Faculty in the news: Dr. Jennifer Sklarew

The October 2018 newsletter of the League of Women Voters in the Fairfax Area (LWVFA) mentioned a project to bring two hydropower micro-turbines to the Fairfax campus of George Mason University (on page 7).

Lead PI Dr. Jennifer Sklarew of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy and her research team began the project working with STEAM undergraduates, but is currently working with Mason engineering, environmental science and policy, sustainability studies, physics, and global affairs students.

The project seeks to implement two hydropower micro-turbines into storm drains. Combined with battery storage, this project will test use of the stormwater’s energy to power cell phone charging stations and emergency lighting on campus, contributing to GMU’s sustainability goals. The students are designing the first turbine; they expect to complete the installation this fall. Findings will be analyzed for wider application, focusing on barriers to urban use, and applied to an international pilot project.

Read a detailed description of the project here: https://cip.gmu.edu/2017/07/27/empowering-resilience-energy-water-systems-addressing-barriers-implementation-urban-hydroelectric-micro-turbines/

ESP Adjunct professor Dr. Jennifer Sklarew teaches the course EVPP 432/533 Energy Policy.