About the Conn Center

Our Mission

The mission of the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research is to conduct and facilitate research and development on potentially commercializable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

The Conn Center partners with universities, utilities and businesses while actively pursuing federal grants, state government funds, industry partnerships and private benefaction.

The University of Louisville is answering Kentucky's call to lead research efforts in renewable energy research issues. UofL established the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering in 2009 in honor of major donors Hank and Rebecca Conn. Since 2009, Conn Center’s research has advanced basic scientific knowledge, informed applied engineering know-how and supported Kentucky’s diversifying advanced manufacturing economy. The center provides analytical capabilities to materials and chemicals sector industries, research educational opportunities to PhD, masters and bachelors students as well as outreach to middle and high school groups.

The center advances the goal of renewable energy and promotes technologies, practices and programs that increase efficiency for energy utilization. To accomplish these objectives, the Conn Center conducts and facilitates research and development on potentially commercializable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. 

The center promotes partnerships among colleges and universities, private industries and non-profit organizations to actively pursue federally and privately funded research and development resources that are dedicated to renewable energy solutions in seven themes:

• Solar Manufacturing
• Solar Fuels
• Biofuels & Biomass Conversions
• Energy Storage
• Advanced Energy Materials
• Materials Characterization
• Energy Efficiency & Conservation

Conn Center employs top-notch scientists and engineers as theme leaders for directing these research thrusts and to enable collaborations with faculty researchers and industry partners worldwide. The Conn Center has developed unique, state-of the art, translational research facilities in the following areas: scalable manufacturing research and development of advanced nanoscale materials, roll-to-roll manufacturing research and development for solar technologies and solid-state lithium ion battery fabrication.

The center features facilities for pre-pilot scale processing tools for converting various waste and biomass streams to fuels/chemicals. In addition, the Conn Center maintains test facilities for solar photovoltaics, solar fuels, lithium ion batteries and fuel cells, a materials characterization facility and an ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy facility.

The center's main objective is to foster development of transformational science and accelerate the translation of technology concepts from the lab to pre-commercial scale via large-scale device prototyping. Through innovative research and development at an accelerated pace and development of Kentucky's workforce and renewable resources, the center's ongoing goal is to seek outcomes that enhance global energy security, maintain US technological leadership and improve high-tech manufacturing activity in Kentucky.