 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
||||
 |
|
|
|
|
Successful Ventures
Envirofit International
Founded 2003
Dedicated to technology transfer and the creation of profitable and sustainable businesses that reduce pollution and energy dependency in developing countries, thereby yielding health and economic improvements.
AVA Solar, Inc.
Founded 2007
Producing thin film photovoltaic modules that are capable of producing solar electricity at a cost competitive with conventional electricity.
Solix Biofuels
Founded 2007
Researching algae-based oil feedstocks for large-scale biodiesel production.
Highlights
- Research strengths include alternative fuels, clean engines, photovoltaic devices and other solar energy production capabilities, intelligent electric power grid, wind engineering, water resources and satellite-based atmospheric monitoring and tracking systems.
- U.S. Department of Energy has significantly increased its research awards to CSU, from $3.2 million in FY 2002 to $9.2 million in FY 2006.
- Established the nation's first emissions control program.
- Developing high-yield energy crops for bioenergy including oil seeds and cellulosic sources (switchgrass, etc.).
- Planning a wind farm that would provide four times the power needed to run the university - a project that will also serve as a massive outdoor laboratory for faculty and students.
- Created a new Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise master's degree program to teach students to use entrepreneurial, sustainable approaches to address great global challenges of poverty, environmental degradation and poor health.
- Home to the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory - one of the largest in North America - which addresses and provides solutions for chronic health and environmental issues affecting billions of people.
Background
The formation of the CSU Clean Energy Supercluster™ (CES) will position the University to effectively and creatively address the need for new, sustainable energy sources that minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-based energy production is now widely recognized as the largest driver of global climate change. As a result, there are a number of large federal, state, and private initiatives underway on clean, “low-carbon” energy, and more will emerge. However, many of these initiatives require large inter- disciplinary teams comprised of researchers in fields as diverse as agriculture, natural science, engineering, economics, and business. Thus, it is critical that within our university, we have the infrastructure in place to respond quickly and aggressively to large initiatives that cross disciplinary lines.
More than 100 CSU faculty members in all eight colleges are directly involved in this institution-wide effort to develop and disseminate market-driven clean energy solutions to significantly reduce the accumulation of greenhouse gases that are forcing global climate change.
Mission
Our mission is to deliver solutions in clean energy through more effective partnering with the clean energy industry, governments, investors, and the public to rapidly develop product opportunities emerging from Colorado State University's world-class clean energy research. We believe that rapidly bringing products to market is the most effective way to leverage university research for the benefit of all living things.
