Type-1: Clean Energy to Generate Innovative New Economic Systems (Clean ENGINES)

The Engine's vision is to support the commercial translation of broad, clean, renewable energy technologies with the goal of disrupting and replacing conventional energy generation methods. This goal will require efforts not only to support R&D activities to improve foundational technologies but will also consider lifecycle issues within the circular economy and the need to create a highly trained workforce. The proposed project aims to advance the sustainability of clean energy ecosystems. The technology for wind and solar energy production is reasonably mature, and with costs at or below other generation technologies, can be expected to grow dramatically. Advances as needed are rapidly being developed through regional and national university research. An important consideration is the full lifecycle of the equipment and components, which at present is not well understood. Important questions remain and innovations are required around reuse, recycling, and proper disposal management at the end of life. An important priority is the creation of consortia of companies and researchers, and the expansion of existing consortia, to develop a circular economy by repurposing wind and solar components, or deconstructing and recovering materials for further use, that can be replicated across the country.

Scholars @ ECU