The Laboratory for Energy and the Environment (LFEE) brings together faculty and staff in 14 departments to address the complex interrelationships between energy and the environment. In carrying out its mission, LFEE takes account of the technological, economic, political, and social aspects of sustainable energy development and use, and of other environmental challenges to sustainable development.
LFEE is home to more than a dozen existing centers, groups, and programs, and serves as a focal point for energy and environmental activities throughout MIT. Educational and outreach programs coordinated by LFEE serve MIT students as well as other academic researchers, industry professionals, and policy makers worldwide. Within the administrative structure of LFEE, or closely associated through collaborative research efforts, are a number of more focused activities and research groups that are described briefly below.
For more information about LFEE, contact Dr. Teresa L. Hill, Room E40-467, MIT, 617-253-1341, thill@mit.edu, or visit http://lfee.mit.edu/.
The mission of the LFEE Education Program is to enhance environmental literacy and deepen multidisciplinary knowledge on energy and the environment within the MIT community as well as locally, nationally, and internationally. Its projects include maintaining EnviroClasses and EnergyClasses, two web-accessible databases of environmental and energy classes at MIT (respectively, http://enviroclasses.mit.edu/ and http://energyclasses.mit.edu/); coordinating an Environmental Fellows Group that comprises the Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability and the LFEE Future Energy Fellows as well as graduate fellows across campus in fields relevant to sustainability; and offering forums with innovative thinkers from a wide variety of environmental fields. The Education Program collaborates with campus leaders to provide opportunities such as the Campus Sustainability UROP Program, which enables students to discover the MIT campus as an opportunity for environmental research and innovation. The program also develops subjects, curriculum materials, and interdisciplinary case studies taught at MIT and elsewhere. Globally, it collaborates on learning initiatives for the Alliance for Global Sustainability and participate in intensive summer institutes on sustainable development hosted by the Center for Sustainability at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-Zürich (ETH-Zürich) and the University of Tokyo.
For more information, contact Professor Jeffrey I. Steinfeld, director, Room 2-221, 617-253-4525, jisteinf@mit.edu, or Dr. Amanda C. Graham, education program manager, Room E40-479, 617-253-8995, agraham@mit.edu, or visit http://lfee.mit.edu/education/.
The Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS) is an 11-year partnership among four research universities—The University of Tokyo, ETH-Zürich, Chalmers University of Technology, and MIT—that works with industry, government, and NGOs to develop sustainable solutions. AGS uses a fully integrated style of research, education, and outreach aimed at strengthening the knowledge needed for better decisions, policies, and the development of new technologies. AGS activities currently focus on energy, food, and water. The MIT/AGS Program sponsors research and educational initiatives on sustainability at MIT. Ongoing work investigates energy pathways for a low-carbon future.
For more information, contact Karen L. Gibson, program coordinator, Room E40-469, 617-258-6368, kgibson@mit.edu, or visit the international AGS website at http://www.globalsustainability.org/ or the MIT/AGS website at http://lfee.mit.edu/ (programs).
The Analysis Group for Regional Energy Alternatives (AGREA) focuses on strategic planning in energy and the environment, with an emphasis on regional energy pathways. Since 1988, AGREA has been using a multi-attribute tradeoff approach to identify robust energy strategies through projects in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Current work in the U.S., Scandinavia, and Portugal focuses on the dynamics of renewables and energy demand, and how to design future energy systems to reduce both costs and emissions. Challenges of this type are part of LFEE’s Energy Pathways initiative within the Alliance for Global Sustainability.
For more information, contact Stephen R. Connors, Room E40-465, 617-253-7985, connorsr@mit.edu, or visit http://web.mit.edu/agrea/.
Research in the Building Technology Program encompasses a range of innovations for the design, construction, and operation of sustainable buildings. Research topics include new concepts for expanded use of daylighting, use of natural ventilation to reduce air conditioning needs, and detailed monitoring of building operation to verify performance. Other work includes design of energy-efficient urban housing for China and New Orleans and structural evaluation of historic masonry buildings to identify unsafe conditions and means of restoration. A web-based design tool is being developed to help designers identify energy-efficient and sustainable alternatives. Included is a materials-selection tool for advanced building components.
For more information, contact Professor Leon R. Glicksman, director, Room 5-418F, 617-253-2233, glicks@mit.edu, or visit http://web.mit.edu/bt/www/.
The Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Technologies Program looks at CCS as a strategy to complement the current approaches to carbon mitigation (i.e., improved energy efficiency and increased use of non-carbon energy sources). Attention is given to all aspects of the problem, including technological, economic, environmental, and social. Research initiatives include studies of CCS economics; technology assessment studies; development of a Carbon Management Geographic Information System; and investigation of the political and social dimensions of introducing CCS technologies. A major component of the program is the Carbon Sequestration Initiative, an industrial consortium currently with 17 members.
For more information, contact Howard J. Herzog, Room E40-447, 617-253-0688, hjherzog@mit.edu, or visit http://sequestration.mit.edu/.
The Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems (CANES), a joint center with the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, aims to create more economic and environmentally desirable nuclear energy systems through development of methods for design, operation, and regulation of advanced nuclear technology. CANES also investigates the role of nuclear energy in meeting future demands for nonelectrical energy forms such as process heat and hydrogen. In addition, CANES undertakes educational activities, including short courses, electronic offerings, and topical publications for professionals and the public. The center's research programs are: advanced reactor technology; nuclear fuel cycle technology and economics; enhanced performance of nuclear systems; and nuclear energy and sustainability.
For more information, contact Professor Mujid S. Kazimi, director, Room 24-219, 617-253-4206, kazimi@mit.edu, or visit http://web.mit.edu/canes/.
The Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, described earlier in this chapter, is also affiliated with LFEE.
The MIT Energy Studies program in LFEE involves research on energy technology and policy. In March 2007 an interdisciplinary MIT faculty group published The Future of Coal—Options for a Carbon Constrained World (http://web.mit.edu/coal/). This comprehensive study examined the interrelated technical, economic, environmental, and policy challenges of continued use of coal, with a special focus on carbon sequestration. In 2003 a similar MIT group published a comparable interdisciplinary study called The Future of Nuclear Power (http://web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/).
For more information, contact Professor Ernest J. Moniz, codirector of LFEE, Room E40-453, 617-253-7515, ejmoniz@mit.edu.
The Program for Sustainable Energy and Clean Chemical Processing focuses on the supply and use of renewable and conventional energy and on the clean chemical processing of fuels, biomass, minerals, water, chemicals, and other energy-intensive raw materials and products. New programs include chemical conversion and upgrading of food-processing wastes, agriculture residuals, wood wastes, low-grade fossil fuels, and wastewaters in hydrothermal and supercritical water media; molecular modeling of gas and hydrates; environmentally benign supercritical solvents for chemical synthesis; and advanced methods for geothermal energy recovery including rock drilling using spallation/fusion methods.
For more information, contact Professor Jefferson W. Tester, Room 66-454, 617-253-7090, testerel@mit.edu.
The Sloan Automotive Laboratory has for many decades conducted research on future transportation technology, especially engines and fuels. Major theme areas are engine combustion, emissions, fuel requirements, lubrication, friction, and wear; engine diagnostics; new engine concepts; and future automotive technology and fuels options. The laboratory has major industry-sponsored consortiums focused on engine and fuels, engine lubrication, diesel emission control, and impacts of new automotive technology and fuels on transportation energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information, contact Professor John B. Heywood, director, Room 3-340, 617-253-2243, jheywood@mit.edu, or visit http://web.mit.edu/sloan-auto-lab/.