• Number 320  |
• September 13, 2010

PPPL to lead workforce development for green building tech

As part of a DOE-supported Energy Innovation Hub, DOE's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) will oversee the creation of education programs to train present and future workforces about energy efficiency technology and systems. This would include educational models to integrate Hub research activities into secondary and college-level curricula, as well as training programs that incorporate energy efficient building systems concepts into traditional occupations for present workers.

The Laboratory's mission is to develop fusion as a potential clean plentiful energy source and to nurture future plasma and fusion scientists. The Hub goes hand-in-hand with this mission by supporting green building technologies and applying PPPL's education expertise and techniques to energy efficiency training. In addition, along the path toward developing fusion, PPPL has implemented and innovated energy efficiency into its operations, giving the Laboratory a strong experience base for creating training models in energy efficiency. 

The $122 million Hub is focused on developing technologies to make buildings more efficient and brings together leading researchers from academia, two U.S. National Laboratories — PPPL and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — and the private sector in an ambitious effort to develop energy efficient building designs that will save energy, cut pollution, and position the United States as a leader in this industry. The Pennsylvania State University will lead the Hub team. PPPL Science Education Head Andrew Zwicker will lead the workforce development task. The Hub includes $8 million for workforce development; PPPL will receive $1.2 million.

[Patti Wieser, 609.243.2757,
pwieser@pppl.gov]