Addressing the ever-increasing worldwide demand for energy, while minimizing impact on the environment, is the primary key to a sustainable future. The Andlinger Center brings together researchers and educators in the interdisciplinary fields of engineering, architecture, the social and natural sciences, and public policy to address this fundamental challenge of the 21st century. Six interacting research areas form the heart of the Andlinger Center's focus.  Researchers in these areas work together to solve the monumental challenges that impact our energy and environmental future.  The research areas are: the built environment, transportation and infrastructure; electricity production, transmission, and storage; fuels and chemicals; pollutant detection and remediation technologies; decision and behavioral science, policy, and economics in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson School; and environmental and climate science in partnership with the Princeton Environmental Institute.

An important goal of the center is to provide Princeton undergraduates with the opportunity to explore issues related to energy and the environment in a multi-dimensional fashion. These dimensions include generation and deployment of energy systems, quantitative analysis of their impact on economic growth and society, and evaluation of their impact on climate change and the environment. The center aims to produce future leaders who will place us on a sustainable trajectory with their work on science, engineering, architecture, economics, public policy, and environmental issues related to energy systems.

The center offers two certificate programs. 

The Program in Technology & Society: Energy Track, jointly offered with the Keller Center, is designed to explore the intersection of technology and society, and how their co-evolution affects the implementation of innovations in energy technologies. In order to successfully engage practical and effective energy solutions, an appreciation for different points of view on these issues is critical. Students in all disciplines—humanities, social sciences, physical and natural sciences, and engineering—who are interested in understanding and working on energy solutions can benefit from gaining such perspectives outside their particular area of focus. The Energy Track certificate, which showcases and emphasizes a broad array of energy issues and societal concerns, helps provide such perspectives.

The Program in Sustainable Energy focuses on studies of current energy resources, the development of energy systems that support sustainable economic growth, the nexus of energy security and environmental harmony, and an understanding of global climate and environmental change. Science and engineering students interested in pursuing graduate studies or careers in fields related to energy, as well as humanities and policy students who desire a more technical grasp of the world’s energy landscape, will be exposed to a broad spectrum of energy technologies.

Further information about both programs is available at the center's website: http://acee.princeton.edu/education.