Colorado’s Clean Energy Research Cluster: COLORADO ENERGY RESEARCH COLLABORATORY

A research collaboration ofNational Renewable Energy Laboratory

Colorado School of MinesColorado State University

University of Colorado Boulder

Launched in 2007, the Collaboratory works with public and private partners to:

• Create and commercialize renewable energy, clean energy, and energy efficiency technologies;

• Build a clean energy economy for Colorado and our nation;

• Educate future scientists and engineers for industry, academia, and the public sector.

Collaboratory Research Centers

Existing:• Colorado Center for Biorefining & Biofuels—CU*• Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion—

Mines*• Center for Research & Education in Wind—CU*• Carbon Management Center – Mines*In Development:• Center for Energy Systems Integration – CSU*

*lead institution

Examples of Industry Partners in Center Activities

• C2B2: Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Cool Planet, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Gevo, Rentech, Shell Global Solutions, Sundrop Fuels

• CRSP: Abengoa Solar, General Motors, Sharp, Tokyo Electron, Total

• CREW: Mitsubishi, RES Americas, Vestas, WindLogics

• CMC: Cool Planet, NOAA, IHS

Center Operations

• Each center led by representatives of all four institutions

• “Lead Institution” – Administrative and fiscal management – One point of contact for industry

members• Interagency agreements greatly simplify

process for industry partners and institutions

Research Areas

• Crop, Biochemical, Thermochemical, Process, Product and System Engineering related to:– Enzymes and catalysts– Woody and algal biomass as feedstock for biofuels– Membranes for production of biofuels– Solving challenges to “drop-in” biofuels– Solar conversion of biomass to syngas– Biochemicals for industrial and consumer products

• Use of beetle killed timber as feedstock (CSU)

Research Areas• High efficiency, thin film photovoltaics

– Non-toxic, abundant materials for photovoltaics– Novel nanostructures for photovoltaics • DOE funded Energy Frontier Research Center

– Reducing cost of photovoltaic systems (NREL focus)

• Photoconversion of H2 + C into liquid or gaseous fuel

Expanded Partnerships• Research Corp. for Science Advancement (private institute)• University of Tokyo - RCAST

Research Areas• Atmospheric sciences• Turbine and wind farm modeling• Control of wind energy systems• Electrical systems and power converters• Turbine Testing• Materials for blades

Policy, Education and Outreach• Creation of curricula for industry, undergraduate and

graduate programs relevant to wind power

Research Areas• Carbon Capture Research– Flue gases from power and cement industries– Proposal to DOE: Fugitive emissions from natural gas

operations; led by CMC - NOAA, Mines• CO2

Utilization – key to recovering cost of capture, storage

• CO2 Storage – geologic and terrestrial• Quantify and assess greenhouse gas ‘footprints’– $10M USDA grant: beetle kill as feedstock for synthetic

gasoline, negative carbon impact; led by CSU, Cool Planet• Policy Analysis of Options and Impact - e.g., carbon taxes,

carbon markets, clean development mechanisms

Carbon Management Center

Research Areas• Increase grid integration of renewable power• Ensure the security and reliability of energy

infrastructure – Protect and recover from failure or natural

disaster – Cybersecurity

• Achieve efficiencies through active management of systems at all levels, building to grid scales

• Leverage ESIF (NREL) and InteGrid (CSU)

ENERGY SYSTEMS INTEGRATION(In Development)