iee.nmsu.edu

Issue II/III 2010/11CEMRC . SWTDI . WERC

Research.Education.Outreach

Energy • Environment•Water

Renewable energy playing a growing role in Afghanistan

College of Engineering

Institute for Energy & the Environment

Insight

New Mexico Algae Project Receives Funding 3Project researchers evaluate aspects of algae production

including yields, harvest methods, extraction and performance.

Conference 2010 5Comprehensive energy plan that incorporates both traditional and renewable energy resources.

Renewable Energy Development in Afghanistan 9 Renewable energy is playing a growing role in Afghanistan future economic development.

Graduate Students 11

Announcing the WATER NEXUS Website 13Website collaborations in water, energy and the environment.

2010 Water Symposium 14Desalination technology for use in rural communities utilizing brackish water reserves.

International Environmental Design Contest 17More than 5000 students have competed in the engineering challenge.

2011 IEDC Tasks 20Seven diverse challenges from Aseptic Bacterial Removal to Product Stewardship in the Copper Chain.

Faculty Profile: Jung Uk Lim, Ph. D. 21Postdoctoral researcher at IEE.

IEE Employee Profile: Nicole Heckathorn 22The innovative, vibrant account manager.

NMSU Professor Patents Liquid, Organic Fertilizer 23Zohrab Samani, develops an easily transportable, easy-to-apply fertilizer

that could lead to long-term gains for growers of the world.

EPA Partnership Summit/NM State Plan-biofuels 24Lean and green manufacturing.

Earth Day / Renewable Energy Demo Projects 25~ IEE activities / Algae project summary ~

Crossword: Renewable Energy Back Cover

Re-Energize America

INSIGHT: M. Therese Shakra / J. Symona Serna Reviewers: Nicole J. Heckathorn, Karen P. Mikel

Front Cover: The recently solar powered Shaheed Mahmoodi HIgh School adjacent to Band-e Amir National Park in Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan. Over 620 students now enjoy power at their school for computers and lights through a 2 kWp PV system provided by the USAID Afghanistan Clean Energy Program. Photo Ben Barber.

2th

INSIGHT in digital format available:

http://iee.nmsu.edu

Hello 2011!

In our last issue of 2010, we review the 2nd Re-Energize America conference, featuring Matt Rogers, Jim Ford and Jason Pyle as keynote speakers, as well as our Honorary Chair, Congressman Harry Teague and many other distinguished guests. Participants discussed applications for evolving the green energy economy while combatting global warming and enhancing national security. The conference was a great accomplishment. We also showcase the 20th anniversary of the IEE/WERC flagship event, the International Environmental Design Contest. Since 1990, NMSU has hosted this event with the best and brightest university students from across the nation and around the globe to design engineering solutions for real-world problems. April of 2011 promises to be another exciting

LETTERDIRECTORFR

OM THE

competition. We extend special thanks to our colleagues at the New Mexico Environmental Department as well as the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Their continued support, especially during these tough economic times, is greatly appreciated. We are working diligently to continue to deliver outstanding research, education, and outreach that is even more cost efficient. We are very grateful to have significant

support from our family, friends, sponsors, and our hard working team of faculty, staff, and students.

May this year be our best yet!

Best Regards,Abbas Ghassemi

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New Algal Biofuels Test Laboratory

NNew Mexico Governor Bill Richardson recently announced that $200,000 in Recovery Act funding has been awarded to New Mexico State University (NMSU). A portion of that funding will go to the university’s Renewable Energy, Water and Arid Lands Task Force to support an algae biodiesel project.

According to Abbas Ghassemi, NMSU professor of chemical engineering and director of the university’s Institute for Energy and the Environment, the algae project will include the development of test beds that will be used to evaluate several algae strains. The facility that will house the project is currently undergoing renovation. “It is a greenhouse facility we have on campus,” Ghassemi said. “It’s under renovation to be able to include the indoor raceways and the rest of the equipment.”

As part of the project, researchers will be evaluating several aspects of algae production, including yields, harvest methods, extraction and performance. The project will also include research into the effects of environmental factors, such as temperature and water quality, on algae growth and performance. “Our intent is to look at the species that are out there that have the promise for growth and development

ew Mexico algae project receives funding

in the environment [where algae biofuels facilities are most likely to develop],” Ghassemi said. “The species that we are interested in are going to be species that are tolerant to brackish water.”

While the project’s findings will likely be most beneficial to those looking to develop algae biofuel projects in New Mexico, Ghassemi said that most areas in the Southwest have similar environmental conditions and water chemistry. “The state of New Mexico would be the primary [region to] benefit from the [project], but that doesn’t mean that other places that have similar water chemistries and similar environments won’t be able to benefit from it.” Ghassemi also notes that the funding for this project was acquired through NMSU’s International Relations Institute, which works to transfer research findings around the globe.

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Article courtesy of Erin Voegele; Bio-diesel Magazine

Photos of algal growth site, Symona Serna, Therese Shakra

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All Re-Energize photos Khushroo Ghadiali

Photos clockwise from top; Attendee reviewing program, 2010 program, Marcilynn Burke, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management, attendee posing a question for Dr. Jim Conca, IEE Senior Scientist.

2010 E-ENERGIZEREnergy conference returns

A spark of genius returned to Las Cruces. The second annual Re-Energize America conference, held June 3 and 4, corralled a group of national experts in the energy field to speak on various topics related to short-term planning for long-term energy independence. U.S. Representative Harry Teague was once again the program’s honorary chair.

“Developing a comprehensive energy plan that incorporates both traditional and renewable energy resources is critical in cementing southern New Mexico as a leader in the energy industry,” Teague said, announcing the event.

The two-day conference, held at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, offered attendees the opportunity to discuss domestic solutions to energy problems with leaders in government, industry and academia. Job creation was a focus of the conference.

“This has been one of my top priorities while in Congress, working with great organizations like NMSU to develop research and production programs that take advantage of our state’s unique resources,” Teague said.

The conference went “beyond policy discussions,” with a distinct focus on how participants can help develop a short-term plan for long-term sustainability. Participants listened to panelists speak about creating new energy jobs, jobs through investments in energy efficiency, the technology behind energy independence, new energy jobs for New Mexico, creating new energy entrepreneurs, new jobs in nuclear energy and the role of oil and gas during the transition. Active discussions were held during panel sessions.

