One of the greatest

challenges of our time

lies in our ability to secure

reliable, affordable and

sustainable energy for

future generations...

Energy and Environment at Ohio State

The Ohio State University is dedicated to advancing education, research and innovation for energy and the environment, emphasizing how those needs can be met sustainably.

Ohio State faculty, staff and students are researching conventional and alternative

energy sources and developing affordable, environmentally responsible and

sustainable options. The university also advances energy to bolster Ohio’s

economic future; emphasizes campus sustainability and integration efforts;

provides advice on government policy for energy and its related environmental

issues; supports interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects; and fosters

student interest in energy and related environmental issues.

The university’s establishment of “Energy and Environment” as one of its key

research Discovery Themes underscores Ohio State’s focus on energy issues,

driven by:

• widespread faculty interest in finding solutions to one of our most

important challenges: the need for additional and improved energy;

• the nation’s economic challenges; and

• the increasing need for educational institutions to

be interdisciplinary and collaborative on large-scale

funding proposals related to energy and related

environmental research.

Ohio State is meeting the energy challenge

head-on.

Research

Ohio State research encompasses a vast array of expertise and ongoing

exploration in energy and related environmental fields, with more than

400 faculty members studying the world’s energy and environment challenges.

Our faculty members and their students engage in comprehensive and

multidisciplinary discoveries that have garnered international acclaim in

key areas:

• biomass/biofuels

• buildings and manufacturing efficiency

• climate and environmental science and engineering

• electricity systems

• fossil energy sources

• materials for energy

• nuclear energy

• policy and economics

• power and transportation

• renewable energy sources

Their efforts benefit from nearly 20 affiliated research laboratories and

centers, where many discoveries are fostered in an interdisciplinary environment

with partners from Ohio State and around the world.

In addition, the university is developing an energy-related

“campus as a test bed” concept, providing the

university as a resource for testing

and improving new technology for

industry; helping faculty members find

resources to support their ideas; and

fulfilling needs of students completing

their education and research.

D i s c o v e r i n g .

Curriculum and Experience

The Ohio State University emphasizes energy education by

making students more aware of how energy affects their day-

to-day lives and how they can influence change.

Ohio State’s more than 90 areas of study in energy and

related environmental issues support our commitment

to develop a workforce capable of implementing new

solutions to energy challenges. Undergraduate and graduate students can

pursue their interests in energy through courses that range from engineering new

solutions and improving conventional energy sources to analyzing policy, human

behavior, and economic and business aspects of the field.

University sustainability efforts are strengthened through student organization

activities; student research and project initiatives; and industry connections with

students. Our students have shown exceptional interest and dedication to energy

and the related environmental challenges through their successful participation in

national and international projects such as:

• the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon and EcoCAR

competitions, and

• the record-setting, land-speed vehicle, the Buckeye Bullet, with

variations using battery and fuel cell technologies.

Our students also excel in energy- and environment-related outreach

activities, including:

• the design and construction of an energy-efficient

“POD” home;

• the installation of solar panels in a rural village

in Haiti; and

• an energy conservation program providing more

efficient light bulbs and window insulation for

off-campus student residences.

E d u c a t i n g .

A d v i s i n g .

Policy and Legislation

University energy and environment experts are trusted resources for local, state

and federal government leaders. As members of the Ohio General Assembly

debate state policy related to energy, experts from Ohio State

advise legislators about these important issues. In coordination

with Ohio State’s Federal Relations Office in Washington, D.C.,

our faculty and researchers work to educate members of

Congress and other federal policymakers on energy policy

as appropriate.

Ohio State’s prominence in energy-related work was

highlighted in 2013 by:

• The purchase of 50 MW of wind power capacity, which is projected

to supply 25 percent of the Columbus campus’ electricity and

provides research opportunities for faculty and students, and

• the university’s recognition as a 2013 Green Power Partner

of the Year by the U.S. EPA and a No. 3 ranking on the U.S.

EPA’s list of 20 largest users of green power among higher

education institutions.

Partnerships

To effectively address the energy and related environmental issues

facing our state, nation and world, partnerships are essential. In

addition to collaboration among the university’s many energy and

related research laboratories, Ohio State facilitates a myriad

of external relationships (formal and informal, collaborative and

consultative, sponsor and client) with government agencies, nonprofit

organizations and Ohio-based businesses as well as national and

multinational corporations. These partnerships, as well as joint projects

with other academic institutions in the United States and abroad,

advance our goal of positioning Ohio State as the land-grant institution

leader in energy issues.

F a c i l i t a t i n g .

I m p l e m e n t i n g .

Campus

The Ohio State University campus is

itself an example of sustainability

policy implementation through its

“Scarlet, Gray, and Green” initiatives.

The university’s Energy Services

and Sustainability office oversees Ohio State’s commitment to

improving utility efficiency—including electric, natural gas and

water—in campus buildings, and to managing waste recycling,

composting, and disposal. Additional university-wide sustainability efforts

include improving efficiency of transportation and parking services; purchasing

eco-friendly products; and increasing water conservation efforts.

Underscoring Ohio State’s participation in the American College and University

Presidents Climate Commitment to achieving carbon dioxide emissions

equivalent neutrality, the university’s President and Provost’s Council

on Sustainability serves as the strategic advisory committee for campus

sustainability issues.

Ohio Stadium is the largest stadium in

the country to attempt zero waste, which

refers to diverting 90% of materials from

the landfill by recycling and composting.

Ohio State is setting a new standard for

collegiate stadium recycling.

L e a d i n g .

University Overview

The Ohio State University is one of the pre-eminent comprehensive teaching

and research universities in the United States, offering tremendous breadth and

depth of opportunity to its more than 63,000 students through nearly 6,700 faculty

members, 14 colleges, 80 centers, 175 majors and Wexner Medical Center.

Ohio State stands out among our country’s top research universities

in the breadth, scope and excellence of its research programs,

making the university a leading force of innovation and change

locally, nationally and globally. The university’s three research

discovery themes of Energy and Environment, Health and

Wellness, and Food Production and Security provide a

focus to direct the university to find durable solutions to

some of the world’s most pressing problems.

B y t h e N u m b e r s

• The National Science Foundation ranks Ohio State 3rd among all U.S. universities in industry-sponsored research.

• Across the nation, Ohio State is actively engaged in more than 760 industry partnerships in 40 states.

• Ohio State is home to 12 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 14 members of the National Academy of Engineering, seven members of the Institute of Medicine, 17 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as 207 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Office of Energy and Environment

The Ohio State University

3018 Smith Lab

174 W. 18th Ave.

Columbus, OH 43210

Telephone: (614) 247-4762

Communications: (614) 688-4423

Email: energy.environment@osu.edu

Website: oee.osu.edu

Energy Services and Sustainability

Telephone: (614) 247-7203

Website: footprint.osu.edu

The Ohio State University’s Office of Energy and Environment

facilitates and integrates energy and environment issues across the

Ohio State enterprise.

The office advances global energy and environmental solutions through

multidisciplinary education, comprehensive research, efficient operations and

outreach to our partners in industry, government and organizations.

13520