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The Energy Resources Center (ERC) is an interdisciplinary public service, applied research, and special projects organization that strives to provide solutions to today’s energy and environmental challenges and opportunities. The ERC provides expertise in the areas of bioenergy, energy efficiency, distributed generation and renewables, utility data analytics, sustainable landscapes, clean transportation and workforce development. Originally created to be a “fast response” team of experts, the ERC currently provides technical assistance, sophisticated modeling capabilities, educational outreach, and program implementation across the public and private sectors. The ERC is committed to providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date solutions to the energy and environmental problems affecting institutional, industrial, residential, and commercial sectors. The ERC is staffed by a uniquely diverse and highly experienced group of professional engineers, economists, architects, computer scientists, educators, and public policy analysts.
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The Energy Resources Center (ERC) located within the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) was founded in 1973 as an organization dedicated to energy efficiency and the environment. For over 50 years the ERC has served as an interdisciplinary organization working in the fields of public service, research, and special projects. Established by the Board of Trustees as an approved Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) center, the ERC began their work under the direction of Dr. James Hartnett, Professor Emeritus, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Under Dr. Hartnett’s guidance the ERC conducted research in the area of energy, as well as creating a “fast response” team capable of extending technical expertise, advice, and professional assistance to various organizations. The ERC’s primary focus was energy policy and plan issues predominantly in Chicago and the State of Illinois. In 1998, Dr. William Worek, also former head of the UIC Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, moved the Center into the national field with a refined focus on technology and market transformation. In 2008, under the strategic direction of John Cuttica, the Center’s research explored distributed energy and combined heat and power, increased collaborations at a regional level working with state energy offices, investor-owned utilities, and utility commission, and provided increased support to aiding the State of Illinois reach the state energy efficiency goals for the public sector.
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The scope of Energy Resources Center’s (ERC) work has steadily grown at pace with the UIC community at large. Today, it boasts a staff of that is increasingly multidisciplinary and which reflects the multicultural community that UIC champions as an institution. Currently, under the direction of Cliff Haefke, the ERC is comprised of hands-on engineers, economists, architects, computer scientists, database developers, and public policy analysts. This team of technical specialists work with clients in the areas of Bioenergy, Energy Efficiency, Distributed Generation & Renewables, Utility Data Analytics, Sustainable Landscapes, Clean Transportation, and Workforce Development. While these are the major pillars of ERC’s work, the Center’s expertise has been called upon nationally and internationally by other educational institutions and governments to help provide council on solving the energy challenges of tomorrow.
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