“Energy is one of the most important issues we’re faced with in this country,” said Abbas Ghassemi, director of NMSU’s Institute for Energy and the Environment. “Energy availability, sustainability, delivery and impact on natural resources like water and reliable and dependable

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Courtesy Gabe Vasquez, Las Cruces Bulletin

NMSU President Dr. Barbara Couture addresses Re-Energize attendees.

sources of energy are so significant to the sustenance of the way of life that we have.”

NMSU’s Institute for Energy and the Environment sponsored the conference with support from the Arrowhead Center’s PROSPER Project, The International Relations Institute, Water Resources Research Institute and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Other conference sponsors included ConocoPhillips, Lockheed Martin, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Sapphire Energy and the Carlsbad, N.M., Department of Development.

Panelists and speakers for 2010 included Barbara Couture, president of NMSU; Jim Ford, vice president of federal government affairs for ConocoPhillips; Jason Pyle, CEO of Sapphire Energy; Steve Fischmann, state senator; Russell Schmitt, president of CleanSwitch; Jon Goldstein, secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department; Jeff Bingaman, U.S. senator; Margie Tatro, director of Fuel and Water Systems for Sandia National Laboratories; and Arun Bose, program manager for the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Several other speakers from various sectors related to the energy industry made an appearance.

The conference was free and open to the public, but registration was required and limited to 400 participants. At the conference, more than 370 showed up for the two-day event.

“Participants and audience members alike participated in coming up with solutions,” Ghassemi said. “Solutions to these problems are very complex in nature. It is not as simple as coming up with a technology … to solve all the problems.

“(Attendees) were able to participate in developing a plan on how to go about achieving energy independence. We cannot come up with a solution that is forced down; it really needs to be a grassroots, working up as well as the highest level of our local, state and federal governmental policies that meet each other halfway.”

“We have not come close to reaching the limits of renewable energy technologies and now is the time to collaborate our efforts and resources,” Teague said. “Building off the success of last year’s conference, this year’s Re-Energize America once again brought together policy, industry and academic experts and helps move New Mexico’s energy future forward.”

“The rapid pace at which our international competitors are investing in and supporting alternative energy technologies is nothing short of breathtaking,” said Stephen Ward, chief of staff for the office of U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman. “There are crucial challenges we have to meet.”

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Previous Page Top, Dr. Vipin Gupta, principal technical staff member for Sandia National Laboratories, engages with Matt Rogers, senior advisor to the Secretary of Energy, U.S. DOE. Below, Re-Energize America Honorary Chair Congressman Harry Teague addresses participants while Stephen Ward, chief of staff for the office of U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, looks on.

Right page, Karl Dykman, IEE staffer and audience member participate in the conference.

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Renewable energy development in Afghanistan

Renewable energy is playing a growing role for national electrification in Afghanistan and laying the groundwork for future economic development. Afghanistan is a country struggling to come out of 30 years of warfare, and has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world, with only about 15 percent of the 30 million population with access to the grid, mostly in urban areas like Kabul, Herat, Jalalabad, and Mazar. As rural villages are widely scattered, often across rugged terrain, extending the conventional electric grid to most villages of Afghanistan is impossible. Renewable energy is often the most viable economic energy solution for rural Afghan villages, not only for lights and communications, but also for productive use applications such as water pumping, cold storage, crop drying, food processing, etc.

Afghanistan is rich with indigenous renewable energy resources. The country has excellent solar energy resources, averaging over 300 days per year of sunshine with an average annual daily solar insolation over 5.5 kWh/m2. There are also excellent hydro resources totaling over 23,000 MW in potential, especially in northeast Afghanistan (Badakshan). The western part of the country (Herat) also has excellent wind resources ranging as high as Class 6 and 7 categories.

Use of renewable energy technologies is steadily growing in Afghanistan. There are over 100,000 homes using PV to provide basic lighting and entertainment. Nearly 3,000 communities use small scale micro-hydropower turbines for electricity. There are already over two dozen hydro turbine manufactures in the country manufacturing units. Remote rural agricultural communities can benefit from off-grid renewable energy systems to increase agricultural production and economic productivity. It is

more inexpensive to pump water through solar and wind energy than gasoline or diesel powered pumps for small to medium sized applications (<10 hp). Crops that normally would spoil can be kept through solar powered cold storage facilities locally and timed for sale when market prices are best. Crops can be more efficiently dried and quality improved through active solar drying systems (e.g., apples, tomatoes, apricots, etc.); these superior solar dried foods can also bring a premium price in overseas markets.

Robert Foster has been with the NMSU College of Engineering (Institute for Energy & Environment) since 1989 and has been in Afghanistan since August of 2008, where he currently serves as the Chief Engineer for the USAID Afghanistan Clean Energy Project collaborating with Winrock International and IRG. He has over a quarter century of experience in applying renewable energy technologies in 30 countries. Robert was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic, where he installed PV and water projects. Prior to that he worked at Cole Solar Systems in Austin installing solar hot water systems. He co-founded SolAqua in El Paso in 1999, which specializes in solar water purification systems. He has published over 120 technical papers on renewable energy technologies, and co-authored three books. Robert holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a MBA from NMSU. He has served as Chairman of the Texas Solar Energy Society and as El Paso Solar Energy Association President.

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Afghan Clean Energy Projects include electrification of health clinics and schools throughout the country; village power systems; solar streetlights; solar and wind water pumping; and solar refrigeration.

Hydrological resource assessment for a future micro-hydro village power system in Salang, Parwan Province.

Afghan women technicians installing inverters for an 85 kWp village power system in Paktika Province.

Group of Afghan women with Robert Foster

in Paktika Province using a solar dryer.

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Santosh Sikha:Santosh is getting his Masters Degree in Computer Science. He pursued his Bachelors Degree at the Science Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Swathi Sameta:Swathi is a computer science graduate of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University of Hyderabad, India. She is earning a Master of Science Degree at NMSU in the same field. Swathi formerly consulted at Vensoft Technologies and is now a Research Assistant managing the IEE media department’s database. She also serves as a Student Development Specialist for athletes by helping them understand the role of education along with sports. She helps them with time management and tutoring.

