Energy & Renewable Energy Systems

BRISA Center for the Environment

The BRISA (Building Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability, and Assistance) Center provides organizations or groups free hands-on help, training, resources, and support towards environmental and energy justice. We serve AZ, NV, CA, HI, and the US Affiliated Pacific Islands, including Native American tribes and Indigenous communities in these areas.

Regional Algal Feedstock Testbed (RAFT)

The UA RAFT testbed contains three 600-L open raceway growth systems and two larger scale raceway cultivation systems for small- and large-scale algae cultivation experiments, which include capabilities for low-heat solar-powered pumping, sumps to store cultures at night to conserve heat and increase winter productivity, and for harvesting biomass and recycling media.

Office of Sustainability

The Office of Sustainability works to ensure that the UA continues to be a leader in sustainability among its peers. They collaborate with partners across the University and throughout the community to coordinate environmental sustainability initiatives and communication.

Institute for Energy Solutions

IES promotes and undertakes work to: more reliably integrate renewable energy into the grid; develop novel materials for energy conversion, energy-efficient water use and intelligent building technologies; support regional test beds and facilities and study the societal and economic impacts of technological advancements in energy.

Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR)

AIR coordinates interdisciplinary groups of faculty, students and projects across the University of Arizona’s campus, from climate science to public policy, law, the arts, water resources and beyond. AIR explores and develops solutions with campus and community partners that will serve human and natural communities across the globe. 

Biosphere 2

Biosphere 2 serves as a unique large-scale experimental apparatus housing seven model ecosystems with active research by teams of multidisciplinary scientists.