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College of Engineering Breaks Ground on Sustainable Engineering Laboratories

April 24, 2023 Facilities

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Sustainable Engineering Laboratories
Conceptual rendering of Sustainable Engineering Laboratories

The University of Massachusetts Amherst and the College of Engineering broke ground on the Sustainable Engineering Laboratories (SEL) on Monday, April 24, at 1 p.m. in the engineering quad at 161 Holdsworth Way. 

This 78,000-square-foot facility will be designed to inspire interdisciplinary innovation and unite the research of a number of UMass Amherst centers and laboratories under one roof. Anchoring the new $125 million building will be university research institutions in sustainable, equitable technology and transportation: the Energy Transition Institute (ETI), the Wind Energy Center, and the UMass Transportation Center.

Also envisioned to be housed within the SEL are new state-of-the-art hubs for collaboration and innovation, such as an energy data and operations center, ocean energy and energy storage laboratories and an autonomous vehicle technology laboratory.

The groundbreaking event featured a range of speakers: UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy; College of Engineering Dean Sanjay Raman; Endowed Chair in Renewable Energy and Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Krish Thiagarajan Sharman; Vice President of GEI Consultants, Inc. and Chair of the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council Gillian Gregory ’82MS, ’86PhD; Executive Director of the University of Massachusetts Building Authority Barbara Kroncke; Vice Chair of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Mary Burns; and current Industrial Engineering and Operations Research PhD student Vivian Ogechi Nwadiaru. The event was hosted by Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Russell Tessier.

In his remarks, Chancellor Subbaswamy reflected on the key role that the SEL will play in the university’s transition to renewable energy: “Last year, on Earth Day, when I announced UMass Carbon Zero, our bold vision to fully transition the flagship campus to renewable energy sources by 2032—I shared that, as both a scientist and an inveterate optimist, I firmly believe the current global climate crisis can be addressed—and that UMass Amherst, with its long history of driving climate solutions, is in an exceptionally strong position to lead the way. Today, in breaking ground for the SEL, we are reaffirming and expanding the university’s leadership role in addressing the global climate crisis.” 

The construction of the building will feature an array of technology and design elements to ensure that it is energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and can serve as a model for sustainable design and construction practices moving forward. In August, a geothermal test well was drilled at the planned site of the SEL to explore the feasibility of leveraging ground source heat pumps as part of the building’s energy mix.

Vivian Ogechi Nwadiaru, who is an ELEVATE Fellow, added “I strongly believe that the addition of the SEL will empower UMass faculty and students to make bold new discoveries that address environmental justice. It will support research that advances mobility, powers local and global economies, and fosters interdisciplinary knowledge exchange.”

ELEVATE is a PhD program within ETI—currently supported by two grants totaling $6.3 million from the National Science Foundation—that focuses on community-engaged research to find optimal energy solutions with local and global scale benefits.

Dean Raman emphasized that, in addition to being an engine for research and innovation, the SEL would also be an engine for equity: “It is important to note that the focus of the SEL is not only on conducting cutting-edge research and developing novel clean energy solutions, but also on ensuring that those solutions are equitable, accessible, and beneficial to all members of society. This new living laboratory will not only be a physical space for research and education; it is also a symbol of our commitment to a more sustainable, just, and equitable future.”

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