Vineet Nair: Vineet is pursuing his Masters in Electrical Engineering while working on an energy harvesting project that generates energy from free flowing water. He also takes care of computer related issues at IEE, where the media team has a special appreciation for his help and gracious nature. In addition to watching movies, listening to music and reading, Vineet most enjoys watching Manchester United, his favorite football club (soccer team) from the UK.

Ramya Vandana Chintakindi: Ramya is a Masters student in Chemical Engineering with a Minor in Environmental Management. She came to NMSU in 2008 and will be graduating this December. Always interested in alternate energy resources and other environmental subjects, she is working on the limiting current of the pilot scale setup of the EDR system at the BGNDRF.

Behrooz Ahmadlou:Behrooz is getting his Masters in Industrial Engineering and holds a B.S. in Industrial Management from Shiraz University, Iran. Some of his work experience includes control projects for irrigation and drainage systems, and he is currently working with several journals in the field of operational research.

Hari Krishnan:Hari is getting his Masters in Chemical Engineering with a Minor in Applied Statistics. He completed his undergraduate degree in one of India’s top universities. Hari said he chose New Mexico State University for graduate studies because of the outstanding and exciting research carried out by the faculty in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He is working on novel technologies for ground water Desalination and is pleased to work on a project that ultimately serves humanity.

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Lakshmi Navya Makkapati: A Graduate Assistant for IEE/WERC, Lakshmi is completing her major in Computer Science and concentrates on networking and databases. After completing her MS degree, she plans to earn an MBA.

WERC Courses&

Venkat Ravi Kiran Paruchuri:Graduating this fall with a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering and a Minor in Environmental Management, Venkat is working on the concentrate management of the Electrodialysis Reversal Desalination (EDR) Unit. As a Graduate Research Assistant for two and half years, his studies focus on concentrate management, biomass, and bio-diesel production.

Purnima Praturi: Purnima is majoring in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Management, and is working on the modeling of the EDR process by using the convective diffusion model. Upon graduation, Ms. Praturi will be working for General Electric as a Process Engineer in Singapore.

Devikaa Rajaraman: While majoring in Chemical Engineering, Devikaa is working on her thesis under Dr. Ghassemi. Her current research involves developing an online Desalination tool and she will be working towards her Ph.D. starting in the spring of 2011. Her main area of interest is Desalination and related fields. Ms. Rajaraman loves to travel and explore new places, and she is passionate about dancing.

Lakshmi Pradeepa Vennam: Pradeepa is completing her Masters in Chemical Engineering with a Minor in Environmental Engineering. For the past two years she has worked as a Research Assistant at IEE studying Reverse Osmosis and EDR processes. She is working closely with GE Waters at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) in Alamogordo, conducting experiments on the EDR system at the pilot plant.

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Photos, Symona Serna/IEE

2010Graduate Students

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NMSU researchers work on promising water desalination technology

IEE graduate students work with a hybrid experimental Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) unit at BGNDRF. The unit is designed so various inputs and components in the desalination process can be varied and results measured. Photo by Karen Mikel/IEE

IEE researchers are chipping away at the secrets of a promising water desalination technology to use in rural communities.

Graduate and post-graduate students, from NMSU’s Chemical Engineering Department, are cooperating on the project through the Institute and WERC. Most of the work has been accomplished at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) in Alamogordo.

Researchers reported on the work in Socorro, N.M., at the Water Resources Research Institute’s annual Water Research Symposium. Several papers and posters addressed the effort to better understand the Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) process for desalination of brackish waters.

“The technology is not 100 percent commercially deployable at this time, but pre-deployable,” said Abbas Ghassemi IEE executive director. “If we can get units with seven to 30 gallons per minute to work with different water chemistries, the system can be used in community settings.”

EDR is based on the behavior of solutions with dissolved salts when subjected to direct current, explained Lakshmi P. Vennam, a graduate student on the project. EDR performance is evaluated by two measures: separation percentage (SP), the amount of salts removed from the feed stream to obtain potable water, and current efficiency (CE), the efficiency that ions are moved across exchange membranes for a given current. Vennam studied the influence of temperature, flow-rate, and voltage on these two measures. Experiments were conducted at rates of 7, 9, and 11 gallons per minute, temperatures of 15 and 30 degrees C, and voltages of 15, 25, and 35 volts.

In her first round of experiments, she reported that higher temperatures showed improvements to both SP and CE. These temperatures also prevent damage to the membranes and increase their lifetimes. On the downside, heating the water is expensive and creates more evaporative loss. Her flow-rate experiments show that

lower rates reduced scaling and fouling. Higher flow-rates reduce SP, because of insufficient time for ion exchange. Voltage increases cause both SP and CE to go up to a point, and then drop. Current inefficiencies and higher power requirements present problems for the technology, she said.

Using concentrated solutions of sodium, magnesium, and calcium, Vennam also noticed differences between bivalent and monovalent ion separation at temperature. The separation of the doubly charged or divalent ions, probably increased because of a higher mobility of these ions in water, she said. After a second round of testing, she hopes to move to a pilot test of the technology.

Purnima Praturi, a graduate student working on the project, is using a mathematical model to predict energy consumption by EDR. Models developed previously were based on solutions with equal numbers of positive and negative ions, while Praturi’s work makes use of experimental data using actual brackish groundwater. Praturi developed modeling equations to predict current, based on different concentrations of source water and energy consumption. She validated these predictions with experiments at different current levels and different temperatures. One thing the models show, she said, is how important the spacers in the stack are to efficiency.

Graduate student Ramya V. Chintakindi is looking at optimal current levels for EDR. Although suitable voltages for removing salt can cover a wide range, costs and other factors dictate that power levels be optimized. Chintakindi’s approach is to determine what current achieves maximum salt separation.

