The Energy Institute

Professor Sanjoy Banerjee, Director • Institute Office: Steinman 3rd Floor • Tel: 212-650-5728

The Energy Institute, formerly the Clean Fuels Institute, is a new research center whose mission is to advance the science and engineering of sources of sustainable energy. It is a CUNY-wide multidisciplinary institute which includes faculty from CCNY’s Grove School of Engineering as well as other CUNY Colleges and Departments. Its top priority at present is the development of energy storage systems that will allow the large-scale utilization of excess night-time electrical capacity and energy from renewable, but intermittent, sources such as the sun and the wind. Several major projects are underway. One is to develop solid-state and flow batteries for load leveling/peak shaving and plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles that are cost effective, reliable, and long-lived. Another is the advancement of thermal storage systems for concentrated solar power. Each of these projects involves a blend of fundamental research, empirical development, and process systems engineering. The work of the Energy Institute is part of the CUNY sustainability program. It also involves extensive collaboration with industry including such organizations at The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC). Other areas of active research include energy storage in gas hydrates and flow assurance for oil-gas pipelines.