President's Report Masthead
September 30, 2012
Smart energy to be focus of new R&D facility

An early rendering of the Smart Energy Research and Development Facility.

Smart energy to be focus of new R&D facility

Binghamton will expand on its historic strengths in smart energy research and industry partnerships, constructing a new R&D facility with support from the campus’ NYSUNY 2020 plan.

With additional space for collaborative, interdisciplinary research, the University anticipates that research in four key areas will grow 20 to 30 percent in five years and that there will be a significant increase public-private partnerships that turn new ideas into new products.

Solar and thermoelectric energy harvesting:

  • Creating solar panels that are inexpensive, flexible and lightweight and can be integrated into common building materials.
  • Developing thermoelectric materials that harvest the heat in car exhaust systems, data centers and buildings.

Energy storage technologies:

  • Building atomic-scale batteries and super-capacitor systems that reduce weight and maximize energy storage capabilities.
  • Advancing applications for hybrid and electric cars, smart grid applications, solar and other harvesting, and dozens of other technologies
  • Cutting-edge technologies that increase energy storage capacity.

Energy-efficient electronic systems:

  • Meet critical defense and economic needs by reducing energy consumption by electronic systems without compromising performance.

Sensors for energy resource management:

  • Meet critical need to reduce environmental impact of energy extraction and harvesting, including battery and solar cell manufacturing.
  • Allow for careful and safe monitoring of the environment including air and watershed systems by developing inexpensive, rugged and lightweight sensors.

The $70 million state-of-the-art Smart Energy Research and Development Facility will stimulate regional economic growth by:

  • Fostering public/private sector research partnerships
  • Enhancing technology development
  • Creating jobs in expanding high-tech fields

The University anticipates construction beginning in the fall of 2014, with the building ready to open in the fall of 2017.