Impact Report
Updated 2024
A letter from our Executive Director
The Energy Institute, one of four interdisciplinary research institutes at CSU, leverages the expertise of faculty and researchers across campus and strong industry partnerships. By empowering students through unmatched experiential learning and workforce training opportunities, we have fostered innovation and achieved significant milestones, including launching over 30 clean-tech startups and securing 130 invention disclosures.
We are proud that we have built a historic energy and carbon solutions center of excellence and operate one of the nation’s largest university-based energy research facilities, proudly preparing students to be future leaders in the clean energy space.
Standing on our 32-year foundation, we are one of the first universities to engineer a road map for saving 1 gigaton in carbon emissions by 2050. We can do this because we take on the hard-to-solve problems and use advanced science not only to understand the problem, but also to develop scalable solutions.
We invite you to be part of this journey with us as we look to expand Powerhouse — creating real change in the next frontier on energy and carbon solutions.
Dr. Bryan Willson
Executive Director
Energy Institute
Powering the Future: Scaling Science for Energy and Carbon Solution
The Colorado State University Energy Institute operates the Powerhouse Energy Campus, where we fulfill our commitment to solve complex energy challenges through practical solutions.
We don’t just study problems; we solve them.
By applying scientific innovation to real-world problems, we’re developing scalable solutions in areas like renewable energy, air quality, and clean cooking. Our entrepreneurial approach ensures that our research translates into tangible impacts, improving lives and shaping a sustainable future.
For example, smoke from cookstoves kills more than 4 million people per year. We’ve developed innovative clean cooking solutions that are being used by millions of people in developing countries, reducing harmful emissions by 80%, improving health, and empowering communities across the globe; including, 15 cookstove models in 45 countries and counting!
We are doing work in other promising technologies in the areas of:
- Methane Emissions
- Fuel Cell Technology
- Hydrogen Capabilities
- Air Quality
- Reduce Greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions through
decarbonizing combustion - Renewable Fuel Technology
(green hydrogen)
Together we can create a brighter future powered by clean energy and sustainable solutions. Learn more about how we scale science into solutions.
The Powerhouse Energy Campus: A Place for Innovation and Collaboration
A State-of-the-Art Facility Dedicated to Sustainability
The Powerhouse, a modern industrial building located at Colorado State University (CSU), is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and innovation. This 100,000-square-foot LEED Platinum Certified facility is one of the largest free-standing energy facilities at any university, providing an advanced environment for research and development.
What is now the Powerhouse, was once the original Fort Collins Coal Plant in the 1930s.
A Catalyst for CSU’s Land Grant Mission
The Powerhouse plays a crucial role in this mission by providing a platform for cutting-edge energy research. Rooted in the Morrill Act, CSU’s land grant mission emphasizes teaching, research, and service.
Our community at the Powerhouse empowers students, faculty, and staff to engage in innovative research and develop solutions to pressing energy challenges.
The Powerhouse is more than just a building;
it’s a hub for collaboration, innovation, and discovery. Our interdisciplinary approach brings together researchers from various fields to tackle complex energy challenges. We believe that by working together, we can develop sustainable and scalable solutions that will benefit society as a whole.
Learn more about the history and impact the Powerhouse facility has had.
A Hub for Innovation and Collaboration
The Powerhouse offers a unique combination of capabilities that make it a valuable asset for the Energy Institute:
- Large-scale research spaces: Capable of accommodating a wide range of projects, from engine testing to renewable fuels research.
- Dynamic construction: Allowing for flexible spaces that can be adapted to meet specific research needs, such as laser labs, applied engineering and manufacturing, student senior design projects, algae microscale testbeds, and large engine testing.
- Collaborative student spaces: Designed to foster innovation and teamwork among students.
Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders
CSU is dedicated to providing a transformative education that equips students with the skills to become leaders in the field of energy. Through their work at the Powerhouse, students gain valuable hands-on experience and contribute to groundbreaking research
Our goal is to create a space where researchers, students, and industry partners can collaborate, experiment, and push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of energy
Our 3 Pillars of Impact
The Powerhouse is designed to reinforce and drive change through the Energy Institute’s three pillars of impact: Carbon and Energy Solutions, Experiential Learning, and Entrepreneurial Scale-Up.
1. Energy and Carbon Solutions
Carbon and Energy Solutions focuses on developing and implementing innovative solutions that significantly reduce carbon emissions and address pressing energy challenges. We go beyond identifying problems – we champion solutions, scaling them to create a widespread impact. Our dedication to this pillar has yielded impressive results:
- 185+ million tons of carbon emissions have been eliminated from the environment thanks to solutions created at the Powerhouse
- We’ve saved 1,000 years’ worth of CSU’s carbon footprint.
- 509 impactful projects have been completed, with 189 currently in progress
Climate change demands targeted solutions, and the Powerhouse is at the forefront of tackling methane emissions, a potent GHG. We are committed to accelerating methane reduction in the oil and gas industry through the CSU Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Center (METEC).
Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) this dedicated research facility allows us to track climate change sources and rigorously test leak detection technologies.
The Energy Institute is actively engaged in projects that pave the way for widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption. A collaboration with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has secured federal funding to develop a comprehensive regional EV charging infrastructure plan, addressing a critical barrier to EV adoption.
It’s critical that our EV charging network not only be stout enough to weather natural disasters but also smart and fair enough to deliver services to our most underserved communities. This money will help make sure those things happen.
– Shoshana Lew, Executive Director at CDOT
2. Experiential Learning
We provide research opportunities, hands-on learning, and industry partnerships to prepare students for careers in energy and sustainability.
Over 1,000 students have gained a competitive edge through our Experiential Learning initiatives, blending academic knowledge with practical skills.
Bridging the gap between idea generation and concept development across the University ecosystem and beyond, the RPL empowers students, faculty, and researchers to transform innovative ideas into tangible products. Since its inception, the RPL has:
- Completed over 650 projects
- A broad customer base with over 85 principle investigators across campus
- 13 undergraduate employees
- 2-3 high school interns per year
- Worked with over 20 senior design teams and sponsored several more
By fostering clean energy innovation and supporting funded research, we’re shaping the engineers of tomorrow and driving real-world impact.
– John Mizia, Director and Chief Engineer of RPL
The hydrogen fueling station is a result of a Department of Transportation grant, awarded to Energy Institute engineering researchers. The fueling station is not yet in place but we do have an electrolyzer to generate the hydrogen for the station.
Students will gain hands-on experience in hydrogen technology, while researchers will explore new applications, such as expanding the hydrogen fueling network along Colorado’s I-25 corridor. By studying the performance and efficiency of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the Energy Institute aims to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies and reduce GHG emissions.
3. Entrepreneurial Scale-Up
We provide resources and training to foster entrepreneurial skills, facilitate the creation of startups and spin-offs, and cultivate a culture of innovation. By connecting faculty, students, and industry partners, we bridge the gap between research and commercialization.
Born out of the Powerhouse, AtmosZero is leading the way in decarbonizing industrial processes. Their innovative Boiler 2.0 technology replaces fossil-fuel boilers with electric heat pumps, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and offering a sustainable, scalable solution
- 2x the efficiency compared to traditional boilers
- Minimized integration costs for a plug-and-play solution
- First commercial application with a local Fort Collins brewery, New Belgium Brewing
AtmosZero is solving for industrial decarbonization by electrifying the boiler room and building a scalable, drop-in replacement product rather than complex and expensive customized projects.
– Addison Stark, CEO and Co-Founder of AtmosZero
Envirofit International is a student-founded social enterprise that innovates smart energy products and services that improve lives on a global scale. Using a market-based approach, Envirofit develops a global product line of smart clean cooking technologies that cook faster while reducing fuel use, smoke, and toxic emissions.
Serving more than 8 million people in energy poverty, Envirofit’s smart stoves reduce climate change, create new jobs, and enable families to save money.
- 5 million people have benefited from Envirofit’s stoves
- Up to 60% reduction in fuel use
- Increased annual income of up to 15% for families
We are proud of our ability to co-develop technologies with partners at the Powerhouse Energy Campus. Because of these collaborations, our carbon programs deliver leading clean cookstove technologies to some of the world’s most economically challenging markets.
– Tim Bauer, Envirofit’s Co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer
Create Impact
Support the Energy Institute’s Mission and the Powerhouse Energy Campus
The work of the Energy Institute is made possiblethanks to the generous support of our partners, including corporations, foundations, and individual donors. Your investment helps us deliver real-world energy solutions that address global challenges through our research and programming.
Your impact matters.
By supporting the efforts of the Energy Institute, you have the opportunity to be a catalyst for positive change. Your support will help us:
- Advance cutting-edge research and develop innovative energy solutions that address global challenges.
- Educate and inspire the next generation of energy leaders through our K-12 outreach programs and experiential learning opportunities.
- Strengthen our partnerships with industry and government to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies.
- Make a lasting impact on our communities and the world by creating a more sustainable and accessible future.
Help Us Fuel the Future
With your support, the Energy Institute can continue to foster pivotal energy and climate change transformations that benefit our world and establish CSU as the global leader in change. To continue making a significant impact, we need your help to grow and scale our efforts.
With plans to expand the Powerhouse Energy Campus, we will establish CSU as a global leader in education and innovation in sustainable energy production and carbon solutions. By partnering with the Energy Institute, you are investing in a sustainable future for generations to come.
Take Action Today
Together, we can create a world powered by clean energy and a brighter tomorrow for all.
Our task, when we innovate, is not to have an idea. It’s
to build the right network to turn that idea—and the
many others that add, change, even replace it—into a
reality. Innovation isn’t about the idea. The network
itself is the innovation.
– Andy Hargedon | University of California, Davis