Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure
Energy, water resources, transportation, and other areas associated with a growing population and a changing climate are part of core research initiatives at Georgia Tech. Working with experts across the Georgia Tech community and partners in both industry and government, Georgia Tech researchers focus on interdisciplinary efforts to analyze, model, and develop innovative technologies designed to provide an economically viable and environmentally friendly future.
Georgia Tech’s research in energy and sustainable infrastructure focuses on a broad range of challenges involving energy production, conversion and efficient use; water resource management; infrastructure development; and the issues associated with a changing climate. Combining economic analysis and policy assessment with fundamental and applied research, Georgia Tech’s framework for energy and sustainability research embraces a holistic approach to solving complex problems.
Georgia Tech’s new Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory will serve as hub for research into clean energy and sustainability. Development of clean fuels for transportation and power generation, optimization and pollution control for combustion processes, and creation of new technology options for carbon capture and water purification represent some of the innovative research associated with the lab. Georgia Tech is also home to the University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics Research and Education, and has spun off a successful company that is commercializing technology developed there.
Georgia Tech graduate student Brandon Polander
prepares for his FT-IR experiment. The green laser light
is used to photo-excite the spinach photosytem II sample.
(Credit: Gary Meek) Full Story >
Expertise in electric power applications is critical to meeting growing electricity demands and ensuring national security through the reliability and integrity of the national grid. Georgia Tech is a leader in areas such as power grid management and electrical testing, collaborating with local, regional, national, and global energy companies. Professional education programs in power and energy further strengthen industrial relationships in this area.
Sustainability and energy management programs in smart building design, urbanization research, and sustainable manufacturing practices are advanced through crosscutting programs at Georgia Tech. These include incorporating geographic information systems for optimizing location, modeling, and development of more efficient and environmentally friendly materials, and addressing efficient thermal heating and cooling processes across a broad spectrum of facility and community scenarios. As with other research initiatives, these areas involve Georgia Tech graduate and undergraduate student researchers collaborating with faculty members.
