For more than a century, leaders, innovators, and scholars in our state have worked tirelessly to drive progress in sustainability, making Connecticut a global leader in this arena.
Here are some of the ways Connecticut and UConn have innovated to advance clean energy:
“As a scientist who for three decades has dedicated my research efforts to advancing technologies in clean energy and sustainability, I couldn’t be prouder to lead the flagship University in a state where, for more than a century, innovators and scholars have made great strides toward a greener future — many of them here at the University of Connecticut.
I came to UConn in 2010 to lead scientific breakthroughs to develop, demonstrate, and deploy new green technologies as part of a push to propel Connecticut onto the international stage in sustainable energy. Since then, I’ve been proud to witness and be part of major breakthroughs in these efforts, from the opening of the Innovation Partnership Building and establishment of the Eversource Energy Center to the recent selection of UConn as the home of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national Onsite Energy Technical Analysis and Support Center."
Radenka Maric, Ph.D.
President, University of Connecticut
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
Chair Professor in Sustainable Energy
Here are some of the ways Connecticut and UConn have innovated to advance clean energy:
First Commercial Electric Vehicle
Transportation pioneer Albert Pope got in on the ground floor of the nascent automobile industry when he founded the Columbia Electric Vehicle Company in Hartford in 1896. Pope demonstrated the world’s first public production model electric-powered car a year later. On August 22, 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first president to ride in a car in public, cruising through the streets of Hartford in a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton that featured two 20-volt batteries and a top speed of 13 miles per hour.
Solar Panels on the White House
The sun provides clean, renewable solar energy, and scientists have utilized solar technologies for longer than you may think. In fact, during the Carter administration, UConn faculty members helped install the first solar panels on the White House West Wing roof, which generated energy to heat water in the Oval Office dining room. The panel manufacturer was a Connecticut company, and the job of testing and balancing the panels was given to UConn faculty because of UConn’s groundbreaking solar certification program. The Reagan administration removed the photovoltaic panels in 1986, but the White House reinstalled solar panels in 2002.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm speaks a press conference at the Center for Clean Energy Engineering on May 20, 2022. The Department of Energy is preparing to invest $8 billion in regional hydrogen hubs, including the northeastern consortium that UConn has joined. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Fuel Cell Energy at UConn
In 1998, the University founded a fuel cell energy center where industry leaders, faculty, and students could work together to solve energy problems. This center has grown into UConn’s Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2), which supports research, undergraduate and graduate education, and industry engagement in clean energy. In summer 2022, the Center welcomed U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm for a tour to learn about UConn’s initiatives and research.
Industry Collaborations & the Innovation Partnership Building
Our future depends on successfully transitioning to a landscape where industry embraces clean energy and sustainability. UConn is supporting this transition through industry collaborations that are producing groundbreaking research in decarbonization, sustainable aviation, storage, and other efforts. For example, the Industrial Affiliates Program helps faculty and staff establish meaningful relationships with businesses and technology, including areas such as identifying harmful contaminants. We are furthering the cause by preparing our students to enter the workforce with a mastery of new technologies, advocacy, and more.
UConn took a major step forward in developing cross-disciplinary industrial partnerships and cutting-edge research when the Innovation Partnership Building (IPB) opened in 2017. Many notable Connecticut companies sponsor research at the IPB, working directly with our faculty and students. Several of those partnerships are dedicated to clean energy, sustainability, climate change mitigation, blue tech, and similar disciplines. Among them, the Eversource Energy Center has established itself as a critical resource for predicting and mitigating storm impact. We are also entering into new collaborations with the Department of Energy through an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
UConn and public and private partners established the Future Climate Venture Studio to accelerate the translation of this research into real-world uses. The Studio supports entrepreneurial companies that create concepts and products to improve our environment, while also practicing sustainability and promoting social justice.
Innovation Partnership Building
Prioritizing Clean Energy and Sustainability
In 2010, the University hired 10 world-renowned faculty, including now-President Radenka Maric, to advance its clean energy and sustainability goals. Since then, these professors and others throughout the University have worked diligently to strengthen UConn’s capabilities in clean energy and in sustainability research and education. UConn has also prioritized industry and public engagement to ensure that companies have access to sustainable energy technologies. We collaborate with many companies in Connecticut and around the world to build sustainable energy infrastructure and help them use less energy, operate more efficiently, and incorporate sustainable technologies where possible.
