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Posted: April 3, 2008

UAlbany NanoCollege chosen for prestigious international consortium focused on renewable energy technologies
(Nanowerk News) The International Renewable Energy Technology Institute ("IRETI") announced today that the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering ("CNSE") of the University at Albany has been selected to participate on behalf of the State of New York in this newly formed global consortium designed to accelerate the adaptation and implementation of renewable energy technologies around the world.
The IRETI is sanctioned by the governments of the Kingdom of Sweden and the United States of America. Its organization committee, made up of business, government and academic leaders from the Kingdom of Sweden and the United States, invited academic institutions in 16 U.S. states to apply for participation in IRETI. The committee selected three states for membership in IRETI, namely, New York (through CNSE), Georgia (through the University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology), and Minnesota (through the State University System of Minnesota).
The UAlbany NanoCollege was selected based on the strength and depth of its renewable energy research and education programs, as well as its location in a region having unique alternative energy resources, economies, and climates. CNSE's Energy and Environmental Technology Applications Center ("E2TAC") will lead participation in IRETI, in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ("NYSERDA"), the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation ("NYSTAR"), and Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture and Engineering ("EYP"). CNSE will also leverage the involvement of more than 50 industrial, university and government partners through its leadership in New Energy New York ("NENY").
The CNSE E2TAC was created by the Assembly of the State of New York, under the leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver, at UAlbany in 1998 to develop and deploy new, environmentally friendly, renewable energy sources, leading to the establishment of New York as a global leader in sustainable energy applications.
New York Governor David Paterson said: "The groundbreaking research taking place at the UAlbany NanoCollege is critical to New York's success as a leader in the renewable energy industry. Today's announcement reinforces that position and sends a clear signal to the world that New York is becoming a leader in green technology. I would also like to thank the Kingdom of Sweden for its leadership in this area and note that partnerships such as this are wonderful examples of the fact that the challenges we face and solutions we develop transcend all borders."
United States Ambassador to Sweden Michael Wood stated: "The formation of the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute, with the participation of universities in New York, Georgia and Minnesota, recognizes the importance of international collaboration in achieving a breakthrough in alternative energy development. I have devoted my tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden to the One Big Thing, a project to increase cooperation between the U.S. and Sweden in this area. This is an excellent example of the kind of cooperation that we need if we are going to reconcile the demands of the world economy with the realities of climate change."
Paul Tonko, President and CEO of NYSERDA, said: "Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and cutting greenhouse gases will require our partners in academia to help industry commercialize new technologies that can be deployed right here in New York and, at the same time, exported throughout the globe. Our partnership with the UAlbany Nanocollege in IRETI is a prime example of the type of initiatives needed to achieve energy sustainability."
Edward Reinfurt, Executive Director of NYSTAR, said: "Today's announcement of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's (CNSE) selection as a member of this prestigious global consortium further demonstrates New York State's position as a leader in emerging technologies. This opportunity to collaborate with renewable energy leaders like the Kingdom of Sweden will allow us to harness the full potential of the innovations that arise from collaborations between leading universities, world-class companies and government. NYSTAR is pleased to be a partner in this initiative to increase the adoption of renewable energies in the marketplace and position New York's companies for success in the global economy."
Alain E. Kaloyeros, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of CNSE, said: "The UAlbany NanoCollege is pleased to have been selected to participate in the prestigious International Renewable Energy Technology Institute, which will play a critical role in advancing the adoption and use of renewable energy technologies around the world. The selection of CNSE by the IRETI Organization Committee is testament to the leadership and vision of Speaker Silver and the New York State Assembly, the unmatched intellectual expertise and technological capabilities of CNSE, and to New York State's growing leadership in clean energy and environmental technologies."
Tom Birdsey, President and CEO of EYP said: "This is a prestigious designation and EYP is privileged to partner with CNSE and the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute, in search of new ways to apply clean and renewable energy on a global scale. We look forward to joining clean energy developers who will embrace exciting novel technologies and play a vital role in exploring new methods of combining renewable energy technology with long-term economic development. This combination will leave a lasting impression, reducing the carbon footprint and creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world."
Pradeep Haldar, Ph.D., Professor of Nanoengineering and Director of CNSE's E2TAC, said, "The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering is privileged to join with our university colleagues in Minnesota and Georgia in collaborative education and research as part of the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute. We look forward to enabling advances in clean and renewable energy technologies that will ultimately lessen our dependence on fossil fuels, reduce our carbon footprint and help foster a future that is both sustainable and environmentally friendly. "
Funding for the CNSE-led New York IRETI programs is projected to exceed $10 million over the next three years. Through IRETI, scientists and researchers from across the globe will work jointly to advance renewable energy technologies that will provide opportunities for U.S.-based companies to supply clean energy products and services to the European market, while also testing and qualifying technologies developed in Sweden for introduction into the U.S. market.
Established in recognition of the urgent worldwide need to integrate sustainable energy technologies for homes, businesses and industries, the IRETI Organization Committee recognized the United States as the optimum location for the institute due to its educational infrastructure and international leadership.
About CNSE. The UAlbany CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to research, development, education, and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. In May 2007, it was ranked as the world's number one college for nanotechnology and microtechnology in the Annual College Ranking by Small Times magazine. CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex is the most advanced research enterprise of its kind at any university in the world: a $4.2 billion, 450,000-square-foot complex that attracts corporate partners from around the world and offers students a one-of-a-kind academic experience. The UAlbany NanoCollege houses the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 65,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty work on site at CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex, from companies including IBM, AMD, SEMATECH, Toshiba, ASML, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, Vistec Lithography and Freescale. An expansion currently underway will increase the size of CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex to over 800,000 square feet, including over 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanroom space, to house over 2,500 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty by mid-2009. For more information, visit http://www.cnse.albany.edu/
Source: CNSE