and a belief that people can effectively tackle problems and manage crises, big and small, with a diverse toolkit for action and a wealth of knowledge. Our educational program is based on the understanding that energy and the environment intersect with every other discipline and that, in order to successfully remedy
Elke Weber (Photo by David Kelly Crow)
inform
related problems, students must consider various perspectives and break down silos. With two certificate programs, a public seminar series, graduate fellowships, and training for executives, the Center provides diverse opportunities for learning about the complexity of energy and related environmental problems. This approach not only provides a well-rounded education but creates innovators that can deliver a more secure and better managed energy and environmental future.
“Climate and energy are some of the most complex and interwoven problems of our time. The strength of our curriculum and the passion of our students give me confidence that our Andlinger Center community can make a dent in solving such issues.” –Elke Weber, associate director for education at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment, and professor of psychology and the School of Public and International Affairs
Graduate student and Maeder Fellow Tianran Liu measures the photovoltaic performance of his transparent perovskite solar cells in the Organic and Polymer Electronics Laboratory. P ( hoto by Bumper DeJesus)
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andlinger center / inform
98 19 %
21 %
of Electrical and Computer
20 %
11 %
7% 1 %
16%
2 %
Undergraduate Certificate Graduates by research area (2013-2021)
19 %
17%
Undergraduate and Graduate Courses by research area (2012-2021)
31 %
14
student in the Department
Frank Wojciechowski)
32 %
45
Junnan Hu, graduate
Engineering (Photo by
42 %
85 14%
Undergraduate Summer Interns by research area (2012-2021)
9 % 9 % 18%
12% Key to Andlinger Center Research Areas
Maeder Fellows by research area (2012-2021)
Built environment, transportation, and infrastructure Electricity production, transmission, and storage Fuels and chemicals Environmental sensing and remediation
18 % 30
18 %
39 %
4% 21 %
The above information shows cumulative growth at the Andlinger Center.
Decision and behavioral science, policy, and economics Environmental and climate science
inform / educating undergraduates
Certificate Programs The Andlinger Center offers two certificate programs that cater to students of all majors and backgrounds. The Program in Technology and Society: Energy Track is jointly run by the Andlinger Center and the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. The curriculum has a strong social science component and the coursework explores the intersection of technology and society, and how their coevolution affects innovation in energy technologies. The Program in Sustainable Energy is geared toward students who want to pursue graduate degrees in technical fields, and enables students to quantitatively analyze and design sustainable energy systems. The curriculum focuses on alternative fuels, advanced energy conversion and storage systems, and emerging innovations, and typically includes laboratory work in addition to site visits. Yiguang Ju
Andlinger Center Certificate Symposium and Class Day Celebration Acknowledging the difficult circumstances of the past year, Andlinger Center Director Lynn Loo praised the resilience and adaptability of the center’s 14 graduating seniors in the annual Class Day ceremony on Monday, May 24, 2021. “You all were grappling with remote classes, thesis research, the loss of family and friends, and even fellow students,” said Loo, the Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering and professor of chemical and biological engineering. “And yet, you are here, where classes of students have stood before you, celebrating the outstanding accomplishment of earning a Princeton degree, and a certificate in an area that will serve you and allow you to serve the world, striving for a better future for all.” The Senior Thesis Prize in Energy and the Environment was awarded to Alex Kaplan, a senior in the Program in Sustainable Energy, for his research on using a laser to convert methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, into hydrogen that could be used for fuel or energy
storage. Typically, hydrogen is produced using steam reformation of methane, an energy-intensive process producing large amounts of CO2. The laser technique promotes a reaction that breaks the methane into hydrogen gas for use and solid carbon, avoiding CO2 emissions. Kaplan was advised by Claire Gmachl, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering. Yiguang Ju, the Robert Porter Patterson Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the Program in Sustainable Energy, said that Kaplan’s approach “provides a promising low-emission hydrogen production pathway.” The graduates embarked on their next adventure to apply what they have learned to remediate energy and environmental issues of all types. Rei Zhang, who studied nitrogen dioxide pollution in the United States, applies the analysis skills gained during her senior thesis in her role as an air quality engineer for Ramboll. Five of the graduating certificate students are pursuing master's of engineering degrees at Princeton, building upon their senior theses by undertaking further studies in their fields in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Alex Kaplan
Rei Zhang
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inform / educating undergraduates
An Army Cadet’s Journey to Energy
“We want to provide a community for our members and show them that whatever they’re interested in learning about or exploring, we can help provide, and the Andlinger Center has been a huge supporter of us in that endeavor.”
