Event Preview: Protecting Fragile Resources at the 12th Annual Energy Conference

This year’s Energy Conference, hosted by NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences on June 15 at NYIT de Seversky Mansion, will take on the topic: Energy & Ecology: Protecting Fragile Resources. Learn more about the event below and register online.

“We are constantly using energy in our homes, workplaces and communities. The problem is that our natural environment is fragile,” said Robert Amundsen, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the M.S. energy management program and one of the coordinators of the 12th Annual Energy Conference. This year’s theme will look at ways to prevent pollution and use cleaner sources of energy. “In past conferences, we have focused on artificial systems such as drones, green buildings, hybrid vehicles, emergency shelters, and the power grids,” said Amundsen. “This year, we are looking at the ‘big picture’ of how our activities affect the natural environment and what steps we can take to minimize environmental damage.”

Some of the controversial issues that will be discussed include the chopping down of trees to make space for a solar farm, using groundwater for cooling, and cleaning polluted sites for use as wind and solar farms. “We have expert speakers who grapple with these issues every day, such as Brookhaven Town Supervisor Edward Romaine,” Amundsen said.

Other topics of discussion will focus on sustainability and “smart communities.” Regiane Relva Romano, Ph.D., general coordinator of the Smart Campus at Faculdade de Engenharia de Sorocaba, a technology university in Brazil, is an expert in this area and will address these issues. Sarah Meyland, J.D., associate professor at the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, is a water expert and will present Energy-Water Nexus on Long Island at the conference.

“We need to be well-informed about the dramatic changes underway in the energy industry,” said Amundsen. “The Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) was established at NYIT to bring together experts and entrepreneurs who will create new companies and bring more jobs to our area. This conference is an opportunity to showcase those efforts.”