Market needs and opportunities that drive activities in the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (Syracuse CoE) include:
• Health: Today, 17 million Americans suffer from asthma, 4.8 million of whom are children. This pediatric chronic illness is the leading cause of school absences. Elevated levels of indoor particulate matter are believed to be responsible for tens of thousands of additional deaths per year.
• Productivity: Current designs for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems typically satisfy only 80% of building occupants. These "one-size-fits-all" designs contribute to productivity losses in the US estimated as high as $250 billion annually.
• Security: In recent years, accidents and intentional acts have demonstrated that built and urban environments are vulnerable to chemical and biological agents (CBA). The human and economic cost of an accidental or intentional release of CBA in a building could be staggering.
• Sustainability: Today, 75% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas where air pollution often exceeds standards for human health, injures vegetation, alters soil, and damages structures. Associated U.S. losses are estimated at $110 billion annually. In addition, buildings account for more than one-third of the total energy and two-thirds of the electricity consumption in the U.S.
Syracuse CoE federation members envision creating new generations of technologies and systems that address these concerns. In particular, we envision:
• "Healthy" schools, offices, and homes that enhance learning, reduce absences, lower health care costs, and are more pleasant to occupy.
• Revolutionary "intelligent" environmental quality systems that will provide tailored "micro-environments" at the desktop that will improve workers' productivity in commercial buildings by 5% or more compared to current designs.
• Systems that "immunize" buildings and critical civil infrastructures by rapidly detecting, containing, and mitigating harmful chemical and biological agents.
• More sustainable economic development by reducing energy usage in commercial and residential buildings by 50% or more, decreasing air and water pollution, and improving environmental quality in urban ecosystems.