What started as an elective course for one Army cadet, became an area of deep interest that would influence his academic and career path for years to come. "Materials for Energy Technologies and Efficiency," taught by Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment Claire White, was the first course Nick Cefalu took after finishing general educational prerequisites. It delved into various technologies used in buildings, transportation, and the power sector, from sustainable concrete, White’s own research specialty, to LEDs, batteries, solar, and carbon capture. He was fascinated by the diversity of materials and the applicability of the curriculum. As a student of civil and environmental engineering, he went on to complete the requirements to earn a certificate in sustainable energy. For his senior thesis, Cefalu studied the supply chain for the rare earth metal lithium in the United States, a key component
–Aneesha Manocha, a junior and president of PUEA, who is also pursuing a certificate in sustainable energy.
Nick Cefalu
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of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) today, and something that GM and Tesla are exploring as demand for EVs and electrifying transportation increases. His research found that there is a significant amount of geological lithium in the United States, but how to recover it sustainably and profitably remains unclear. He highlighted the possibility of recovering lithium from the brine used in oil wells, which is usually discarded, instead of mining for the mineral. Cefalu was advised by Michael Celia, the Theodora Shelton Pitney Professor of Environmental Studies and professor of civil and environmental engineering. After completing his military service, Cefalu hopes to work on clean energy and energy conservation programs at the Department of Defense.
Supporting Our Student Community The Andlinger Center actively supports student organizations and their endeavors. One specific organization, Princeton University Energy Association (PUEA), is aligned with the mission of the Andlinger Center. PUEA’s Princeton Energy Conference 2020, “Where Will We Go From Here? Energy Implications and Futures Beyond COVID-19,” focused on a range of topics, from energy policy and justice to technologies that can help bring about a low-carbon future. The two-day conference featured opening remarks by Z. Jason Ren, acting director of the Andlinger Center, and professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Ryan Edwards, former Andlinger Center Maeder Fellow and now a policy adviser at Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, spoke on the carbon capture and storage panel alongside Chris Greig, the Theodora D. '78 and William H. Walton III '74 Senior Research Scientist. Harry Warren and Judi Greenwald, both former Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellows and current non-resident fellows, each played a role in moderating a panel on renewable energy and speaking on alternative technologies, respectively. Greenwald is now executive director of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance. Elke Weber shared her expertise in decision-making behavior on the energy policy panel.
Course Updates and Highlights In the 2020-21 academic year, 22 courses crosslisted with the Andlinger Center were offered across a range of eight departments, including astrophysical sciences, chemical and biological engineering, operations research and financial engineering, and Near Eastern studies.
Materials for Energy Technologies and Efficiency Taught by Claire White, the course focused on new materials that are mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The class discussed how materials science is used in energy technologies and energy efficiency, including solar power, cements and natural materials, sustainable buildings, batteries, water filtration, and wind and ocean energy. Some of the topics explored are nanomaterials, composites, energy conversion processes, cost implications, life-cycle analysis, and material degradation.
(NEW!) Optimization for the Design and Analysis of Energy Systems Taught by Christos Maravelias, the Anderson Family Professor in Energy and the Environment, and professor of chemical and biological engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, the course delved into the basic principles underpinning energy systems. Students learned the basic theory, modeling techniques, and software tools for optimization, and gained an understanding of how such optimization methods could be applied to design and analyze energy systems.
