Valpo Scores Solar Research Funding
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowValparaiso University has been awarded a $2.3 million grant to boost a solar energy research project. The U.S. Department of Energy funding will support development of an advanced electrochemical cell at the school's James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility. September 19, 2013
News Release
VALPARAISO, Ind. – The United States Department of Energy announced today it has awarded Valparaiso University a $2.3 million cooperative agreement to fund solar research through a proposal from the College of Engineering. Part of the Modern Electro-Thermochemical Advancements for Light-metal Systems project, Valpo is the only organization in the state of Indiana to receive this funding.
The funding, which will be dispersed during the course of a three-year period, is a direct result of the James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility housed in the College of Engineering. At the heart of the research facility is a solar furnace, the only one at an undergraduate institution in the United States and one of only four research facility solar furnaces in the nation.
“With this funding from the Department of Energy, Valpo faculty and students will push forward the energy science frontier by exploring new methods for using solar energy,” Valparaiso University President Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., said. “The research conducted at the James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility will provide new, more efficient energy sources for creating commodities, positively impacting both the local and the national economies.”
Both Valpo faculty and undergraduates conduct solar energy research at the Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility, providing a unique opportunity for students to work with faculty mentors on the cutting edge of this field. The College of Engineering is also home to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum-certified Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center, which is made up primarily of laboratory and learning space for undergraduate engineering students.
Through the $2.3 million cooperative agreement, Valpo's team of engineers and scientists will develop a novel electrochemical cell that produces magnesium using solar-thermal energy and electrochemical processes. The advanced hybrid cell uses concentrated solar power for heating, minimizing the electricity requirement for magnesium separation.
According to the Department of Energy's website, solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth, with more than 10,000 times the world's total energy use striking the Earth continuously. Through solar energy research, this energy can be harnessed to provide a renewable, economical energy choice.
Valpo's system could reduce carbon emissions and electricity consumption compared to conventional production. During the three-year funding period, Valpo faculty and students will develop the technology needed to produce magnesium that will potentially reduce imports, emissions and costs of production.
The funding comes from the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, an organization within the Department of Energy that supports the creation of transformational energy technologies and systems through funding and managing Research and Development efforts. Since its founding in 2007, the Agency has funded nearly 300 projects totaling approximately $770 million across the entire technology landscape.
Valparaiso University will formally dedicate the James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility on Sept. 27.
For more information about the Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility, or to request tours of the facility, contact Nicole Niemi, director of media relations, at nicole.niemi@valpo.edu or 219.464.6010.
About Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University is a comprehensive independent Lutheran university with more than 4,500 students on its campus located in Northwest Indiana, an hour from Chicago. Valpo is a community of purpose-driven, service-minded and ethical individuals who embrace the pursuit of truth with freedom, humility and compassion. Valpo has been identified as one of the top master's-level institutions in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report magazine for the past 25 years. Valparaiso University offers more than 110 undergraduate academic programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering and Nursing. Valpo also has a distinguished honors college, a Law School, and more than 40 degree and certificate programs in its Graduate School and Continuing Studies. Valpo has been recognized for its commitment to outstanding teaching, preparing thoughtful leaders with strong cross-cultural skills and global awareness and dedication to serving others.
Source: Valparaiso University