Sustainability

A Michigan city’s ‘sustainable energy utility’ got the green light from voters. What now?

ECE Prof. Johanna Mathieu weighs in on Ann Arbor City's proposal to create a "sustainable energy utility" separate from DTE power, in this article posted in Smart Cities Dive.

Extreme Weather Poses a Challenge for Heat Pumps

Prof. Johanna Mathieu weighs in on the value of home heat pumps to help balance the electric load on the grid.

University of Michigan Develops High-Efficiency Heat Batteries for Renewable Energy Storage

Thermophotovoltaic cells are described as a new frontier in energy storage. These cells are being pioneered here at Michigan by Prof. Stephen Forrest and Chemical Engineering professor Andrej Lenert.

Nuclear is getting a reaction in Michigan. Is it reaching critical mass?

Johanna Mathieu, ECE associate professor and associate director of the Institute for Energy Solutions, discusses the nuances of nuclear energy use as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels in this story by MLive.

Energy storage for grid reliability can increase carbon emissions

“Because electricity markets are complicated with multiple products being traded and changes in one market affecting the others, adding new technologies to the grid can have unintended consequences,” said Johanna Mathieu in this story by Utility Dive.

Can this city’s microgrid plan skirt the traditional utility model?

Ann Arbor has a goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2030. One way to do this may be through community microgrids that connect to existing utility infrastructure. It is a model that could be used across the nation. Prof. Johanna Mathieu supports this effort, and comments on how this could work.

Off the Grid

Ian Hiskens comments on the problems energy companies are having incorporating wind and solar power into the grid, due to a lack of suitable computer models.

Si/GaN Technology Unlocks New Potential for Hydrogen Fuel Production

Scientists from the University of Michigan made important discoveries regarding the semiconductive use of gallium nitrate (GaN) three years ago, focusing on the advantages it has to offer solar energy technology. ECE Prof Zetian Mi was one of the inventors of artificial photosynthesis devices using Si/GaN about ten years ago.

Eight research teams chosen for new Boost program

Prof. Aline Eid will be working on "Advancing Battery-less Sensing for Sustainable Living and Civil Infrastructures" for the first cycle of the University of Michigan's newly launched Boost program as part of the Bold Challenges Initiative.

Dingell Announces $1 Million for Clean Hydrogen Project at University of Michigan

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) announces Prof. Zetian Mi's clean hydrogen project funded by the Department of Energy.

Oxynitrides enabled photoelectrochemical water splitting with over 3,000 hrs stable operation in practical two-electrode configuration

Prof. Zetian Mi co-authors this new study published in Nature Communications on the practical application of photoelectrochemical devices and systems for clean energy.

Join us on our journey to making our vision become a reality

Prof. David Wentzloff serves on a panel hosted by Ericsson about the different types of energy harvesting, the breadth of what is possible, and new benefits of these devices.

Interfacing renewable energy infrastructure and human behavior to pursue energy security | Forum

Prof. Johanna Mathieu was a featured speaker at the Cell Press Sustainability Forum regarding the feasibility and major roadblocks of renewable energy as a vehicle to pursue energy security in residential and commercial sectors.

Swimming Robot Borrows from Nature (and more)

In this video, the National Science Foundation features the breakthrough research led by Prof. Zetian Mi on producing inexpensive, sustainable hydrogen through solar power.

Nanoscale (5nm) Ferroelectric Semiconductor (University Of Michigan)

Semiconductor Engineering features the advances in ferroelectric semiconductors led by Prof. Zetian Mi, which could expand artificial intelligence and sensing capabilities.

DTE to charge more for peak-time power in move to time-of-day rates

"It’s a commonly proposed tool to shift when they are consuming electricity to better manage the needs of the consumer. It’s making it your responsibility if you care about those prices and what you’re paying to the utility,” said Prof. Johanna Mathieu on the increasing use of time-of-day energy rates, which vary consumer costs during peak and off-peak hours.

Solar Powered Sustainable Hydrogen

The NSF Discovery Files features Prof. Zetian Mi's renewable approach to producing hydrogen fuel using a novel semiconductor catalyst, concentrated natural sunlight and fresh or salt water.

U-M Developed Solar Panel Achieves Sustainable, High-efficiency Hydrogen Production

A new kind of solar panel that mimics a crucial step in natural photosynthesis by achieving 9 percent efficiency in converting water into hydrogen and oxygen has been developed by Prof. Zetian Mi and his team. The first author on the Nature paper is Dr. Peng Zhouho.

Sun-powered water splitter produces unprecedented levels of green energy

A new breakthrough by Prof. Zetian Mi's group resulted in a device that triples the efficiency of previous setups.

Photosynthesis photodetector

Prof. Stephen Forrest talks about a new type of high-efficiency photodetector inspired by the photosynthetic complexes plants use to turn sunlight into energy, developed by his group.

UofM Alumni Startup Launches Battery-less Sensor to Hyperscale Sustainable IoT in Manufacturing and Beyond

Automation Alley: Silicon Valley-based startup Everactive, which was co-founded in 2012 by Prof. David Wentzloff, launched its first development kit of ENV+ Eversensor battery-less sensors.

Our Ailing Power Grid Isn't Cut Out for Climate Change

CNET interviews Prof. Johanna Mathieu about how we improve the power grid and integrate more renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Plant-Based Strategy for Harvesting Light

Physics features Prof. Stephen Forrest's new photodetector design, which borrows its light-gathering architecture from plants and offers a potential path to more efficient solar cells.

New photodetector design inspired by plant photosynthesis

Phys.org features Prof. Stephen Forrest's research on a new type of high-efficiency photodetector inspired by the photosynthetic complexes plants use to turn sunlight into energy.

Why hasn’t Henry Ford’s ideal power grid become a reality?