Claire White packages canola oil to be dispensed with other lab items in boxes to ship to students for remote learning during the pandemic. The oil is used to demonstrate how the sensible heat capacity of materials can be used to store energy. (Photos by Frank Wojciechowski)
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inform / summer internships
Annabelle Duval (HIS '23) / Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) / Climate Corps Nadia Ralston (CEE ’22) / EDF / Electric truck and bus analysis Edward Zhang (CEE ’24) / Moonshot Missions / Water access
Electricity production, transmission, and storage
Riti Bhandarkar (CEE ’23) / Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment / Impact on power system planning of electrification of transportation and building energy use
Andlinger Center Summer Internships The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment awarded 20 undergraduates research funds to support research on energy- and environment-related projects on campus and at organizations in the government and nonprofit sectors. The research is supported by the Peter B. Lewis Fund for Student Innovation in Energy and the Environment, the Dede T. Bartlett P03 Fund for Student Research in Energy and the Environment, and the Sustainability Fund. The students’ projects, which were conducted remotely this year, are described below:
Built environment,
transportation, and infrastructure
Joshua Drossman (ORF ’22) / Eric Larson, senior research engineer and group head of the Energy Systems Analysis Group and Chris Greig / Optimization of CO2 transport and storage infrastructure development Waree Sethapun (PHY ’24) / Forrest Meggers, associate professor of architecture and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment / Campus geothermal system evaluation 34
Evan Dogariu (COS ’24) / Minjie Chen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment / Machine-learning based magnetic core loss modeling platform Yiming “Cady” Feng (ECE ’24) / Jesse Jenkins / Multi-objective optimization of electricity infrastructure energy siting Kenalpha Kipyegon (MAE ’22) / Michael E. Mueller, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering / Offshore wind turbines Ethan Reese (ORF ’23) / Ronnie Sircar, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Operations Research and Financial Engineering / Stochastic models, indices and optimization algorithms for pricing and hedging reliability risks in modern power grids Jane Castleman (COS ’24) / Climate Central / Net-Zero America communications Marie Li (ORF ’23) / Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) / FERC energy industry analysis Arielle Rivera (ECE ’23) / EDF / Puerto Rico energy analysis
Fuels and chemicals Farah Azmi (CBE ’24) / Michele Sarazen, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering / Combined plasma and thermal catalytic conversion of natural gas to liquids Yuno Iwasaki (PHY ’23) / Egemen Kolemen, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment / Machine-learning models for plasma control in fusion reactors Louis Viglietta (CBE ’24) / José Avalos, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment / Computational design of microbial metabolism to improve biofuel production
Environmental sensing and remediation Emily Wu (CEE ’24) / Claire White / The materials science of sustainable cements and materials for CO2 capture Callie Zheng (CBE ’24) / Sujit Datta, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering / Using polymers to clean up contaminated groundwater sources
Decision and behavioral science, policy, and economics
Danice Ball (CEE ’22) / Elke Weber / Deep and rapid decarbonization of the energy systems of the United States, India, and areas of Europe Elizabeth Tong (CEE ’23) / American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) / Valuing energy use in rental listings
Do Home Energy Scores Affect Homebuying Decisions? The summer after her sophomore year at Princeton, Celine Park nabbed an internship at the ACEEE, supported by the Andlinger Center, and studied something she knew very little about: homebuying. Park supported a study that measured the impact of showing home energy scores on real estate listings. Oftentimes, energy scores are not listed in descriptions for homes on the market or are only included for homes with new appliances and top-ranking scores. Park and the behavior and human dimensions team at ACEEE conducted a study on voluntary versus compulsory reporting of energy scores and the impact on homebuyer preferences. The study found that when reporting scores was voluntary, the information did not sway homebuyers toward energy-efficient purchases. However, when energy scores were universally reported, the study showed that the least-efficient listing was viewed 23% less often, and the most-efficient option viewed 14% more often. The study, whose results were published in August of 2020, were covered by industry outlets, including Greentech Media and Smart Cities Dive.
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inform / graduate spotlight
Maeder Graduate Fellowships in Energy and the Environment Karina Alventosa and Tianran Liu have been awarded the Maeder Graduate Fellowship in Energy and the Environment this year for innovations to improve buildings and other infrastructure. Concrete made from ordinary portland cement is responsible for 8% of carbon dioxide emissions globally and is the most-used material globally besides water. A graduate student in Claire White’s group, Karina Alventosa is working to improve an alternative type of cement made with metakaolin clay, a heated product of kaolin clay. Kaolin clay, traditionally used to make porcelain, is commonly available and not difficult to mine. This alternative formula cuts emissions between 50-70%, depending on the method used to make it. Alventosa’s work focuses on improving the performance of the cement in high-temperature conditions, like those experienced in intense wildfires and repercussions of other natural disasters. Alventosa is assessing the feasibility of decreasing the pH of the alkaline activator solution, set time, and water usage of the concrete to make it behave more like typical concrete made of ordinary portland cement during its placement. She hopes that her research will demonstrate that new types of sustainable concrete can be developed and utilized.
