About the Center
Founding Members
Founding members include Horizon Wind Energy LLC, State Farm Insurance and Suzlon Wind Energy Corp.
Vision and Goals
Since research and education in renewable energy have become national priorities, it is appropriate that Illinois State University coordinate its efforts in this area. A group of Illinois State University faculty from several disciplines and multiple colleges has been meeting since 2002 to discuss educational and research opportunities in renewable energy. These efforts resulted in a $990,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) to research renewable energy, to establish a major in renewable energy at Illinois State and to create a Center for Renewable Energy which will support and sustain these efforts. The Center also received a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to help complete its state-of-the-art renewable energy laboratory.
To meet the growing need for education, outreach and research, Illinois State University has created the Center for Renewable Energy with initial funding through the US DOE. The Center has three major functional areas: supporting the renewable energy major at ISU; serving the Illinois renewable energy community by providing information to the public; and encouraging applied research on renewable energy at ISU and through collaborations with other universities.
Support of the Renewable Energy Major
Many new workers will be needed in the renewable energy industry. To meet the growing demand for trained and educated workers, we have developed an interdisciplinary renewable energy major at ISU. Graduates of the proposed renewable energy program will be well-positioned to compete for new and existing jobs. The Center supports the renewable energy major through
- creation of an advisory board of outside experts,
- establishing a renewable energy internship program,
- bringing renewable energy experts to campus for seminars for faculty and students,
- funding scholarships to ensure high quality students in the major, and
- providing ongoing financial support for the major.
Public Outreach
The Center also serves the broader renewable energy community by providing information through conferences and materials. The Center has networked with individuals and organizations around the state that are interested in wind energy (one of the most viable forms of renewable energy in Illinois) to form the Illinois Wind Working Group (IWWG). The Center hosts IWWG, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America Program. The IWWG sponsors annual conferences to promote the use of wind energy through education and information. The IWWG will also provide information/materials to the media and individuals regarding the use of wind energy.
Applied Research
Finally, the Center will encourage applied research on renewable energy. The Center will seek to promote research by
- highlighting grant opportunities concerning renewable energy,
- coordinate meetings where cross-disciplinary faculty can showcase their research and identify areas of collaboration, and
- provide “seed money” grants to ISU faculty interested in renewable energy research.
The Center will sponsor an initial study on the economic viability of smaller-scale community wind in Central Illinois funded through the US DOE grant. The Center will also participate with other Illinois universities to identify areas of collaboration across universities.
Newsletters
Read about the latest news from the Center for Renewable Energy