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Open Solicitation As a part of the Water and Impaired Water Program Cooperative Agreement with IEE, WRRI, and the Bureau of Reclamation, there are research opportunities in pre-treatment, treatment and concentrate management.The Tier 1, Proof of Concept Research issued in June, is an open solicitation. Tier 1 submittals should focus on "start-up" research. It is anticipated that up to nine grants of no more than $50,000 per project will be available over the next three to four years for identification and refinement of research ideas and technologies applicable to the three research areas. Duration of the grants is from six to 18 months and is primarily for funding students, materials and supplies. Principal investigators may be faculty, staff or graduate students. Proposals from outside the NMSU community may also be submitted.

The complete solicitation is available on the water nexus website and proposals may be presented at any time. The review committee comprised of representatives from NMSU will review the proposals four times a year, the first part of January, April, July, and October as long as funds are available. For more information contact James Loya, Program Manager at jloya@nmsu.edu or consult the website.

Partnerships & Programs

* Arsenic Water Technology Partners* Inland Water Quality Desalination* Water Security and Quality* Micro Grid and Renewable Energy Technology* Research, Education, Outreach in Water Energy and Environment* Consortium for High Technology Investigation on Water and Wastewater * Drainage Salinity * Rio Grande Salinity Program* Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act* Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility

(BGNDRF)

Research Opportunities

Tier I - Proof of Concept Research (open solicitation)Tier II - Laboratory/Bench Scale Research (to be announced)Tier III - Pilot Scale Research (to be announced)Tier IV - Commercialization Feasibility Demonstration Research (to be announced)

Water Nexus Website

LINKS

Arsenic Water Partnership http://www.arsenicpartners.orgBGNDRF http://www.usbr.gov/pmts/water/research/ tularosa.htmlBoR (Reclamation) http://www.usbr.gov/Environmental Design Contest http://www.werc.net/contest/index.aspIEE http://iee.nmsu.edu/ONR http://www.onr.navy.mil/WERC http://www.werc.net/WRRI http://wrri.nmsu.edu/

IEE is continuing to develop a website to serve as a gateway to research, education, and outreach initiatives and collaborations in water, energy and the environment. IEE and the Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) are working together to create a source for information sharing through http://waternexus.nmsu.edu.

Desalination Tool: An Online Approach Due to the recent increase in water crisis and the population quantity and density, the development of emerging water desalination techniques are crucial. The EDR process is the advanced water treatment process flourishing these days. EDR is based on the principles governing the behavior of ionic solution when subjected to direct current potential. The EDR performance can be evaluated by two important factors; separation percentage (SP) which can be defined as the amount of salts removed from the feed water to obtain a portable product, and by current efficiency (CE) which can be defined as the measure of how effective ions are transported across the ion exchange membrane for a particular applied current. The main objective here is to study the influence of the operating parameters like temperature, flowrate and voltage on SP and CE.

The current research into EDR technology marks the early stages of a partnership with several key institutions to address the possible use of brackish water reserves in the U.S. Brackish water in general contains more salts than freshwater but not as much as seawater. In New Mexico and other arid inland areas, large underground reserves of water have not been tapped because of their salinity. Recognizing the need to better utilize these water reserves, the Bureau of Reclamation completed the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) in 2007. Its aim is to bring together researchers from other federal, state, and local governments, universities, and the private sector, to work collaboratively. The Bureau of Reclamation selected Alamogordo, New Mexico, in part because of large, available subsurface supplies of brackish water for use in testing. In 2008 Congress funded the study of EDR technology for U.S. Naval use. In keeping with the vision of then-Senator Pete V. Domenici, Sandia National Laboratories and New Mexico State University became involved in the study as well. At NMSU the Institute for Energy and the Environment and the Water Resources Research Institute became part of an agreement to focus on desalination of brackish groundwater found in inland states. Completed in 2007, BGNDRF us pursuing research into supply-enhancing technologies for the brackish groundwater. The current research is being funded by the Office of Naval Research, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation, said Abbas Ghassemi, IEE director. Currently seven students and one post doctoral researcher from IEE are involved in the effort, using several experimental bays at the Alamogordo facility. New Mexico State’s water cluster, which includes IEE, the Water Resources Research Institute, and other organizations has a number of research projects that include water treatment, watershed management, water quality, municipal use, and associated research and training.

How BGNDRF came to be

Desalination Tool: An Online ApproachThe desalination tool is developed for choosing a technology for removal of specific kinds of ions from ground water using specific techniques which includes different types of pre-treatment processes, desalination techniques, post-treatment methods and concentrate management. The immediate objective of this research is to develop a tool which enables the user to define the basic feed water chemistry. Once the feed water chemistry has been defined, the decision tree created helps the user identify the kind(s) of ion(s) that need to be removed and then proceed to select the pretreatment options available for that particular ion. Once the pre-treatment method has been selected the user will be required to select the available desalination technique for the removal of ion(s). The techniques that are dealt with in this tool are Reverse Osmosis, Nano-Filtration and EDR. The desalination tool also includes a performance model and a cost model based on the methods used. It is important to take concentrate management into consideration when applying a desalination technique. The cost model included in the tool also accounts for concentrate disposal. The goal of the project is to conduct research and develop innovative ideas for removal of specific kinds of ions with a focus on reducing energy costs and minimizing operating costs.

Devikaa Raharaman:2010 Water Symposium

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Algal Species Compatability with EDR ConcentrateElectrodialysis Reversal is a water purification system used for purifying in land brackish water. The Total Dissolved

Solids of the feed brackish water ranges from 1200 ppm to 6000 ppm and the concentrate coming out of EDR has TDS ranging from 3000 ppm to 16000 ppm. The chemistry includes calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, silica, carbonate, strontium, potassium, bicarbonate, sulfate and many other species in varying concentrations. For the concentrate to be disposed of there are many environmental and economic

factors to be considered. One of the better ways to manage the concentrate is using it for

some beneficial purpose so that all the salts, ions and other species present in it could be utilized. This can be done by growing species of algae like Nanno Chloropsis and Chlorella. The reason for selecting these two species is because of their high oil content. These species can be used for biodiesel production. This would be achieved if there are no growth inhibitors for these algal species in the concentrate. This can be found through research from literature. This would possibly give an idea about the possible outcome and then the results could be validated through experimentation.

Venkat Ravi Kiran Paruchuri: 2010 Water Symposium

Using a pilot setup at the BGNDR, she varied concentration of salts, flow velocity, temperature of the feedwater and applied voltages to study salt removal. She described a three-phase reaction curve of current climbing linearly, leveling, and then increasing again, as power (voltage) levels increased. This phase-curve has a deflection point, called the Limiting Current Density (LCD), which is the focus of her studies. She is studying the effect of temperature, flow-velocity and concentration changes on the LCD to better understand relationships between all the variables. Understanding these relationships is essential for end-cost reduction when operating at large municipal or industrial scales, she said.

The experimental results showing relations between temperature, flow-rate, and concentrations of feedwater were calculated because there were no previous equations with these particular water conditions. Significant to these experiments is the fact that previous research was confined to lab-prepared samples with deionized water or seawater, while Chintakindi’s work examined multi-salt solutions of brackish water.

In a related project, graduate student Venkat Ravi Kiran Paruchuri’s poster examined the possibility that some species of algae might be compatible with concentrates recovered in the EDR process. If this is so, the concentrate could be used to create biofuel stock or for other applications. Total dissolved solids in brackish waters can range from 1,200 parts per million (ppm) to 6,000 ppm, Paruchuri said. The concentrate from EDR has dissolved solids ranging from 3,000 ppm to 16,000 ppm. His initial screening compared the growth media of the algae species with the water chemistry of the concentrate to identify any growth inhibitors in the concentrate. His goal is to follow up the initial work with experiments.

“At the end of the day, we need a combination of answers to questions that will make this technology affordable and applicable for small users,” said Ghassemi, who also acts as faculty adviser for the students. “Communities with high calcium or sulfate will want to know the effects of temperature and pH on the system, or if pretreatment will help. These are the kinds of questions we’re examining.”

Lakshmi Pradeepa Vennam and Purnima Praturi 2010 Water Symposium

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2010 Water Symposium IEE Student Abstracts

Paper submitted (without poster) by Ramya V. Chintakindi

“Limiting Current Density as a function of electrolyte temperature, flow rate and concentration for desalination of brackish water by Electrodialysis Reversal”

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IEE Director Dr. Abbas Ghassemi is interviewed by KRWG public radio reporter.

The 2010 team from Roger Williams University, Lindsey Martin, Mike Turbitt, Adrian Arroyo, and Marc

Michaud, prepare Task 2 before judges arrive.

Early preparation gets underway for IEDC participants on the NMSU Pan American Building main floor.

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This year marked the 20th anniversary of NMSU’s International Environmental Design Contest. Through the years more than 5,000 students have participated in evolving proprietary technologies covering complex environmental challenges related to energy, water and overall sustainability. The Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) hosts the event each year on New Mexico State University’s Las Cruces campus.

The highly competitive event this year featured 24 teams from 17 universities including Canada and Mexico, all working on design tasks that focused on solar panel performance, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from mines, and water treatment. Water, one of IEE’s growing subject areas, is a defining issue as it becomes to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th century, a priceless commodity.

The University of Idaho emerged as the winner of most awards including first place for Task 4, developing alternative filters for turbid water; the Intel Innovation award; and the combined prize for Task 2 & 3, photovoltaic performance indictor and greenhouse gas reductions. Prize money for the team totaled $7,000. Other winners included 1st place Canadian team University of Waterloo for Task 1, portable siphon unit for water; 2nd place went to Montana Tech for the same task ($1,000), and the University of California at Riverside received 2nd place for the combined Task

College of Engineering

Institute for Energy & the Environment

2 th

For More Information Visit http://iee.nmsu.edu • www.werc.net •

International EnvironmentalDesign Contest 2010

March 28th-31st

Energy • Environment • Water

(Abbreviated Problem Statements)

Task 1: Portable Siphon Unit to Concentrate Pond Water and Bacteria into a more Manageable, Portable Sample

Develop and demonstrate a portable battery operated system that can siphon pond water that is full of slime, algae and other sediments (mud and different size particles), then decrease the size of the sample by first eliminating the sediments without removing the bacteria or viruses. The target is a 1:1000 dilution.

Task 2: Photovoltaic System Performance Indicator

Develop and demonstrate a system to determine that a residential utility-interactive PV system is operating properly and that the ac power output is following the solar power available to the PV array.

Task 3: Reduction of Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Mine

Research and develop a proposal to minimize, sequester, or eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions resulting from mobile equipment at an open pit copper mining operation. The preferred solution will result in the elimination of direct greenhouse gas emissions without simply trading direct emissions for indirect emissions.

Task 4: Green RO Pretreatment

Develop and demonstrate an alternative to disposable filters or an improved disposable filter design that can last at least four months filtering somewhat turbid feed water.

2010 Design Tasks

Asper Kourt Tuesday @ 7pm, North East Pan Am

2010Design Contest

2 & 3, taking home $1,000.

The Outstanding Award for best oral and paper presentation of $750 went to the California Polytechnic State University team, while Andrew Wait, an environmental engineering major from the Colorado School of Mines, won the Terry McManus outstanding student award of $500. The final award went to 1st place winner for Task 4, the University of Arkansas.

All the challengers presented a poster and oral presentation, a written report and a bench-scale demonstration to a subset of about 40 judges from industry, academia and government. Teams won cash prizes, academic and professional recognition, as well as formed lifelong bonds with other participants.

“This contest is all about human capital. Many of the competitors in the design contest are now working in public and private sectors, keenly aware of the complex issues facing us all. We’re training the next generation of leaders pursuing environmental solutions through research and application on many fronts,” said Abbas Ghassemi, IEE director.

This year’s keynote speaker grew up in El Paso and is familiar with the Southwest. Alfredo “Al” Armendariz, Ph.D., was appointed by President Obama last year as the Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 in Dallas. This jurisdiction encompasses Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and 66 Tribal Nations. Armendariz spoke on the EPA’s seven priorities and how the design contest tasks are aligned with those priorities, including action on climate change, Improving air quality, assuring the safety of chemicals in commerce, and protecting America’s drinking water and waterways.

The Water Research Foundation consistently sponsors the annual contest. This year was no exception and sponsors included Intel Corporation, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research, the State of New Mexico, Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold, the Pan American Center, and the Food and Drug Administration.

20 years of innovation culminates in NMSU engineering competition

2010 Tasks

Task 1: Portable Siphon Unit to Concentrate Pond Water and Bacteria into a more Manageable, Portable Sample

Task 2: Photovoltaic System Performance Indicator

Task 3: Reduction of Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Mine

Task 4: Green RO Pretreatment

Photos, Khushroo Ghadiali

20

The seven 2011 tasks include:

1) Aseptic Bacterial Removal and Recovery from Cantaloupe Rinds Using Innovative Mechanical Device(s) or Technologies; Fruits and vegetables are an important component of the U.S. diet. In recent years, fruit has

attracted attention due to several cantaloupe-related outbreaks. These outbreaks have been reported not only in the U.S., but also in Mexico, Canada, and Honduras.

2) Duplicate Human Manual Massage of Leafy Green Produce; Fruits and vegetables are an important component of the U.S. diet. Food borne illness associated with leafy greens such as bagged lettuce and spinach continues to be a problem in the U.S. food supply.

3) Reverse Osmosis Membrane Cleaning; Reverse osmosis membranes are widely used to desalinate brackish water and

seawater to augment conventional water supplies.

4) Product Stewardship in the Copper Value Chain; Copper’s chemical and physical properties do not deteriorate

through its life cycle, and it is an integral part of many sustainable technologies. Although the metal is 100% recyclable, it is a finite resource and is not currently recycled to its full potential. The demand for copper is expected to increase.

5) Carbon Sequestration; Over the last 60 years, the amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere has risen from pre-industrial levels of

280 parts per million (ppm) to 365 ppm or higher. Predictions of global energy use in the next century suggest a continued increase in carbon emissions and rising concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere unless major changes are made in the way we produce energy and, in particular, the manner in which we manage carbon.

6) Affect of Magnetic Fields in Ionic Solutions; Processes utilizing magnetic fields for alleviating scale problems in water systems have shown some promise in keeping scale off appliances as well as scale from forming on heat exchange materials in cooling systems. Understanding how magnetic fields affect the rate of precipitation in hard brackish water is an important part of the desalination treatment field.

7) Clean Energy Water Disinfection for Small, Remote Rural Communities; In many parts of the world and some parts of North America, access to clean water in a cost effective manner can be problematic. This is particularly highlighted when disaster strikes and small communities are faced with disinfecting their water supply for drinking purposes. Remote and rural villages face this dilemma on a daily basis due to infrastructure constraints. A stand alone non-fossil energy system for water disinfection for these communities is highly desirable due to accessibility to fossil energy sources during crisis and in remote areas. Wherever electricity is not available, a clean energy treatment technology will provide an option for clean drinking and would also assist in reducing carbon footprint.

2011IEDCTASKS

THE

Full details for each task can be found online:http://www.werc.net/contest/University/university_tasks.htm

19

Keepin’ it Real Michael DiCato, Bryce Ensminger, Laura Cremer and Mariana De Brito show us how to have fun and keep it real during the 20th International Environmental Design Contest at NMSU.

Other CPSU students included Lori Atwater, Daniel Edwards, Gabriel Illingsworth, Jessica Garcia, Spencer Johnson, SeanThomson, Alyson Marin, and Noor Saba.

Advisor: Dr. Tracy Thatcher

California Polytechnic State University - Tasks 3 & 4 @ IEDC 2010

Nicole J. Heckathorn, a native of Las Cruces, is an innovative, vibrant part of the IEE staff. She assists with accounting functions within NMSU administration and the IEE program staff. She is also responsible for ensuring staffers stay within the boundaries of purchasing rules and regulations, and maintains annual inventory tracking as well. In order to process requisitions and maintain an accounting database with financial reports, Ms. Heckathorn needs patience and a keen eye for detail. She has also assisted in environmental outreach, water festivals and was a recipient of the best record keeping award by the state of New Mexico for two years.

This NMSU graduate majored in history with a minor in women’s studies. During her undergraduate years, she was part of the NMSU police department foot patrol, escorting students to their cars and dorm rooms at all hours. She also worked for Associated Students of NMSU as a project assistant for Barbara Hubbard, an honored and talented special events director for the university.

Nicole has been married for 14 years to Rick Chavez, a Gadsden middle-school teacher. They spend much of their time with their 10-year-old son Donetto. He is a 2nd-year Boy Scout and recent Character Counts Award recipient from his elementary school. Nicole was the team mom for two of his baseball seasons and assisted soccer coaches for four years while Donetto played several positions on the team.

With a lot of energy to burn, Nicole likes to do Yoga, renovate the house she grew up in and be outdoors with her son. “In today’s time children seem more removed from the outdoors and drift into cyberspace for activities. I try to keep my son balanced with nature and to appreciate his surroundings. My parents always said one of the hardest things to do in life is raise a child, and raise them right. I believe I am doing a pretty good job and I’m loving every moment of it,” she said.

IEE Profile:Nicole J.

Heckathorn

22

Dr. Jung-Uk Lim is a new postdoctoral research fellow at IEE. He received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea in 1996 and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Seoul National University in 1998 and 2002, respectively.

Seoul National University is one of the best universities in Asia and has a very strong electrical energy program. Jung-Uk became an assistant professor at Myongji University in South Korea where he worked for the university for two years before joining New Mexico State University. Prior to NMSU, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer for the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Lim’s professional expertise includes Flexible AC Transmission Systems or FACTS, distributed generation using renewable or non-renewable energy sources, and smart microgrid technology. Currently he is focusing on one research area, Generation Expansion Planning (GEP) including renewable energy sources such as wind power, solar energy and fuel cells.

Lim’s research work involves developing a method on how to evaluate the impact of penetration of renewable energy sources on the conventional GEP. Also, how to minimize the investment and operation costs of newly introduced

Jung-Uk, his wife Sookin" and their 2-year-old son Matthew. Matthew’s Korean name is Haram. Photos courtesy of Dr. Lim.

FACULTY PROFILE:Jung Uk Limrenewable sources such as wind power and fuel cells. He is also working on the design of cost effective incentive policies to stimulate more investment in renewable energy sources.

Currently he is responding to a funding opportunity for an education program on smart microgrid technology. A microgrid is a small-scale power system, designed to provide power to a few buildings or a small community. A microgrid typically consists of loads, feeder lines and generators that include a significant amount of renewable sources. Microgrids are expected to bring significant environmental benefits via higher energy efficiency and by facilitating the integration of renewable sources. In view of power system engineering, reliable and efficient operation of microgrids becomes one important issue and it becomes urgent to develop a trained and educated workforce on microgrids to meet increased industrial demand. Lim’s proposed education

program will develop courses on principles, modeling and operation basics of microgrids and on microgrid control and protection methods. One of the final products of the teaching program will be the publication of a book on microgrids.

Dr. Lim has a 2-year-old son, a new daughter expected this November and a beautiful wife, who is now pursuing her doctoral degree in piano performance at the University of Oklahoma. Lim said, “My family is the most powerful source that guides me to heaven in my real life.”

21

Nicole fishing in one her father’s favorite spots.

Donetto showing off a trophy.

Rick, Nicole and Donetto in Old Mesilla.

24

Toward A New Mexico State Plan For Biofuels Leadership

State of New Mexico Plan

Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partners with the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable and other sponsors to host the Environmental Partnership Summit. Environmental and similar program managers gather to learn about current projects that provide cost-effective environmental and energy management systems, as well as improved recycling and organic composting. These practices are aimed at pollution prevention professionals in order to enhance business, industry, municipalities and communities with the tools needed to improve sustainability practices.

Solid opportunities for this type of outreach and training exist in the healthcare and hospitality sectors, schools, local and tribal governments, and any small-to medium-sized business in need of reducing waste and energy costs.

NMSU/IEE Program Manager Chris Campbell represented IEE at the this year’s EPA Environmental Partnership Summit in Orlando along with over 200 other representatives and attended many sessions on implementing environmental management systems, P2 for public entities and cross-cultural issues in P2 outreach and training.

The Summit in recent years has begun to focus on efforts to improve energy efficiency for business and industry and, this year, held sessions on the concepts of “lean and green” manufacturing; these include the general streamlining of manufacturing practices to maximize energy efficiency, reduce environmental wastes, identify opportunities for reducing carbon emissions, promote sustainable manufacturing practices and growth, and reduce business costs. These

efforts are also at the heart of a new EPA program called “E3: Economy, Energy, and Environment” that is being initiated by EPA and the Departments of Energy and Commerce featuring training for industry on how to:

• Make manufacturing plants more energy efficient and cost effective by offering technical assessments, advice, and support.

• Reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing plants through green manufacturing practices and improvements.

• Improve the regional economy by retaining jobs in more competitive companies and positioning them for growth and job creation in emerging green industries.

• Create incumbent workers certified in a variety of ‘green’ skills.

• Assist manufacturers to grow and succeed in a sustainable business environment.

• Reduce overall carbon emissions by decreasing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency of facilities.

In New Mexico, IEE looks forward to partnering with the NM Environment Department and the NM Manufacturing Extension Partnership to begin providing Lean & Green workshops to interested sectors of our state’s manufacturing base.

2010 EPA Environmental Par tnership Summit

Governor Bill Richardson and the New Mexico

congressional delegation convened a group of

academic, scientific, state and corporate leaders

around the imperative of establishing a New Mexico

State Plan for Biofuels Leadership.

The initial meeting at the Roundhouse set in

motion a process to develop a sustainable

statewide biofuels industry that is ecologically well

suited to the Southwest. To read or download

the plan, log on to the Southwestern Biofuels

Association website:

http://www.swbiofuels.org/

Even in the harsh region of central Asia, necessity is the mother of invention. It was the needs of farmers in the rugged, impoverished area that inspired a New Mexico State University professor to develop an easily transportable, easy-to-apply fertilizer that could lead to long-term gains for growers the world over.

Zohrab Samani, a professor in the NMSU College of Engineering’s civil engineering department, developed a concept for liquid fertilizer while doing volunteer work in 2000 in the Republic of Tajikistan.

“This was just after the civil war in that country, and I was quite distressed with the situation of the farmers who could not afford to buy synthetic fertilizer for their small vegetable plots,” Samani said. “It occurred to me that the waste from the large vegetable market in the nearby town of Dushanbe could be used to generate fertilizer.”

Inspired, Samani developed a rudimentary accelerated bio-leaching schematic, wherein vegetable waste could be placed in a sealed batch and bacteria-laden leachate was used to hydrolyze and break down the organics into a liquid solution. The idea was to be able to add the solution into irrigation water.

Returning to Las Cruces, Samani went to work in a university lab, developing a liquid fertilizer from grass clippings. He applied the leachate to one of four tomato plants that he was growing at home, and he noticed a sudden surge in the growth of that particular plant.

In 2001, Samani presented his research and findings, along with a proposal, to Abbas Ghassemi, the executive director of NMSU’s WERC, a consortium for environmental education and technology development. Ghassemi offered Samani a mini-grant and Samani used it to help fund additional testing with a column and a recirculation pump, using grass clippings from the NMSU golf course.

During the same time, Samani got together with Marco Huez, a friend who was working towards his doctorate in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Huez, studying interactions of salinity and organics in chile, began using the liquid fertilizer on green chile being grown in an NMSU greenhouse. The results were astounding, as the liquid-fertilized chiles were measurably larger and more abundant than those in the control group 23 percent higher than previous yields. The organic makeup of the liquid fertilizer had a positive effect on the plants by countering the soil salinity.

NMSU professor patents liquid, organic fertilizer

“The experiment in the greenhouse showed that the liquid organic fertilizer could increase the yield of green chile, especially in saline soil,” Samani said. “It clearly showed that the fertilizer could increase the chile yield under all conditions, and the results were especially pronounced in soil with a high salinity.”

Samani and his students kept working, and they developed ways to concentrate the mixture, via cooking it in an oven and through solarization, accomplished by placing the fertilizer in a container, covering it with vented, clear plastic and leaving it in the sun for a few days. Concentrated, the fertilizer’s makeup is nutrient-rich liquid, at 6.35 percent nitrogen.

The concoction is convenient, because it can be mixed into drip irrigation systems without plugging the drip tapes. It also is an economical alternative for organic farmers. Fish fertilizer, for example, can cost as much as $7,000 an acre for organic vegetable crops. Using an alfalfa-based liquid organic fertilizer, since alfalfa is grown organically without synthetic chemicals and is readily available, can reduce the cost to $300 an acre. It also can be applied multiple times to one field over one growing season.

Samani and NMSU recently received a patent for the liquid fertilizer and the method used to produce it. He is currently experimenting with ways to temporarily solidify the liquid to make transporting it easier. Courtesy of NMSU UCOMM

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Researchers like Dr. Zorab Samani from New Mexico State University, are an integral part of the WERC program. Research projects include issues like waste management and prevention.

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ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT SERIES s SERIES EDITOR, ABBAS GHASSEMI

Authors: William Glassley, Abbas GhassemiEditors: Robert Foster, James Witcher, Vaughn Nelson, Majid Ghassemi, Luz Elena Mimbela, Abbas Ghassemi

Focusing on geothermal energy systems, this unique work in the recently developed CRC Press (publisher)series, Energy and the Environment looks at the back-ground, theory, power generation, applications, strengths and weaknesses, and practical techniques for implementing geothermal energy projects. Like the rest of the series, it stresses the links between acquisition and consumption and the environment. The authors provide numerous real world case studies, and a number of practical implemen-tation steps. This particular volume explains geosciences principles, drilling operations and techniques, as well as types of well pumps and other equipment. Homework problems are included in each chapter.

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Renewable Energy Demonstration Projects

New Mexico State University

Regarding the Demonstration projects, the funding will support 3 complementary projects, for a total of $125k at three locations within the University community. The locations where these complementary projects will be demonstrated include:

Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center is located along the Rio Grande River 8 miles south of Las Cruces. The Leyendecker Research Center serves the needs of irrigated agriculture in south central and southwestern New Mexico. This facility has more than 200 acres of varying soil types supporting research on plant breeding, disease control, insect and nematode control, herbicide effects, and production management techniques. At this site, we will be a demonstrating use of solar PV for pumping water and distribution in the agricultural setting including solar power drip irrigation and evaluating ways to identify effective, low cost irrigation techniques. Additionally, we will be utilizing solar heating at the facility in order to evaluate the benefits of water temperature on crop yield. Depending on the KW requirement, we will use a ground water or surface water pumping station. The estimated $40k will be used for the equipment such as PV panels, installation of the structure, inverters and a possible data collection system.

The Corona Range and Livestock Research Center is located east of the village of Corona. This 27,886-acre facility is a working ranch laboratory for various animal and range science research programs, as well as graduate student studies. One of the major components of the research carried out at the center involves improvements to conventional land and animal management schemes as well as the use of emerging technology for nutrition and reproduction processes. The planned solar-powered animal watering station at the Corona facility will use a solar thermal system in conjunction with standard watering tanks to study the impact of water temperature on cattle growth, milk production and other related issues. The anticipated $40k will be used for equipment including a Solar Thermal unit, installation of the structure, associated hardware and a data collection system.

The Algae Test Bed Facility is located at NMSU’s ‘A’ Mountain property. The site is approximately 1 mile east of the main campus and is equipped with a geothermal source which will be used for heating and source will be water utilized for the growth and cultivation of various Algal species. Upon completion, the test bed along with a Solar Thermal and PV system, will be used for evaluation of various parameters of algal bio-fuel production, verification of performance and functionality, and yield of the species and processes. We will demonstrate the use of a Solar Thermal and PV system by installing and operating the anticipated $40k for equipment such as PV panels, a Solar Thermal unit, installation of the structure, associated hardware and a data collection system.

Geothermal ENERGY

Renewable Energy Book Series...

arth Day

Earth Day activities included the following:

April 17, 2010- Las Cruces, NM

IEE staffers Karl Dykman and Louis Estrada participated in the Las Cruces Earth Day celebration at Young Park by representing NMSU with two mobile education outreach units. On site were the IEE grid-interactive solar array trailer and the solar cell powered water pump demonstration trailer. Attendance at the event was estimated at greater than 2,000. The Re-Energize America conference was promoted at the event alongside the educational materials pertaining to the NMSU displays.

April 28, 2010 – White Sands Missile Range, NM

At the invitation of Debra Ridgpath of Raytheons’ Environmental, Health and Safety Department, Karl Dykman set up the solar powered water pump demonstration trailer on their facility. Karl also baked cookies for the staff of Raytheon using a solar oven. There were approximately 75 Raytheon staffers and 20 outside vendors for “green technologies” in attendance.

May 21, 2010 Doña Ana, NM

In partnership with AmeriCorps, Karl took the grid-interactive solar array trailer to Doña Ana

Every Dayis

Earth Day for us.

At the Institute for Energy & the Environment we are committed

to researching and developing new technologies in wind, solar, and geothermal energy to improve our

use of Earth’s precious resources. Our research helps people all over the world, for

generations to come.

http://iee.nmsu.edu/

Elementary School and set up the unit to power two inflatable waterslide features for the end-of-year picnic put on by the Americorps. Karl gave a 10-minute presentation on solar technology to an assembly of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students and answered questions from parents and students for the remainder of the event.

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800.523.5996•575.646.2038•E-mail:iee@nmsu.eduhttp://iee.nmsu.edu

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College of Engineering

Institute for Energy& the Environment

Across1. Zephyr 2. Herb 4. Commercial site

6. Freebie answer - above 7. Water to electricity 8. Remains of plants and animals.

9. Never used up 11. Cannot be replaced 12. Stellar (syn.)

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A r d n a c r u s h a

6 Across - Freebie Ardnacrusha (Irish: Ard na Croise [1], meaning “Height, or Hill, of the Cross”) is an area located in County Clare approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the Limerick border. The biggest feature of note in Ardnacrusha is the hydroelectric power station which was originally referred to as The Shannon Scheme.

Energy

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3. Regulates temperature

4. Not quite a battery

5. Watch (v.)

8. Glowing

10. Vigor

13. Vegetable (fuel)