With the first U.S. offshore wind farm just miles away from campus, URI is on the international forefront of oceanographic research and the development of renewable energy technology.
Engineering faculty have helped create a successful model for regulating coastal waters for uses such as renewable energy. Our research teams are developing linear electric generators that convert the motion of waves to electricity using smart circuits to capture the electricity and store it efficiently. New solar energy technologies on the horizon–panels that can be embedded in asphalt–would allow utility companies to turn highways into power plants.
Connecting all the dots requires coordinated research to build the nation’s “smart grid” backed by computers that can react in milliseconds to a sudden loss or spike in demand and manage electricity usage.
Faculty
Today, the energy we produce is sufficient but if the country is to grow we need a mix of energies that are affordable, economical, sustainable and not harmful to the environment.
Distinguished Engineering Professor Bahram Nassersharif