Energy & Renewable Energy Systems

With about 350 days of sunlight a year, UArizona is uniquely suited to pioneer alternative energy, energy/water systems and energy policy research solutions to meet current and future environmental challenges.

Our research
Zoom meeting on computer

Recap of June 2020 Co-InFEWS Workshop

A recap of the Co-InFEWS Workshop hosted online during the week of June 15, 2020, where Indigenous community members, scholars and representatives from federal and tribal agencies met to collaborate on ideas and share experiences about the nexus of food, energy and water systems.

Here's why the Bighorn Fire got so big: weather, fuel, terrain

On June 17 in Tucson, Peter Norton watched smoke billow from the Santa Catalina Mountains. His shift at Mount Lemmon’s fire department had ended the day before, but he and another firefighter, Aaron Lindflott, had made a pact. When it was time to head back up the mountain to fight the Bighorn Fire, they’d be ready.

Dual-use solar farms welcome nature back to the land

Most ground-mount solar projects built in the United States are on gravel, turf or dirt. And therein lies the Catch-22 of solar projects. The draw of solar is its ability to provide clean power that preserves beautiful landscapes that are in danger from coal mines, oil wells and fracking.

Plastics in the time of pandemic

Many restaurants have kept afloat through delivery and takeout orders provided in plastic packaging with plastic cutlery.

Architecture Students Place First in Department of Energy Competition

Four university teams were finalists for a project that aims to change the way apartment buildings, schools and homes store energy and are kept cool.

Decoding the Skies: The Impact of Water Vapor on Afternoon Rainfall

The role of incoming water vapor in rainfall has been a complex area of study, but new research shows water vapor is a vital piece of the puzzle.

A new vision for farming: Chickens, sheep, and ... solar panels

Agriculture and the solar power industry have at times been at odds, competing for the landscape. But some farmers and developers are finding that the two can be complementary.

UC3: Scaling Up Climate Solutions

In 2018 the University of Arizona joined the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), comprising 20 leading North American research universities. The goal: helping communities accelerate climate action.

Ushering in a New Era of Mine Waste Reclamation