Research Initiatives Accelerate Solar Industry Growth
Arizona’s rapidly expanding research and development resources for the renewable energy industry demonstrate a strong commitment to the industry’s growth at the government, business and university levels.
Arizona is home to some of the world’s most innovative renewable energy initiatives, including The Solar Zone research park located in the University of Arizona’s Science and Technology Park, which houses nearly 50 companies; 7,000 high-tech employees; and the Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI), a business incubator for developing technology companies that offers services to solar start-ups.
Arizona’s world-renowned research universities and effective industry-university collaboration continue to drive solar advancements in the state, helping to deliver an exceptional workforce and secure Arizona’s position as a global leader in the solar industry.
Arizona State University (ASU)
With approximately 61,000 students spread across four campuses, ASU is the state’s largest university. Recently named one of the “greenest” universities in the country, ASU launched the nation’s first School of Sustainability, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees in sustainability, with a focus on collaborative learning techniques designed to address challenges of the 21st century. ASU is also home to LightWorks, a multidisciplinary effort to leverage ASU’s expertise in solar and other renewable energy fields to expedite the technology needed to make it affordable and mainstream; and to a number of research centers, including the Flexible Display Center (FDC) and Photovoltic Testing Laboratory (PTL).
ASU Research Links:
ASU LightWorks
ASU School of Sustainability
ASU Global Institute of Sustainability
Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory (PTL)
Flexible Display Center (FDC) at ASU
The University of Arizona (UA)
UA is Arizona’s second largest university and ranked one of the top 20 public research universities in the country. UA is home to AzRISE, a global institute using powerful industry-education collaboration – supported by research and economic and public policy – to drive innovative solar energy solutions; and to the The Solar Zone, a pioneering solar research park spread across 222 acres in the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. The Solar Zone’s strategic location, synergistic environment, specialized talent pool, and access to quality research and resources give solar companies operating there a major competitive advantage.
UA Research Links:
AzRISE
The Solar Zone
University of Arizona Science and Technology Park
Northern Arizona University (NAU)
NAU’s Center for Sustainable Environments (CSE) is a national leader in the university-based “sustainable science.” Offering programs that address the survival of humanity and other species on Earth, one area of emphasis is in the reduction of ecological impacts related to energy use. CSE is housed in NAU’s College of Engineering and Natural Sciences and participates in many educational, research and outreach activities, including the Campus Sustainability Program and the Sustainable Economic Development Initiative.
NAU Research Links:
Northern Arizona University Research
NAU’s Center for Sustainable Environments (CSE)
Science Foundation Arizona (SFA)
Working in collaboration with all three of Arizona’s primary universities, Science Foundation Arizona is a public-private partnership formed to help Arizona strengthen its economy, improve education programs and create high-quality jobs. Its Solar Technology Initiative (STI) was developed to promote Arizona’s leadership in solar energy-related research, technology development and commercialization through industry-university partnerships, and effective stakeholder communications within the state and the region.
Solar Test and Research (STAR)
Arizona Public Service company (APS) operates STAR, a world-class research facility. STAR provides solar-resource monitoring, small-scale performance testing of new products, and acts as a staging area to ready and test equipment being installed for customer service. Solar technologies currently under evaluation at STAR include crystalline, thin-film and high-concentration photovoltaics, remote (off-grid) residential solar units, grid-tied rooftop PV systems, grid-tied utility PV systems, and a dish/Stirling solar-thermal-electric generation system.
Relevant Links:
STAR
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