Karina Alventosa and Tianran Liu (Photos by Frank Wojciechowski)
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Tianran Liu is a graduate student in Lynn Loo’s research group, which has recently created organic solar cells that are transparent enough to be placed over windows. Loo is the Theodora D. ’78 & William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering and professor of chemical and biological engineering. These transparent solar cells allow the passage of visible light while harvesting enough energy from ultraviolet radiation to adjust window shading to help control the amount of heat and light entering a building. Liu has developed a similar application using solar cells based on a different materials system, inorganic perovskites, a crystalline material typically made of metal halides. Because the solar cells Liu has created only utilize UV light, and not visible or infrared light, to produce electricity, the solar cells are able to maintain transparency and color neutrality, and keep the clear look of the
glass on which they sit. The inorganic solar cells Liu is studying hold promise because they are cheap, easy to make, and avoid some limitations associated with the organic solar cells. In particular, these solar cells are substantially more environmentally and operationally stable compared to the prior generation’s organic solar cells. This new robust system would allow for high-yield production and stable operation, which makes the solar cells more commercially attractive. Liu will be addressing some of the remaining challenges associated with the inorganic perovskite cells, including increasing the solar cell voltage output without compromising its aesthetics.
Previous Maeder Fellows – Where Are They Now? 2020-2021 academic year Suong (Su) Nguyen (chemistry) graduate student at Princeton University 2019-2020 academic year Weitao Shuai (civil and environmental engineering) postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University 2018-2019 academic year Hongshan Guo (architecture) data science specialist at BNY Mellon in New York City 2018-2019 academic year Evan Zhao (chemical and biological engineering) co-founder at Revela, a startup based in Woburn, Massachusetts 2017-2018 academic year Ching-Yao Lai (mechanical and aerospace engineering) assistant professor of geosciences at Princeton University 2016-2017 academic year Clark Chen (chemical and biological engineering) postdoctoral researcher at University of Toronto 2016-2017 academic year Ryan Edwards (civil and environmental engineering) Low carbon policy adviser at Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum The graduate fellowships are supported by the Paul A. Maeder ’75 Fund for Innovation in Energy and the Environment.
inform / educating the public
Highlight Seminar Series Derek Lovley (September 2020), University of Massachusetts, Amherst “Protein Nanowires: Electrification of the Microbial World and Maybe Our Own” Adam Wierman (October 2020), Caltech, “Online Optimization and Energy” Dennis Whyte (November 2020), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), “Accelerating Fusion Energy’s Development Through Innovation” Robert Lempert (December 2020), RAND Corporation, “Climate Change and Deep Uncertainty – Can We Manage the Risks Without Knowing What They Are?”
Education Beyond the Classroom Tackling the Complexities of the Energy Transition: The Princeton Approach The virtual panel at Reunions 2021 highlighted Princeton’s investment in transdisciplinary energy systems research to accelerate global decarbonization efforts and address climate change. The panel discussed the health, environmental, labor, and economic implications of a transition to a net-zero emissions energy system. Panelists included Christos Maravelias, Chris Greig, and Erin Mayfield, postdoctoral research associate at the High Meadows Environmental Institute. The session was moderated by Eric Larson. Watch the link through the online version of this book, or read more about the Net-Zero America project on pages 10 -11.
