Apr 28 2015
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will jointly develop technological solutions for energy efficiency and sustainable development in the tropics.
The EcoCampus initiative transforms NTU's vibrant 200 hectare campus into a super test-bed for innovative green technologies. Credit: NTU Singapore
The Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory managed by the University of California. Known for its excellence in scientific research, it has 13 Nobel Laureates to its name since its inception in 1931.
NTU Singapore and the Berkeley Lab announced today that they will collaborate on research in various areas of energy-efficiency solutions for buildings, renewable energy generation and storage, and smart grids.
The five-year partnership was signed by NTU's Chief of Staff and Vice President for Research, Professor Lam Khin Yong and Berkeley Lab Director, Professor A. Paul Alivisatos.
Professor Lam Khin Yong said, "Over the years, NTU has played an important role in our national clean energy landscape, pursuing R&D with strong industry relevance. This partnership will lead to highly innovative energy-efficiency solutions that will help overcome specific environmental challenges faced in tropical megacities like Singapore."
The collaboration will place strong emphasis in demonstrating innovative solutions in real-life settings to enhance local capabilities and accelerate the adoption of energy-saving measures in Singapore and the region.
Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Berkeley Lab's Associate Laboratory Director for Energy Technologies said, "By accessing the intellectual thought leadership at Berkeley Lab and experimenting in FLEXLAB™ - the world's most advanced buildings test facility- this partnership will advance global efforts toward energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions."
Leading NTU's efforts in the partnership is the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) which is spearheading the university's initiatives in sustainable energy research.
Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director of ERI@N said, "NTU's collaboration with the Berkeley Lab underpins the university's strength in transforming its engineering and research expertise into practical industry applications."
Research projects to be test-bedded on NTU campus
The various research and demonstration projects will be carried out in conjunction with NTU Singapore's EcoCampus initiative which uses the university's 200-hectare campus and adjoining 50-hectare Cleantech Park as a super test bed for research in cutting-edge green technologies.
Going beyond research, the collaboration also aims to develop and demonstrate practical solutions to combat urban and environmental challenges while reducing energy costs.
For example, energy-efficient and smart buildings will be designed to achieve energy savings of more than 50 per cent with next generation air-conditioning, facade, lighting and control technologies.
Further savings in energy and costs can be achieved by improving data collection and analysis to guide decision making and enabling intelligent interaction of buildings with the electricity grid, including renewable energy sources, energy storage and electric vehicles.
Similar concepts can be applied to large infrastructures such as industrial parks and computer data centres, which require high amounts of power and cooling systems to operate. It will benefit from the development of highly efficient cooling systems and integration of energy systems that are based on sustainable energy and storage alternatives.
NTU Singapore's EcoCampus initiative strives to push the boundaries of green innovation by providing opportunities for businesses to generate and test-bed new green ideas on the NTU campus.
Research efforts will be centred on six key areas: Information Management, Green Buildings, Renewable Energy, Transportation, Waste & Water, and User Behaviour for Energy Efficiency.
The EcoCampus initiative will also focus on research and development of practical solutions that can be commercialised in the near future.