Energy and the Environment

Critical issues surrounding the environment and sustainability are areas that Penn Engineers are uniquely positioned to address. Our students, faculty and staff are working to innovate solutions to decrease the carbon footprint of our campus, advance energy science and impact research.

Faculty Energy and Sustainability Research

Faculty research in areas related to energy and sustainability is as varied as the problems they are seeking to address. Developing the science and technology to provide sustainable energy solutions is a critical focus of the School’s research efforts, and utilizes the strengths of Penn Engineering and its programs, which span fundamental to translational materials, devices and systems. Whether it is green buildings, alternative forms of energy, increasing efficiency of batteries and fuels, or developing novel materials to combat waste, our faculty research seeks to develop technologies to ensure a more sustainable future.

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Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research

The Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) enrolls talented, prepared, and motivated undergraduate students who are interested in energy science and engineering. VIPER students receive instruction and state-of-the-art research experiences, enabling them to pursue advanced degrees in these fields and establish high-caliber research careers as innovators in the discovery and development of sustainable ways to harness, convert, and use energy.

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Minor in Energy and Sustainability

The Energy and Sustainability minor offered by Penn Engineering provides students with a broad coverage of technical and societal issues confronting the world and in-depth treatment of selected topics in technical areas relevant to energy and sustainability.

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Penn Engineering Green Initiatives

Penn Engineering is an active participant in Penn Sustainability, which seeks to execute a vision of sustainability at Penn. This partnership has set concrete goals for environmental progress and integrates sustainability into coursework, community outreach, and campus planning, design and operations. Under the leadership of Penn Engineering Design and Construction, the Penn Engineering Green Team is a group of volunteer staff members from across the six departments in the School that seeks to find sustainable solutions to everyday issues within the Engineering complex.

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