Expanding Our Reach — Events and News Andlinger Center Speaks Highlights “The Andlinger Center Speaks” is a Q&A series designed for expert faculty to comment on topics in the news related to their research areas. Q
Andlinger Center Speaks: the multiple benefits of a world without air conditioning featuring Forrest Meggers
Q
Andlinger Center Speaks: the Texas freeze and widespread energy system failures featuring Jesse Jenkins
Q
Andlinger Center Speaks: scaling offshore wind power featuring Marcus Hultmark, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Elie Bou-Zeid, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Program in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources
Chinedum Osuji
Chinedum Osuji (March 2021), University of Pennsylvania, “Applications of Nanocomposites and Functional Polymers for Clean Energy and Water Generation” Yang Shao-Horn (April 2021), MIT, “Towards Decarbonizing Chemicals and Fuels” Todd Brady (May 2021), Intel Corporation, “The Digital Carbon
The Andlinger Center’s projects and faculty were highlighted in national media outlets and recognized for their practical contributions to solving pressing energy and environmental problems. A selection of these spotlights are included below. National Geographic: “Too Hot to Live: Millions Worldwide Will Face Unbearable Temperatures” —Forrest Meggers The Hill: “Escalating Climate Risks Will Outpace Climate Services Without Federal Action” —Richard Moss, former Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellow in Energy and the Environment. U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: “Lessons Learned from the Texas Blackouts: Research Needs for a Secure and Resilient Grid” —Jesse Jenkins NBC News: “Solar Panels are Reaching Their Limit. These Crystals Could Change That.” —Lynn Loo Foreign Affairs: “Heads in the Sand: Why We Fail to Foresee and Contain Catastrophe” —Elke Weber
Footprint Is Growing, or Is It?”
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andlinger center for energy and the environment / 2020-21 Leadership and Staff Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo
Director, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering; Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Barry Rand
Associate Director for External Partnerships, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Z. Jason Ren
Acting Director, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (Fall 2020); Associate Director for Research, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Elke Weber
Associate Director for Education, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment; Professor in Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
Claire White
Acting Associate Director for Research, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Diane Carlino
Executive Director for Administration
Victoria Cleave
Assistant Director, BioLEC
Ashlee Prewitt-Crosby
Grants and Finance Manager
Moira Selinka
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Molly Seltzer
Communications Specialist
Charlie Sharpless
Assistant Director for Research
Faculty and Researchers José Avalos
Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Minjie Chen
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Christopher Greig
Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Senior Research Scientist at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Kelsey Hatzell
Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (beginning July 2021)
Jesse Jenkins
Eric Larson
Assistant Director for External Partnerships
Sarah Jackson
Administrative Assistant
Brenda Mikeo
Business Manager
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Elke Weber
Associate Director for Education, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment; Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
Claire White
Acting Associate Director for Research, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
External Advisory Council D. Michelle Addington
Dean, School of Architecture; Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture University of Texas at Austin
Sally Benson
Diana Dudash
Vivian Fuhrman
Acting Director, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (Fall 2020); Associate Director for Research, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Egemen Kolemen
Visual Communications Specialist
Program Coordinator
Z. Jason Ren
Merrick G. Andlinger ’80
Bumper DeJesus
Robert Eich
Associate Director for External Partnerships, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Program Administrator
Barry Rand
Senior Research Engineer, Energy Systems Analysis Group, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Christos Maravelias
President Andlinger & Company, Inc.
Director, Global Climate and Energy Project; Co-Director, Precourt Institute for Energy; Professor, Energy Resources Engineering Stanford University
Yet-Ming Chiang
Kyocera Professor of Ceramics Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Anderson Family Professor in Energy and the Environment; Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
David Eaglesham
Forrest Meggers
Menachem Elimelech
Associate Professor of Architecture and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Founder and CTO Electric Hydrogen Co.; Entrepreneur-in-Residence Breakthrough Energy Ventures Roberto Goizueta Professor of Environmental and Chemical Engineering; Director, Environmental Engineering Program Yale University
Peter Green
Deputy Laboratory Director, Science and Technology; Chief Research Officer National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Jennifer Holmgren
Chief Executive Officer LanzaTech
Ralph Izzo
Chairman, President, and CEO PSEG
Paul A. Maeder ’75
