Energy

Researchers at Georgia Tech are working on making better organic solar cells.

Georgia Tech is committed to the research, development, and use of alternative energy technologies. The current rate of energy use on campus is growing at a rate slower than growth of gross square footage. The behavior of students, faculty, and staff is a strong factor in reducing energy consumption. Sustainable solutions, such as the use of solar panels that provide power for the Campus Recreation Center, also reduce energy consumption.

Research on energy policy, energy conservation, energy alternatives, and new sources of energy occur in every college at Georgia Tech. For example, Dr. Marilyn Brown, professor in the School of Public Policy, specializes in energy policy and technology forecasting. She is also a member of the Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 along with former Vice President Al Gore.

Georgia Tech also houses numerous research centers dedicated to the development of alternative energy:

• Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies (FC/BT)
• Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE)
• Georgia Tech Research Institute: Energy and Environment Research
• Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems
• National Electric Energy Testing, Research, and Applications Center (NEETRAC)
• Strategic Energy Institute (SEI)
• University Center for Excellence in Photovoltaics

Many more of our students, faculty, and staff are applying their research to the understanding of and development of sustainable energy sources. For example, the Solar Jackets, a student racing competition club established to explore alternative energy design and promote awareness of solar energy in Atlanta, competes annually in the North American Solar Challenge. They are engineering a fully electric vehicle with a range of 150 miles as well as a vehicle powered entirely by solar energy. In addition, Georgia's Tech students, faculty, and staff constructed a solar home that placed sixth in the international Solar Decathlon competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy.