Table of Contents Letter from the Director______ _____________ 2 The Institute _____________________________ 3 Education Numbers ______________________ 4 International Design Contest at NMSU ______ 5 NMSU EDC Fuels Clean Energy Economy ___ 7 First Commercial PV System in Las Cruces ___ 9 WERC Founding Father Bids Farewell ______ 11 The Numbers ___________________________ 13 Board of Directors and Administration _____ 14 Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources ______ 15 EIF for Anaerobic Digester _______________ 16 Albuquerque Sunport Goes Solar _________ 16 CEMRC Director Jim Conca _______________ 17 Solar America Cities _____________________ 19 NASA Project Award for Wind Research ___ 20 Education Programs ____________________ 21 Building Emergency Preparedness ________ 23 Water Security _________________________ 24 The Staff _______________________________ 25 Environmental Essay Contest Winners _____ 25 P2 Pollution Prevention ___________ back cover INSIGHT Therese Shakra Amanda Orum Melissa Hubbell Thanks to Reviewers: Brenda Dunn Roseanne Thompson Left, NM Governor Richardson, Above, Chris Campbell, IEE. Photos by Tom Freelove/IEE http://iee.nmsu.edu Letter from the Director Photo by Tom Freelove/IEE I am pleased to present the inaugural annual report retire last fall. Domenici has not only played a critical for the Institute for Energy and the Environment for role in our nation and New Mexico, but also with the 2007-2008. It documents the activities, research creation and growth of the WERC program. Since and programs that our unified Centers of Excellence, WERC’s inception in 1990, Domenici has played a Southwest Technology Development Institute (SWTDI), fundamental role in helping WERC and CEMRC evolve. Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Without Domenici’s support, the milestones WERC has Center, and WERC, a consortium for technology achieved in education, research, and outreach would development and education, have been able accomplish never have been possible. We all would like to wish as one entity. our longtime friend and supporter a happy retirement As the saying goes, “we are stronger together than and our sincerest and deepest gratitude for all he has apart.” That was my thought when leaders from the contributed to this program. College of Engineering, CEMRC, SWTDI and WERC As we talk about the great difference Senator Domenici came together to discuss the possibility of combining has made for this program, I would like to remind you these unique organizations. When we were done we about the value of each individual. Many people envisioned a force that would utilize the strengths WERC get easily discouraged because they believe that one has in water and the environment, the experience SWTDI person cannot make a substantial difference in some has in renewable energy and combine them with the of the environmental challenges we face. I am here expertise that CEMRC has in nuclear waste-management to tell you that one individual can affect change. We and monitoring. IEE was created. each play a vital role in the health of this planet and its This year has been a tremendous success for IEE. resources, our resources. The integration of WERC, CEMRC and SWTDI has Please enjoy the IEE annual report and as always, your allowed for a more highly-trained workforce and an comments are welcome. enriched capacity to develop solutions to environmental challenges. Detailed in the pages that follow are just a few of the accomplishments that IEE is proud to share Best Regards with you. We are especially grateful to Senator Pete V. Domenici. After 36 years in the U.S. Senate, he decided to Abbas Ghassemi Left, NM Governor Richardson, Above, Chris Campbell, IEE. Photos by Tom Freelove/IEE The Institute IEE offices on the main NMSU campus. Photo by Tom Freelove/IEE The Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) is an integrated multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University. IEE specializes in energy, water, environmental and natural resource development, and serves the Southwest as well as a global audience. The Institute is guided by the following vision: To provide global leadership, expertise, and technology to meet growing energy, water, and related security needs. Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center The Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center is a 26,000 sq. ft. radiochemistry facility in Carlsbad New Mexico. Performance capabilities of the lab include a wide range of environmental and radiochemistry work, monitoring, and feasibility studies in support of nuclear energy issues and issues involving Homeland Security. In particular, work in areas involving radiation dispersal devices (RDDs or dirty bombs). In addition to monitoring the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant or WIPP site, the center specializes in environmental chemistry, field programs, informatics and modeling, internal dosimetry and radiochemistry. The Southwest Technology Development Institute (SWTDI) A Renewable Energy R & D Center, SWTDI’s focus is on renewable energy technologies with international course development in 130 countries on seven continents. SWTDI provides contract services for systems analysis, program implementation, business development, feasibility studies, market studies, computer modeling and educational computer kiosks. SWTDI has accumulated extensive domestic and international experience with a variety of renewable energy technologies. WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development is comprised of New Mexico State University, University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Diné College, Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. WERC’s mission is to develop human resources and technologies to address environmental and human-health related issues focusing on the following: education, public outreach, and technology development and deployment. Other focus areas include: pollution prevention, energy and environmental sustainability, water quality and bio-medical waste management. 3 College of Engineering Education Numbers Institute for Energy & the Environment WERC Education Program WERC Courses 1990-2008 Fall 2007 • Students Participating 2,195 WERC 200 Introduction to Environmental Fundamentals • Students Earning Minor 512 WERC 300 Introduction to Pollution Prevention (WebCT) • Students Earning Minor 23% Environmental Management Seminar (of total WERC participants) WERC 350 Introduction to Energy, Environment and Risk Assessment (WebCT) WERC 595 Special Topics Spring 2008 Education Program Numbers WERC 300 Introduction to Pollution Prevention (WebCT) • Students, Fall 2007 52 Environmental Management Seminar • Students, Spring 2008 52 WERC 455/566 Fuel Cell Technology • Students Earning Minor 7 WERC 595 Special Topics • Students Earning Certificate 3 • Fellowships Awarded 0 • Minority Students 56% • Traditional Courses Presented 10 • Distance Education Courses Presented 2 4 International Design Contest at NMSU 18th Annual Environmental Design Contest 2008 April 6 - 9 College of Engineering Institute for Energy & the Environment 2008 Environmental Design Contest postcard. Photo by Tom Freelove/IEE. Design by former IEE media student Stacey Mathews. A Flagship for IEE and the College of Engineering Since 1991 this annual challenge for sustainable environmental solutions has included 4,400 of the best and brightest students from 90 universities around the world. Tasks include food contamination safety, water quality, comprehensive renewable energy development, and more. Through the years, some of the sponsors from the competition exemplify the diversity of interest/support for the event: American Water Works Association Research Foundation, Bechtel Corp., Intel Corp., Los Alamos National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Sandia National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Energy. 5 WERC 18th Annual Environmental Design Contest The Annual Environmental Design Contest continued its 18-year tradition of bringing together industry, government, and academia in the search for improved environmental solutions. Hundreds of college students throughout the United States and around the world gather to collaborate with environmental professionals in this distinctive contest. The student teams work to solve real-world problems and develop fully operational bench-scale solutions that are evaluated by judging panels comprised of experts working in the field. The teams prepare written, oral, poster, and bench-scale model presentations. 1990-2008 Environmental Design Contest Task 1 • Students Participating 4,155 Innovative Technologies for an Existing • U.S. Universities 78 Commercial Building • International Universities 11 Task 2 • High Schools 32 Photovoltaic System Performance Indicator Task 3 Inland Desalination Operation and Disposal in Rural, Isolated Communities 2008 Participation-Environmental Design Contest Task 4 • University Participants 185 Sampling Strategies for Spinach • University Teams 32 Task 5 • Universities 22 Separation of Water from Emulsified Oil 2008 Sponsors • American Water Works Association Research Foundation • Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold • Intel Corp. • National Science Foundation • Oak Ridge Associated Universities • United States Department