University of Maryland gets $50,000 grant for solar cooling system project

The Dominion Foundation presented the University of Maryland with a $50,000 educational grant — part of Dominion’s Higher Educational Partnership — that was one of 40 awarded to colleges and post-secondary schools to fund projects in energy, environmental studies, engineering and workforce development.

Maryland’s project, “Design of Efficient Solar Cooling System with High Coefficient of Performance,” is led by Department of Mechanical Engineering Research Professor Yunho Hwang and aims to model, design, fabricate and test a new solar cooling system that exceeds current efficiency standards.

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“In the U.S., cooling and heating systems are responsible for 63% of building energy use,” explained Hwang. “Therefore, utilizing solar energy to provide cooling and heating for buildings will contribute to saving energy and conserving our environment.”

“We are proud to support the University of Maryland and give students an opportunity to solve an important, real-world engineering challenge,” said Mike Frederick, vice president of liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations at the Dominion Cove Point LNG terminal in Lusby, Md. “Education and the environment have always been important to Dominion and Cove Point and this project matches up well with our ongoing commitment to both.” The Dominion Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, parent company of Dominion Cove Point.

In addition to Hwang, the UMD research team includes three Mechanical Engineering students, juniors Jonathan Kagan and Joseph Baker, and graduate student Tao Cao. Through this research project, the students will gain a better understanding of the technologies for sustainable energy conversion and utilization, and through this hands on experience, they will learn the challenges and opportunities in designing sustainable energy systems.

This grant was given by the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, Inc., which is the parent company of Dominion Cove Point LNG, LLC, Lusby, MD.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: http://solarbuildermag.com/news/university-of-maryland-gets-50000-grant-for-solar-cooling-system-project/]