Our faculty embrace our commitment through efforts including the Gladstein Human Rights Institute, dedicated to advancing human rights knowledge and practice through research, teaching, and engagement. Across dozens of academic disciplines, our educators are applying best practices and providing students with advanced knowledge, enabling them to keep human rights concerns at the forefront. A collaboration between the Institute and the School of Engineering, the Engineering for Human Rights Initiative exemplifies our values as the engineers of the future focus on human rights as an integral component of effective practice. Those students are making strides in research areas such as food security, water quality, resilience and justice for a changing environment, and substance and process sustainability.
Environmental Stewardship
UConn supports environmental stewardship of vital natural resources, including waterways, the ocean, and ecosystems through programs like Connecticut Sea Grant. Based at UConn Avery Point, Connecticut Sea Grant partners with state and federal organizations including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to preserve Long Island Sound, estuaries, and other habitats. UConn is committed to researching the impact of coastal erosion that has escalated because of climate change. We also continue to support alternative energy sources such as offshore wind.
Carbon Neutrality and Alternative Energy
In December 2022, President Maric pledged that UConn would become carbon neutral by 2030. This commitment follows curriculum initiatives and changes across our campuses. Environmental literacy was added to the University’s general education requirements in 2019. UConn is implementing sustainable energy technologies in its new facilities in Storrs — from extensive solar panels atop our new Science 1 building to fuel cells and geothermal sources to heat and cool a future apartment complex. Beyond facilities, UConn Dining Services diverts most of its food waste for renewable biofuel energy and compost.
UConn is a global leader in the international campaign to address the threats to Earth posed by climate change. We are taking a comprehensive and holistic approach by educating our students, engaging the community, and conducting research with industry, state, and federal partners. UConn leads by example and our partnerships in initiatives like the Northeast Hydrogen Hub demonstrate that our efforts can be transformational on a grand scale.
“With our long history of leadership in this arena and a commitment to reduce UConn’s carbon footprint to carbon neutral by 2030, UConn is fully committed to being a national leader in education, research innovation, and technology deployment to combat the existential threat of climate change.
UConn works closely with the state and industry to participate in new technology development, including making use of hydrogen as a clean energy source. The nation, state, and University are also accelerating progress in zero carbon emissions through unprecedented investments in clean and sustainable energy sources and technologies, which includes planning for the creation of our own microgrid at UConn.”
Radenka Maric, Ph.D.
President, University of Connecticut
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
Chair Professor in Sustainable Energy
Education in Action with Microgrid Solutions
This year, UConn announced the Clean Energy & Sustainability Innovation Program in cooperation with Eversource. The summer program challenges students to think critically about steps to reduce carbon footprints, foster environmental justice, and prepare for climate extremes. As a result, students are working to develop smart grid solutions that encompass several types of clean and renewable energy such as solar, wind, and hydroelectricity. The University applies this clean energy to the UConn microgrid to reduce emissions and lessen our carbon footprint.
Engagement Through Education and Research
UConn’s commitment to securing a sustainable future powered by clean energy shines through the education and research happening on our campuses every day. We offer multiple undergraduate majors and minors focused on environmental issues, including programs in:
Environmental Studies
Environmental Sciences
Geography
Natural Resources and the Environment
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Marine Sciences
Earth Sciences
Energy and Environmental Law
Environmental Engineering
Our students are engaged through unique opportunities to conduct research, policy advocacy, and more. Each year since 2015, we have sent a delegation to the official Climate Change Conference of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) through UConn@COP. Students are working closely with cities and towns across the state on making smart energy decisions.
Hundreds of our faculty across multiple disciplines pursue research aligned with understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change, clean energy, and sustainability. Collectively, our researchers have raised tens of millions of dollars to pursue topics related to climate and sustainability.
These are just a few examples of the work being done every day at the University of Connecticut. With the dedication of our brilliant faculty and staff and passionate students, we are committed to combating climate change, one of the most pressing threats of our time. Every step of the way, UConn is embracing the challenges and offering solutions that transform the future of our global society.
Over a century of progress —
and we’re just getting started.
These are just a few examples of the work being done every day at the University of Connecticut. With the dedication of our brilliant faculty and staff and passionate students, we are committed to combating climate change, one of the most pressing threats of our time. Every step of the way, UConn is embracing the challenges and offering solutions that transform the future of our global society.
