Founded in 2005, the award-winning Renewable Energy Center promotes community and residential-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency in Pennsylvania. The Center believes that enduring projects and markets are built by informed customers who are connected to technical and financial resources—and to each other. The Center leads many efforts across the state and in the Alleghenies working with a strong and diverse group of partners and funders. Center’s flagship program, the Community Wind Project, offers high-quality comprehensive wind assessment services to Pennsylvania public and private entites interested in community-scale wind development.
We have a number of statewide projects and regional and on-campus efforts that help us realize our mission to lead and educate businesses, schools, and communities in the development of cost-effective and environmentally sound energy alternatives.
We invite you to meet our team, Advisory Board and funders and to learn about the current community and global challenges that explain why we do what we do.
Energy for Good
The University’s patron, the 12th century St. Francis of Assisi, was a renowned lover of the natural world and serves as the University’s example and inspiration for environmental stewardship. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, we believe alternative energy development must support environmental stewardship while spurring economic development and social equity.
Four "Energy for Good" Principles:
Mine Your Own Business (or Home): Start with Efficiency, the Cheapest and Cleanest Energy Source
Research by the Department of Energy, the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy and many others demonstrate that most homes and businesses can reduce their electric and heating/cooling bills by 10 – 20% with no cost/low cost solutions. Efficiency comes first and that includes learning—and teaching employees and children (or parents)—creative ways of using energy more efficiently. It also includes investing in more efficient technology such as lighting, appliances, and sensors.
Think Like the Whole House: Good Planning Focuses on Results and Systems (not technology and parts)
Energy involves a complex set of systems, machines, materials, and people. Clarify and focus on the results you need (such as warm, happy people) and your project goals (20% savings on electricity). And don’t rely just on the experts. Make sure different parts of the system are talking to one another: installers and maintenance people, designers and the employees who will be using a space—and contractors and other contractors.
Go With the Clean, Green Team: Integrate Renewable Energy Systems
Our current energy challenges have created the opportunity to invest in a variety of solutions—which can work especially well together. For example, sunny days are not very windy and windy days are not very sunny so solar panels and wind turbines are good companions. Heating your water with solar power but then using it wisely with low-flow shower heads and insulated pipes is not only smarter but more profitable.
Solutions are Site-Specific: Do a Renewable Energy Inventory of Your Location
Renewable energy starts with a good examination of what resources you have. Don’t put up a windmill just because you saw one in a magazine—and your house is in the valley! Perhaps you have a waterway on your property or a south-facing roof for solar panels—or a neighbor with lots of biomass waste for making your own pellets.
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