From highly efficient automobiles to efficient light bulbs to motion-sensing light switches, more efficient devices and reduction in waste can contribute as much toward a sustainable energy future as discovery of new energy sources. Research carried out at the University of Illinois is aimed at both improving efficiency of energy-consuming devices as well as conservation of energy by reducing waste.
Areas of Research Focus
Illinois researchers are leading the way on saving energy and resources — now and in the future.
Specific projects include:
- Design and operation of motors.
- Design of a high-speed, high-frequency air-core machine.
- MEMS and microelectronics for motor and energy applications.
- Progress toward more efficient wind farms.
- Fast modeling of solar costs and sensitivity.
- Dynamic energy management needs in energy-efficient buildings imposed by stochastic solar resources.
- Applied fluid mechanics principles for efficient wind power harvesting.
- Differential processing for improvements in solar array energy harvest.
- Induction motor drive design based on drive-cycle energy minimization.
- Energy and water efficiency in residential homes.
- Photoconversion efficiency of perovskite solar cell materials.
- High-efficiency III-V solar cells and thin-film inorganic solar cells.
- Visible light emitting diodes (LEDs) and thin-film flexible LEDs.
- Wind energy and environment.
Researchers


Phillip Ansell
Electrical and chemical engineering; materials science



Leonardo P. Chamorro
Fluid mechanics and thermal sciences





Waltraud M. Kriven
Mechanical properties and materials





Nenad Miljkovic
Fluid mechanics and thermal sciences



Carlos Pantano-Rubino
Fluid dynamics and thermal sciences
ILLINOIS RESEARCH CENTERS
- Advanced Digital Sciences Center (ADSC)
- Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center (ACRC)
- Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS)
- Energy-Water-Environment Sustainability (EWES) Program
- Grainger Center for Electric Machinery and Electromagnetics (CEME)
- Illinois Center for Smarter Electric Grid (ICSEG)
- International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER)
- Light Material Interactions in Energy Conversion (LMI-EFRC)
- Power and Energy Systems Research Area in ECE Department
- Power Systems Engineering Research Center (PSERC)
ONGOING GRANTS & GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Coming soon.
FIND AN ENERGY SCHOLAR