Released October 20, 2009

WOOSTER, Ohio — Ohio State University will host its second annual Renewable Energy Workshop on Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster.

You’ll get updates on wind, solar, bioenergy and biofuel production and use in Ohio; see practical ways to use less energy and save money; and tour OARDC’s state-of-the-art biomass processing and research facilities. More than a dozen experts from Ohio State and industry will speak.

“We’ve included new speakers and new presentations for this year’s program,” said Yebo Li, a bioprocess and biosystems engineer with OARDC and Ohio State University Extension. “They’ll cover most of the signature areas of renewable energy.”

Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in OARDC’s Fisher Auditorium, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster — about 30 miles west of Akron, 60 miles south of Cleveland and 100 miles north of Columbus.

Registration, due by Nov. 5, costs $25 per person and includes lunch (vegan and vegetarian options available). Student registration costs $10 and includes lunch too.

Download the brochure and registration form at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/bioenergy/images/Brochure09v2.pdf.

Call Mary Wicks at 330-202-3533 or e-mail her at wicks.14@osu.edu for more information.

OARDC, OSU Extension and the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network (WCSEN) are the sponsors.

Schedule and speakers

• 9 a.m.: check-in

• 9:30 a.m.: “Solar and Wind, a Panel Discussion.” “Current Status of Solar and Wind Usage,” Barry Romich, WCSEN; “Installing Solar Panels on Your Home,” Fred Michel, Ohio State; “Options for Capturing Wind for Energy,” Bernie Caldwell.

• 10:30 a.m.: “Energy Efficiency, A Panel Discussion.” “Green Building Technology,” Victoria Chen, Ohio State; “Improving Energy Conservation in Buildings,” Allen Zimmerman, Ohio State; “Energy Audits Lead to Increased Efficiency,” Keith Speirs, Speirs Architectural Design.

• 11:30 a.m.: lunch

• 12:30 p.m.: “Bioenergy, a Panel Discussion.” “Solid State Anaerobic Digestion,” Yebo Li, Ohio State; “Anaerobic Digestion at OARDC,” Clemens Halene, Schmack BioEnergy; “Small-scale Anaerobic Digestion,” Jay Martin, Ohio State; “Microbial Fuel Cells,” Ann Christy, Ohio State.

• 1:45 p.m.: “Transportation Fuels, a Panel Discussion.” “Peak Oil,” John Wicks, J.L. Wicks Exploration; “Biodiesel,” Jeff Schulthies, Arlington Energy; “Algae Oil for Biofuels,” Jeff Bargiel, Phycal; “Electric Conversion of a Hybrid Car,” Romich.

• 3:15 p.m.: questions and answers

• 4 p.m.: tours — OARDC Bioenergy and Bioproducts Research Center (a sampling of research there, including biomass pretreatment for cellulosic ethanol production, production of biopolyols and polyurethane foams from biomass and processing waste, an integrated anaerobic digestion system for energy production from organic waste, and bench- and pilot-scale anaerobic digestion research in the Schmack Bioenergy research laboratory) (http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/bioenergy); OARDC Feedstock Processing Research Center (studying and developing oils and proteins from field crops for innovative uses in biobased fuels, chemicals, polymers and other materials; newly opened in August).

Magnatone Products (Fuelmeister biodiesel kits), Schmack BioEnergy, RTC Marketing of Ohio —“The Light Doctor,” TechColumbus, OARDC Bioenergy and Bioproducts, WCSEN, Santmyer Oil, NorTech and Phycal will be among the exhibitors.

Get directions at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/secondary2/How_to_Get_to_Wooster.htm.

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http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=5424

Sources: Yebo Li, 330-263-3855, li.851@osu.edu

Mary Wicks, 330-202-3533, wicks.14@osu.edu

Editor: Kurt Knebusch, 330-263-3776, knebusch.1@osu.edu