Global Energy

Energy on college campuses is usually harvested through a steady diet of energy drinks, coffee runs, really anything with high caffeine content generally believed to take less than 5 years off one’s lifespan. However, late night/early morning study habits aside, Penn State University will soon find itself knee deep in a different type of search for energy. A Nittany Lion led team will receive up to 122 million over the next five years, courtesy of the United States Department of Energy in order to set up an Energy Innovation Hub. Much like its name suggests, the purpose of the Energy Innovation Hub will be to develop new technologies that make buildings more energy efficient.The concept of building green buildings is not entirely new, though the specific project will focus on new ways to make them, well, greener. Though the green building movement traces its roots as far back as the 1970s, when the increase in global oil prices sparked a widespread interest in improving energy efficiency and discovering alternative, renewable energy sources. (more…)