A look at the latest developments in renewable energy and Smart Grid technology, by the foremost experts and scholars in the field, will be the focus of the International Energy & Sustainability Conference October 23 and 24 at Farmingdale State College. The conference – “Renewables in Smart Grid Technology for a Sustainable Future” – is sponsored by the college’s Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center (RESC).
Researchers, corporate executives, educators, students, and the public are invited to attend the third annual event, which will take place in Roosevelt Hall. General admission is $75, and $25 for students and those 65 and older. For more information, email smartgrid@farmingdale.edu, or call 934-420-5175 or 934-420-2194.
The conference begins on Thursday, October 23 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. with a poster competition for high school, undergraduate and graduate students. The general session, scheduled for October 24 from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., will address issues such as the challenges of finding and integrating sustainable energy sources; maintaining and ensuring energy security; the benefits of a smarter grid; energy efficiency – and even how to save on your home energy bill. Two Farmingdale professors will address hot topics "Global Climate Change” and "Sustainability – Landscape Green Building.”
Breakout sessions will feature topics such as global climate change; the future of electric power; water resources sustainability; sustainable energy systems and their implications for Long Island, and generating energy and feeling good about it. The conference will also have an international flavor, with papers being presented from countries such as India, Pakistan, China, and Iran.
The mission of the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center at Farmingdale State College is to enhance public awareness of emerging renewable energy resources through modern workforce training and applied research in renewable/sustainable smart grid technologies. The conference will also synergize and incorporate the activities of the Solar Energy Center, Green Building Institute and IRTT into Long Island's Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center (RESC) with a focus on solar, small scale wind, geothermal, fuel cell, green data centers, alternative fuel vehicles and smart grid.
The Center also oversees the Energy Smart House, which is scheduled to open in 2015. It will be equipped with smart appliances controlled by a smart meter so that the potential owners of such homes will be able to monitor the house's energy use at any time, in any location. The house will be powered by solar, solar thermal (to supply hot water), and hydrogen fuel cell (to provide energy when the sun isn't shining). There are plans to install a renewable energy treadmill in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
