Clean Energy Institute

The Clean Energy Institute (CEI) is a research institute at the University of Washington. Founded in 2013, the institute maintains several facilities across the university's Seattle campus and supports renewable energy technology research, education, entrepreneurship, and outreach. The institute is under the direction of Daniel T. Schwartz, PhD.

Clean Energy Institute
TypeResearch Institute
Established2013
DirectorDaniel T. Schwartz
Location
Seattle
,
Washington
,
United States

WebsiteOfficial Site
Washington Clean Energy Testbeds, the institute's main research facility

History and operations

The Clean Energy Institute is based in the Molecular Engineering and Sciences building at the University of Washington's Seattle campus. It was founded in 2013 with a $6 million grant from the state of Washington for the purposes of supporting solar power and energy storage research and development. This includes research projects led by the university's own academic labs, private companies, and the government.[1]

The institute's primary research facility is the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds (WCET), which opened in 2017 and was funded by an additional $8 million state grant approved by governor Jay Inslee. Located next to University Village near the main campus, the 15,000 square foot (1,400 m2) facility allows both academic and private sector users to rent lab space, utilize testing equipment, and consult staff for assistance in their research projects.[1] Equipment at the WCET include battery device testers, solar simulators and solar cell testers, a systems integration lab where users can test devices under real-time or simulated power grids to evaluate energy generation and storage strategies, and a roll-to-roll printer which GeekWire described as "one of the most advanced roll-to-roll systems in the world."[2]

The institute also maintains the Research Training Testbed, which is located in the Nanoengineering and Sciences Building on the university's main campus.

Research

The Clean Energy Institute's main research areas include battery and solar photovoltaic technology as well as grid management.[3] The institute has supported projects relating to perovskites, which have often focused on improving the material properties of thin-film perovskite cells as well as exploring the use of high-throughput manufacturing processes for producing such devices.[4][5][6]

Future expansion

In 2018, the state of Washington allocated $20 million to construct a new 340,000 square foot (32,000 m2) building on the west side of the UW's Seattle campus called the Center for Advanced Materials and Clean Energy Technologies (CAMCET). The CAMCET building will ultimately house the Clean Energy Institute and the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds as well as the Northwest Institute for Materials Physics, Chemistry, and Technology, and it will include lab and office space for research and collaboration. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2020, and the building is expected to open by the year 2023.[7][8]

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gollark: "You" are some specific brain modules which handle consciousness and language and whatever; it's hardly guaranteed that you have write access to everything else.
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References
  1. Le, Phuong (February 16, 2017). "Seattle opens lab to speed development of clean-energy tech". Everett Herald. Associated Press. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  2. Schlosser, Kurt (August 19, 2017). "Inside UW's cutting-edge Clean Energy Testbeds, researchers seek breakthroughs to help the planet". GeekWire. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  3. Ma, Michelle. "New state-funded Clean Energy Institute will focus on solar, battery technologies". UW News. University of Washington. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  4. "New awards for UW research to probe solar cell defects, develop energy-boosting coatings". UW News. University of Washington. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  5. "Three awards from US Department of Energy to fuel UW solar cell research". UW News. University of Washington. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  6. Joyce, Tim (August 17, 2017). "UW researchers working to revolutionize power production". Q13 Fox. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  7. De La Rosa, Shawna (May 22, 2019). "Clean Technologies Building First Slated For 3M SF UW West Campus Development". Bisnow Media. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  8. Stiles, Marc (May 9, 2019). "University of Washington searches for a developer to partner on a clean tech project in its West Campus". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
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