Managing General Partner & Founder Highland Capital Partners
Linda F. Nazar, FRS, FRSC, Order of Canada
Fellow of the Royal Society; Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; Waterloo Distinguished Research Professor, Senior Canada Research Chair in Solid State Energy Materials; Department of Chemistry and the Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology University of Waterloo
Gregory H. Olsen
President GHO Ventures, LLC
Maura Wong ‘88 Founder The IDEA
Executive Committee
Associate Director for External Partnerships, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Craig Arnold
Z. Jason Ren
Director, Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM); Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
René Carmona
Paul M. Wythes ’55 Professor of Engineering and Finance; Professor of Operations Research and Financial Engineering
Michael Celia
Director, High Meadows Environmental Institute; Director, Program in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources; Theodora Shelton Pitney Professor of Environmental Studies; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Elke Weber
William L. Knapp ’47 Professor of Civil Engineering; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo
Vice President of Research and Development ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
Matthew Tirrell
Denise Mauzerall
Managing Member and Co-Founder Rockpoint Group, LLC
Elizabeth Wilson
Professor of Environmental Studies; Director, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society Dartmouth College
William S. Tod Professor of Chemistry; Chair, Department of Chemistry
Claire Gmachl
Director, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering; Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
William H. Walton III ’74 P21
Gregory Scholes
Norman John Sollenberger Professor in Engineering; Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Peter Jaffé
Dean and Founding Pritzker Director, Institute for Molecular Engineering University of Chicago Deputy Laboratory Director for Science Argonne National Laboratory
Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering; Professor of Computer Science; Chair, Department of Computer Science
Sankaran Sundaresan
Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall
Vijay Swarup
Jennifer Rexford
Director, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; Professor of Astrophysical Sciences
Chief Executive Officer and Founder Rockefeller Consulting Distinguished Professor of Practice, Georgia Institute of Technology; Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Harvard Kennedy School (through January 2021)
Acting Director, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (Fall 2020); Associate Director for Research, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Sir Steven Cowley
Interim Director, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (beginning August 2021); Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering; Head, Whitman College
Mark F. Rockefeller ’89
Barry Rand
Professor of Environmental Engineering and International Affairs; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Public and International Affairs
Stewart Prager
Associate Director for Education, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment; Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
Claire White
Acting Associate Director for Research, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Mark Zondlo
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Supporters The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University is grateful to the following supporters whose gifts help to realize the vision of the center. 2020-2021 donors are denoted with asterisks.
Professor of Astrophysical Sciences
Gerhard R. Andlinger ’52 Founding Gift
Anu Ramaswami
A. Donald Grosset, Jr. ’54 in memory of John E. Stauffer ’54*
Director, Chadha Center for Global India; Sanjay Swani ‘87 Professor of India Studies; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, and the High Meadows Environmental Institute
Lisa Lee Morgan ’76 *79 for research in renewable energy*
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andlinger center for energy and the environment / 2020-21
Kent C. Simons ’57 to the David P. Simons Fund for
High Meadows Foundation to establish the
Elchin A. Safarov and Dilyara Allakhverdova to
center’s mission*
Kerry L. and William F. Holekamp for equipment
Patrick and Mary Scanlan to further the center’s mission
Alex L. Volckhausen ’93, Sharon Volckhausen ’91, and Mrs. William A. Volckhausen W59 to
Thomas W. Horton Family for equipment
Gloria G. and Karl F. Schlaepfer ’49 to further
Energy and the Environment*
Alexander L. Smorczewski ’07 to further the
support the Rapid Switch Initiative*
Lydia B. and William M. Addy ’82 to establish the
Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment Director’s Fund
Fred W. Kittler, Jr. ’70 to further the center’s mission
Addy/ISN North American Low Carbon Emission Energy Self-Sufficiency Fund to support innovative research, equipment, policy development, and teaching
Peter C. Klosowicz ’76 to establish the Peter C.
Dwight W. Anderson ’89 to establish the Anderson
David T. Liu ’99 *04 to further the center’s mission
Family Professorship in Energy and the Environment
Klosowicz ’76 Fund for Energy and the Environment for research and teaching
Sally Liu ’87 and Bay-Wei W. Chang ’87 to
Tia S. Barancik ’83 to establish the Class of 1983 Fund for Energy and the Environment
establish the Sally Liu ’87 and Bay Chang ’87 Fund for Energy and the Environment
Solomon D. Barnett ’05 to further the center’s mission
David R. Loevner ‘76 and Catherine P. Loevner to
James W. and Dede T. Bartlett to the Dede T.
Bartlett P03 Fund for Student Research in Energy and the Environment
John E. Bartlett ’03 to establish the Dede T. Bartlett P03 Fund for Student Research in Energy and the Environment
Peter J. Bartlett ’77 and Erin T. Bartlett to further the center’s mission
Charles A. Bernheim ’57 to further the center’s mission
support the Rapid Switch Initiative
Paul A. Maeder ’75 for construction of Maeder
Hall and to establish the Paul A. Maeder ’75 Fund for Innovation in Energy and the Environment for graduate fellowships
Jay P. Mandelbaum ’84 to establish the Laurie
and Jay P. Mandelbaum ’84 Fund for Energy and the Environment
William N. Neidig ’70 and Christy E. Neidig to further the center’s mission
Nicholas J. Nicholas, Jr. ’62 to establish the
Patricia A. and Dante G. Bonardi to the David P.
Nicholas Family Fund for the Environment to advance public understanding of important issues related to energy and the environment
Howard E. Cox, Jr. ’64 to the WEF/Young Global
Nicholas G. Nomicos ’84 and Kathleen Connor Nomicos ’84 to establish the Nicholas and Kathleen
Erik C. Blachford ’89 to further the center’s mission Simons Fund for Energy and the Environment Leaders Executive Education Module
John E. Cross ’72 and Mary Tiffany Cross to
Nomicos Class of 1984 Fund for the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment to advance public understanding of important issues related to energy and the environment
Nancy A. Curtin ’79 and John Stafford to establish
Gregory H. Olsen to establish the Gregory H. Olsen
further the center’s mission
the Nancy A. Curtin ’79 and John Stafford Research Innovation Fund
John O. Dabiri ’01 to establish the John O. Dabiri ’01
Family Fund for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Research
The de Carvalho-Heineken Family to establish the de Carvalho-Heineken Family Fund for Environmental Studies for faculty and student research
John P. Drzik ’83 and Ann L. Thorsell ’83 to
establish the John Drzik and Ann Thorsell Fund for Innovation
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Postdoctoral Fellowship Fund
further the center’s mission
the center’s mission and to establish the Schlaepfer Family Fund for equipment
Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation for research
Erika Simons to the David P. Simons Fund for Energy and the Environment
Tapesh Sinha and Sandra Jin to establish the Sandra and Tapesh Sinha P19 Fund
Valerie Brown Stauffer to establish the John E.
Stauffer ’54 Teaching Laboratories in the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Lewis W. van Amerongen ’62 to establish the Lewis W. van Amerongen ’62 Fund for Energy Research for equipment
William H. Walton, III ’74 and Theodora D. Walton ’78 to establish the Theodora D. ‘78 and William H. Walton, III ‘74 Research Scientist Fund
Maura Wong ’88 and Kenneth Chen ’87 to further the center’s mission
Anonymous gifts for construction of the Andlinger Center building
Anonymous gift for environmental policy research Anonymous gift for the highest priorities of the
center, including research, equipment, and a visitors program
Anonymous gift for research Anonymous gift to establish the Peter B. Lewis Fund
for Student Innovation in Energy and the Environment for student projects, particularly field work and laboratory research
Anonymous gift to establish the Sustainability Fund
Sarah Finnie Robinson ’78 and Jackson W. Robinson to further the center’s mission
for student research
Mark F. Rockefeller ’89 to establish the Renee and
sequestration, solar energy, and fusion energy
Mark F. Rockefeller ’89 Fund for the Environment for faculty and student research
Ernest H. Ruehl, Jr. ’85 to establish the Ruehl Family Fund for the Environment for faculty and student research
Anonymous gift for research in carbon
Anonymous gift to establish the Parallax Fund for Energy and the Environment for faculty and student research
Anonymous gift to support the Rapid Switch Initiative
Where to Find Us Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment 86 Olden Street Princeton University Princeton, NJ 08544 Email acee@princeton.edu Phone 609-258-4899 Web https://acee.princeton.edu Twitter @AndlingerCenter Facebook @andlingercenter Youtube @AndlingerCenter
Writer and Editor Molly A. Seltzer Contributing Editors Kelly Lorraine Andrews, Diane Carlino, Steve Schultz, and Brenda Mikeo Contributing Writers John Greenwald, Wendy Plump, and Steve Schultz Visuals Editor and Illustrator Bumper DeJesus Project Manager Robert Eich Design Phillip Unetic, UneticDesign.com Photographers David Kelly Crow, Bumper DeJesus, Aaron Nathans, C. Todd Reichart, Tori Repp, and Frank Wojciechowski
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