Energy and Environment

Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES)

CADSWES researchers developed RiverWare to model water management systems such as Hoover Dam.

CADSWES is an interdisciplinary center for the research and development of decision support tools for water resources and environmental management. Researchers and students team to develop innovative computer tools, which are currently in use by resource management agencies, utilities, consultants, and researchers in this country and abroad. Among the center's current projects are RiverWareTM, the Hydrologic Database, and the Building as a Learning Tool system.

RiverWare is a generalized river and reservoir modeling environment that provides simulation and optimization solutions for operational scheduling and planning of multi-objective water and hydropower resources. Ongoing research and development is sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. RiverWare is available commercially and currently is in use throughout the United States and abroad for daily scheduling of reservoirs and hydropower plants, operational planning studies, design of new facilities, environmental impact studies, and operational policy studies.

The Hydrologic Database, used in conjunction with RiverWare, is a series of integrated relational databases supporting real-time data telemetry, daily river operations, basin scheduling, and long-term river basin planning throughout eight western states. The Building as a Learning Tool (BLT) system, developed by CADSWES, is a web-based information management system that allows for on-line access to real-time building systems data from the college's Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory. Since July 1998, the BLT system has loaded real-time data from more then 350 sources, many providing data every minute. cadswes.colorado.edu

Joint Center for Combustion and Environmental Research (JCCER)

Despite years of regulatory efforts, ozone, particulate matter and toxic air pollutants remain significant health threats in urban areas across the U.S. Health risks may be even greater from poor indoor air quality, because most of us spend more than 80% of our time indoors.

Mechanical engineering faculty in the Center for Combustion and Environmental Research are investigating these issues. Professor Jana Milford's research focuses on modeling the atmospheric formation of ozone and other constituents of photochemical smog in urban areas such as Los Angeles and Mexico City. Milford also is collaborating with Professor Shelly Miller on research to estimate the contributions that various indoor and outdoor air pollution sources make to human exposure to toxic organic compounds such as benzene and trichloroethylene.

Miller's research focuses on indoor air quality, including assessing exposures to indoor air pollutants, and developing and evaluating indoor air pollution control measures. She is currently investigating the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation of upper room air to prevent the spread of airborne infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. She also is collaborating with National Jewish Medical and Research Center on a pilot study of childhood asthma using intervention methods in both classroom and home environments. sprocket.colorado.edu/centers/combustion

Joint Center for Energy Management (JCEM)

Efficient and appropriate use of energy resources is necessary for the maintenance of a healthy economy and environment. One goal of the Joint Center for Energy Management is to apply our engineering expertise to conservation and management of energy resources to ensure a sustainable future.

Hosted by the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, the center conducts research directed at improved energy efficiency in the building and industrial sectors, as well as on practical applications of renewable energies. It is the focal point of undergraduate and graduate programs for educating building systems engineers. In addition, JCEM offers a research and testing environment in the Larson Building Systems Laboratory that is well suited to industrial research and development in building mechanical systems.

Established in 1987 with start-up funds from the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation, JCEM remains dedicated to excellence in energy-related research, development, education, and technical assistance. bechtel.colorado.edu/Graduate_Programs/Jcem/jcemmain.html

The CU Mountain Research Station offers a unique environment for high altitude environmental research.