Sustainable Use of Renewable Energy (SURE)
February through April 2012

Program Overview

Energy issues and challenges are making headlines every day. After a brief overview of the conceptual framework of renewable energy ideas, issues and decisions, ESF and SU faculty, staff, students, and local company representatives will help you understand the most discussed renewable energies, their benefits and drawbacks, and the associated technologies. Each month we will focus on a new source of renewable energy through an interactive presentation.  Join business people, researchers, and experts in renewable energy resources and green management practices as they present the evidence and exchange ideas about the critical topics you have read and heard about.

The Sustainable Use of Renewable Energy (SURE) program is offered by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) as a collaborative effort of the Sustainable Enterprise Partnership (SEP), a partnership of SUNY-ESF, the Whitman School of Management and L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University, and the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems.

What You Will Learn

Through the course of this three month program, we will highlight four major sources of renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, and solar thermal). We will dedicate our final session to discussing emerging issues in renewable energy policy, and navigating the legal and regulatory system.

The program will be reviewed for professional development hours (PDHs) for engineers.

Program Format, Location, and Schedule (tentative)

The program will be offered as a live seminar on a bi-weekly basis throughout the spring. The event will be hosted at various locations in Syracuse. Each session will be from 5:00-6:30 p.m.

SURE seminar dates and topics (subject to change)

Date and Time	Topic	Speakers	Location
Thursday February 9, 2012	Introduction to Diversification of Energy Sources What is Sustainability? World and U.S. Energy Use Sustainable Alternative Energies	Ms. Elet Callahan, Faculty Director, Sustainable Enterprise Partnership; and Professor of Law & Public Policy, Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University Mr. Mike Kelleher, Director of Renewable Energy Systems, SUNY-ESF Dr. Tim Volk, Senior Research Associate, Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, SUNY-ESF; and Co-Director, SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy	Milton Room (4th floor), Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University
Thursday February 23, 2012	Heating Options (biomass, solar thermal, geothermal) Heating with Biomass Solar Thermal and Geothermal	Mr. Paul Crovella, Instructor, Department of Sustainable Construction Management, SUNY-ESF Dr. Tim Volk, Senior Research Associate, Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, SUNY-ESF; and Co-Director, SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy	National Grid Auditorium
Wednesday March 7, 2012	Electricity Options (wind, solar PV, CHP) Solar Photovoltaic Systems PV Markets and Prices	Dr. Neal Abrams, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, SUNY-ESF Mr. Mike Kelleher, Director of Renewable Energy Systems, SUNY-ESF	National Grid Auditorium
Thursday March 22, 2012	Existing Buildings & Conservation Energy Use in Buildings Energy Efficiency Programs for Commercial & Industrial Customers	Mr. Paul Crovella, Instructor, Department of Sustainable Construction Management, SUNY-ESF Ms. Amy Dickerson, Commercial Energy Consultant, National Grid	National Grid Auditorium
Wednesday April 4, 2012	Available Incentives and Wrap Up Renewable Energy Incentives New York Energy $mart Programs	Mr. Chris Carrick, Energy Program Manager and NYSERDA Energy Smart Communityies Coordinator, Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board Mr. Mike Kelleher, Director of Renewable Energy Systems, SUNY-ESF	Milton Room (4th floor), Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University

SURE 2012 Instructional Team

Michael Kelleher

Director of Renewable Energy Systems at SUNY-ESF, is focused on expanding the use of sustainable technologies and energy efficiency to reduce the College's carbon footprint. Prior to joining ESF, Mike served as an executive with National Grid and Niagara Mohawk. Mike joined the College of Environmental Science and Forestry as the Director of Renewable Energy Systems. In this position he is focused on expanding the use of sustainable technologies and energy efficiency to reduce the College’s carbon footprint. Prior to joining ESF Mike served as an executive with National Grid and Niagara Mohawk. He has extensive hands-on senior management experience in market assessment, strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance, and transaction structuring. Mike and his team built and maintained strong relationships with commercial, industrial, and municipal customers for National Grid. In addition, he developed effective economic development and pricing programs to attract and retain customers. He has also held a variety of financial and resource planning positions with Niagara Mohawk. Mike earned an M.S. in Agricultural Economics, and a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering Technology from Cornell University.

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Timothy Volk, Ph.D.

Senior Research Associate at SUNY-ESF and Co-Director of the SUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy. Dr. Volk has over 20 years of experience working in the fields of forestry, agroforestry, short-rotation woody crops, bioenergy and phytoremediation in the Northeastern United States and Africa. He holds degrees from the University of Guelph (BS (Agr.), Guelph, Ontario) in Natural Resources Management, Cornell University (MS, Ithaca, NY) in Forest Science and SUNY – ESF (PhD, Syracuse, NY) in Forest and Natural Resources Management. He is responsible for a series of research projects focused on the development of shrub willow biomass cropping systems as a feedstock for bioproducts and bioenergy and the use of willow as an alternative cover for industrial waste sites. He is also actively involved in research and development of sustainability assessments of bioenergy systems, life cycle assessments of willow biomass crops and woody biomass from forests, assessments of woody biomass availability from natural forests, economic modeling of short rotation woody crops, living snowfences, regional woody biomass resource supplies, and harvesting systems for short rotation woody crops. He chaired the ad hoc committee at SUNY-ESF that developed and is now implementing the curriculum for a minor in Renewable Energy and is currently teaching courses on Energy Systems and Biomass Energy. He chaired the ad hoc committee at SUNY-ESF that developed and is now implementing the curriculum for a minor in Renewable Energy and is currently teaching courses on Energy Systems and Biomass Energy.

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Elet Callahan

Professor of Law and Public Policy in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, teaches sustainable enterprise, the legal environment of business, and environmental law and policy at the Whitman School. She also serves as faculty director of the Sustainable Enterprise Partnership (SEP), a collaboration of Whitman and the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University, SUNY-ESF, and the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems. The SEP promotes sustainable enterprise through curricula, outreach, and research.

Callahan has received numerous teaching awards, including the SU Alumni Association’s Outstanding Teacher Award. Her research has been published in the American Business Law Journal, the Virginia Journal of International Law, the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, the Washington University Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law, and the Journal of Business Ethics, among others. Professor Callahan and her family designed and built the first home in New York State to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  Professor Callahan holds a J.D. (magna cum laude) from Syracuse University College of Law and a B.A. from Wellesley College (Wellesley College Scholar).

Please mark your calendar, bookmark this page, and revisit soon for program details and to register.