Category: News

Vice President for Research Announces Faculty Fellows Selections

The Office of the Vice President for Research has selected the 2014 recipients of the newly implemented Faculty Fellow Program. The first Faculty Fellows for 2014-2015 are: Larry Sutter (MSE), for Sponsored Program Administration, Adrienne Minerick (ChE) for Strategic Planning and Budget, and Yoke Khin Yap (Physics) for Economic Development and Technology Commercialization.

From Tech Today.

A Faculty Fellow in Sponsored Programs will be involved in areas such as pre- and post-award processing and administration.

ECE graduate students J. Rozario, A. H. Vora, and S. K. Debnath, and Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) published “The effects of dispatch strategy on electrical performance of amorphous silicon-based solar photovoltaic-thermal system” in the journal Renewable Energy.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.02.029

From Tech Today.

Research Assistant Professor Zhiwei Peng (MSE) has received a 2014 TMS Young Leader Professional Development Award from the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. The award is supported by the TMS Foundation.

Peng, who recently completed a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at Michigan Tech, was honored with the 2013 Bhakta Rath Award for his exceptional research on the use of microwaves to make steel. “I am truly grateful for the education at Michigan Tech which laid a solid foundation for my career,” said Peng. “I am also deeply indebted to my advisor, Jiann-Yang Hwang, for his excellent and invaluable guidance during my PhD studies.”

The award recognizes early-career individuals under the age of 40 for their potential as future leaders within TMS and the materials and engineering community. Award winners have unique opportunities to become more involved in society activities and to network with prominent TMS members.

Award winners receive complimentary 2014 TMS membership and sponsorship for their attendance at the TMS annual meeting in San Diego.

The winners were formally recognized at the 143rd TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition in February.

From Tech Today.

Theresa Alafita, a visiting scholar in MSE and Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) published “Securitization of Solar Photovoltaic Assets: Costs, Risks and Uncertainty,” in the journal Energy Policy.

From Tech Today.

In the News

Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) was quoted in PV Magazine in an article on how solar securities may offer major investment potential.

From Tech Today.

Solar securities may offer major investment potential

Pearce, an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering explains, “Our results show that, under reasonable assumptions, securitization of solar power purchase agreements or PPAs can significantly reduce project financing costs.

Read more at PV Magazine, by Edgar Meza.

In the News

Research by visiting scholar Theresa Alafita (MSE) and Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) on the securitization of solar photovoltaic systems was covered by the Clean Energy Finance Forum and Renewable Energy World.

From Tech Today.

Study Shows Securitization Can Lower the Cost of Capital for Solar PV

Securitization of residential solar PV power purchase agreements (PPAs) can reduce the cost of capital for solar PV projects by between five and 13 percent, said the researchers, Theresa Alafita and Joshua Pearce.

The journal Energy Policy published the results online on Jan. 21 in an article titled “Securitization of Residential Solar Photovoltaic Assets: Costs, Risks and Uncertainty.”

Read more at Renewable Energy World, by Alexander Metz.