News
A message from IES Interim Director, Neal Armstrong, PhD
Welcome to the Institute for Energy Solutions (IES) at the University of Arizona!
IES is at the forefront of innovation in energy-related research. Through cross-disciplinary programs, training and outreach activities, we develop solutions to emerging problems pertinent to Arizona, the Southwest U.S. and similar global areas. We leverage the depth of expertise among our University affiliates to address challenges in energy and its relation to society, water, climate and the economy. Within UA, IES facilitates collaboration between faculty, students, and other research centers. We also engage with stakeholders from local and regional industries, public utilities, government agencies, and other universities to tackle big questions and meet critical problems head-on. This site offers information on the many exciting programs recently developed at UA that have been initiated or supported by IES:
- SBAR (Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions), a USDA-NIFA sponsored research activity, focuses on co-producing biofuels and bioproducts using minimal water and nutrients from guayule and guar.
- Indige-FEWSS (Indigenous Food, Energy, and Water Security and Sovereignty) brings intercultural awareness and multidisciplinary skills to their high priority research in sustainable food, energy, and water systems. Indige-FEWSS is a National Research Traineeship (NRT) sponsored by the National Science Foundation, paving the way for diversity in the STEM workforce.
- Solar Forecast 2, a Department of Energy funded program comprised of eight teams, is working to create reliable weather-based forecasting models to improve the efficiency of solar power utilization in power plant operations.
These are but a few of the new activities at IES. We will continually update our sites to celebrate our new programs, educate on energy and sustainability, and provide opportunities for the outside community to connect with us and with UA.
Sincerely,
Neal Armstrong, PhD
IES Interim Director