The Center for Sustainable & Renewable Energy
Sustainability at ESF

The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), founded in 1911, is recognized internationally as a premier education and research institution in natural resources and the environment. SUNY-ESF is home to the SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy, a 64-campus research and development clearinghouse in the critical area of energy sufficiency and sustainability. Established by SUNY Chancellor Robert L. King, the Center has a statewide role as a scientific and academic policy advisor to the American Bioenergy Association—the acknowledged national bioenergy industry association and policy voice.

The Center is presently conducting research and investigation in the following areas:

• renewable carbonate fuel cell operations
• photovoltaic power generation
• solar-fueled hydrogen generation
• biomass energy feedstock agroforestry production
• biomass feedstock production from New York’s forest-products industry
• biomass combined heat and power sole-firing and co-firing with fossil fuels energy production
• biomass gasification for synthetic gas
• hydrogen extraction and biotechnical hydrogen production from biomass

The Center has an ongoing interest in wind power in support of potential wind power production operations.

Presently, the SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy is sponsoring and advancing specific renewable energy projects:

• SUNY SPARE (Solar Energy As Renewable Energy)
• Fuel Cells (with installation of a 250kW Carbonate Fuel Cell
• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification of a Green Building
• “Green Campus” Energy Efficiency initiative
• NY CHIP (New York Clean Heard and Innovative Power) Biomass Fuelled Combined Hear and Power
• Hydrogen Generation and Storage Using Renewable Resource Systems
• Forest Products Industry of the Future achieving biotechnologically advanced products from wood and fiber
• development and demonstration of USDOE certified energy feedstock crops
• helping to shape energy policy including state and federal tax law, the NYS and national Renewable Portfolio Standard, and carbon sequestration

In every case, the SUNY Center equates sustainable and renewable energy with economic development, jobs and national security.

General Comments

• Designated by Chancellor King in March 2002 to be the SUNY-system wide clearing house for research, development and educational outreach for sustainable and renewable energy matters.
• Very pleased by the Governor’s announcement and funding for the expanded core mission of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Systems to include Renewable and Clean Energy research and development.
• Very pleased that the Governor recognized the long standing and effective NYSERDA-SUNY-ESF/ SUNY Center partnership:
  • Decades of and present biomass feedstock R&D partnerships with NYSERDA
  • Present Fuel Cell partnership with NYSERDA
  • Present Solar Power partnership with NYSERDA
  • Present forest-product industry energy applications with NYSERDA including bio-pulping, bioprocess engineering and production of chemicals and bio-products from lignocellosics.

Generic SUNY-ESF Applied Energy Research and Economic Development Interests

• Biomass feedstocks
• Liquid Biofuels and Chemicals from Lignocellulosics
• Biohydrogen Production
• Fuel Cell Applications
• Biomass Combined Heat and Power
• Gasification
• Photovoltaics
• Membrane Gas Separation
• Renewable Energy Policy support
• Carbon Sequestration
• Urban Forestry
• Biomass Logistics and Economics
• Naturally Chilled Water Applications

Specific SUNY-ESF Applied Energy Research and Economic Development Projects (Funded & Underway)

• Applied R&D to improve yields of woody biomass (AgriGensis) to enhance cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractive components from woody biomass.
• Cost effective conversions of cellulose and hemicellulose to sugars to refine liquid fuels including ethanol and other esters and new applications for hemicellulose with emphasis on production of furfural, an intermediate chemical derived from the five-carbon sugars of hemicellulose in woody biomass.
• Biohydrogen production including anaerobic fermentation to convert hemicellulose, a low-value woody biomass residual, to hydrogen and enhance hydrogen production by metabolic, medium, or genetic engineering and thermochemical production of hydrogen and synthetic gas with fuel cell applications focusing primarily on advanced gasification.
• SUNY-ESF, NYPA and NYSERDA are installing a Fuel Cell on the SUNY-ESF campus enabling SUNY Center scientists to study, define and refine extended uses of distributive power to help the SUNY system achieve Governor Pataki’s Executive Order 111 clean energy requirements while producing renewable combined heat and power on the campus for day-to-day use.
• SUNY-ESF and The SUNY Center in alliance with the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York, NYPA, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sutton Asset Recovery Group Enterprises Inc is in design NYCHIP (NY Clean Heat and Innovative Power), a biomass gasification combined heat and power facility to produce clean, renewable energy for Syracuse manufacturers.
• SUNY-ESF and The SUNY Center in partnership with SUNY Delhi and Congressman John Sweeney and NYCDEP is in the design process for the Center of Excellence in Watershed Applications and Technology-Based Economic Revitalization (COE in WATER) biomass gasification technology combined-heat and power project providing Executive Order 111 compliant green power in Delaware County and the Catskill watershed.
• SUNY-ESF and The SUNY Center in partnership with the Syracuse Metropolitan Water Board, Onondaga County and Legislature, the Center of Excellence in Environmental Systems and Renewable Energy, O’Brien & Gere Engineers Inc. and NYS Assemblyman Will Barclay (NYS 124^th) are advancing a Naturally Chilled Water Feasibility Study on drawing deep, chilled water from Lake Ontario in support of electricity demand reduction/energy efficiency efforts for economic development and creation of a municipal cooling district.
• SUNY-ESF and The SUNY Center in partnership with Onondaga Community College, Syracuse City School District, USDOL and Congressman Jim Walsh are deploying SUNY SPARE (Solar Power As Renewable Energy) a funded photovoltaics (PV) & renewable energy technician job training project involving installation of PV systems and creation and implementation of training and education component to develop "Green Energy" technical and maintenance expertise among regional youth.
• The SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy successfully lobbied for significant enacted woody biomass language, commodity designations and biomass definitions in the 2002 federal "Farm Bill."
• The SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy continues to lobby for significant woody biomass language, commodity designations and biomass definitions in the federal "Energy Bill."
• The SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy as the lead academic and research advisor to the American Bioenergy Association has authored important House and Senate open loop, closed-loop, production and carbon sequestration tax language.
• SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy is consulting with the Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives (Congressman Sherwood Boehlert) on development of Carbon Sequestration Research authorizations in the 108th Congress.
• SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy is an active party in  the NY Public Service Commission NY Renewable Portfolio Standard development and hearing process.
• The SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy is consulting with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (Congressman Jack Quinn -House, Chair) for a New York Statewide Biomass Inventory and Assessment -WNY/CNY logistics study for woody biomass feedstock resources, supply chain, SALIX installation expansion under the Conservation Reserve Enhanced Program.
• The SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy and SUNY-ESF has on campus a major patents inventor/holder in fuel cell membrane technology in Dr. Israel Cabasso with over twenty related patents.