Johanna Mathieu sees a cooperative approach to energy usage as one of the solutions to a more sustainable approach to powering homes and businesses.

Is DTE ready for the electric vehicle future in Michigan

DTE says it’s ready to handle 20% of the population having EVs right now. Others respond, including Prof. Ian Hiskens who describes a more nuanced reality

Inside Clean Energy: What’s Hotter than Solar Panels? Solar Windows.

Inside Climate News features Prof. Stephen Forrest's work developing a peel-off patterning technique that could enable more fragile organic semiconductors to be manufactured into semitransparent solar panels at scale.

Agency warns of power grid failures; DTE says it has 'enough electricity' in Michigan

Prof. Ian Hiskens comments on this story about potential energy grid disruptions this summer in Michigan during severe heat waves.

It won't be easy for DTE Energy to retire huge, coal-fired Monroe power plant

Prof. Ian Hiskens is interviewed in this feature by the Detroit Free Press.

Extreme heat, weather may lead to blackouts for millions this summer

Prof. Johanna Mathieu comments in this story by The National News Desk about the risks of energy shortfalls this summer and potential new technologies that could help in the future.

2022 IEEE William Cherry Award to be presented at the 49th IEEE PVSC to Stephen R. Forrest

Prof. Stephen R. Forrest was awarded the William R. Cherry Award in recognition of his devotion to the advancement of the science and technology of photovoltaic energy conversion.

Michigan universities might be developing the next big thing: transparent solar panels

Read about the efforts of Prof. Stephen Forrest's group to use buildings to generate renewable solar power through the use of transparent solar panels in windows. Doctoral student Xinjing Huang also talks about the research in a video.

The Engineer Who Made Electric Vehicles Palatable for the Pickup-Truck Set

Time Magazine profiles Linda Zhang (BSE EE, MSE CE, MBA), the Chief Engineer for the Ford F-150 Lightning, for their Climate Issue on COP26.

Novel transparent solar cells show promise for power-generating windows

The transparency-friendly solar cell, developed by Prof. Stephen Forrest's group, pairs high efficiencies with 30-year estimated lifetimes.

VIDEO: Grid-interactive efficient buildings

Prof. Johanna Mathieu and Shunbo Lei organized and spoke on a panel examining how energy efficiency and demand response interplay with each other in grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs)

Energy equity depends on data, and experts say there isn't enough of it

Utility Dive interviews Prof. Johanna Mathieu about her work with energy testbed, Pecan Street, which is expanding its residential network into Detroit to gather more insights from communities of color regarding the clean energy transition.

The future of the IoT (batteries not required)

MIT News profiles Everactive, a startup co-founded by Prof. David Wentzloff, working to develop batteryless IoT

U-M President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality Submits Final Recommendations

The President's Commission on Carbon Neutrality, co-chaired by Prof. Stephen Forrest and charged with recommending scalable, transferrable, and financially responsible pathways for the University of Michigan to achieve net-zero emissions, has submitted its final report to President Mark Schlissel and university leadership.

Carbon neutrality commission releases draft recommendations

The President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality, co-chaired by Prof. Stephen Forrest and charged with recommending scalable and transferable strategies for U-M to achieve net-zero emissions, has released its preliminary draft recommendations for public comment.

Tracking Monarch Butterfly Migration with the World’s Smallest Computer-Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh highlights the contribution of Inhee Lee, an ECE alum, in the project using Michigan Micro Motes to track monarch butterfly migration.

U-M joins universities, nonprofits, governments at Midwest Climate Summit

Stephen Forrest, William Gould Dow Collegiate Professor in Electrical Engineering at the College of Engineering and co-chair of the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality, who will discuss U-M’s climate commitments and the carbon commission on Oct. 9

How Transparent Solar Panels And ‘Quantum Dots’ Could Make Skyscrapers Power Themselves

In labs around the world, scientists and engineers are working to transform skyscrapers into giant solar energy-generating pylons.

Transparent Solar Panels for Windows Developed at U-M Hits Efficiency Record

Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have set a new efficiency record for color-neutral, transparent solar cells. The milestone brings them closer to having skyscrapers serve as power sources.

Devices Reflect 99% Of Heat To Up Chance To Turn It Into Power

Futurity covers Prof. Forrest's work on new heat-harnessing “solar” cells, or thermal photovoltaics, that reflect 99% of the energy they can’t convert to electricity.

Clear solar cells hit an all-time efficiency record

In a step closer to skyscrapers that serve as power sources, researchers have set a new efficiency record for color-neutral, transparent solar cells.

Michigan university scientists’ new solar panels could eventually lead to self-powering skyscrapers

Imagine if all the glass we see on the sides of skyscrapers and other buildings were actually solar cells in disguise, collecting energy from the sun and helping to power the building and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Transparent solar panels that can cover windows reach record efficiency

Transparent solar panels, that could one day be used to generate renewable energy from buildings, have reached a record-breaking efficiency of 8 per cent, researchers have said.

How a scientific breakthrough is making 'green methane'

Scientists are creating “green methane” out of a process called artificial photosynthesis — which could make natural-gas-powered devices carbon neutral.

Taking a cue from plants, new chemical approach converts carbon dioxide to valuable fuel

EECS Professor Zetian Mi's research on artificial photosynthesis is described in Science.

Tomorrow’s industries: from OLEDs to nanomaterials

Prof. Stephen Forrest lends his expertise to this piece by Nature.

Elon Musk says he has the solution for California’s fire-related blackouts. It starts at $15,000.

Prof. Ian Hiskens comments on using rooftop-mounted solar and battery storage as a way to achieve energy independence.

Can organic solar cells stand the test of time?

Stephen Forrest's research group demonstrated it’s possible to create organic solar cells that reliably work for 27,000 years outdoors.