Utah State University and the City of Logan have announced a joint municipal and university team to develop a pilot facility for extracting harmful phosphates from Logan City waste lagoons. The facility will harvest algae that consume nitrogen and phosphorus and convert them into biofuel. Leading the effort is the USU Biofuels team, with the assistance of the Energy Dynamics Laboratory (EDL), the newest business unit of the Utah State University Research Foundation.

The new pilot facility will put into practice some of the technology developed by the university’s Biofuels team, which is funded by USTAR, the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative.

“This project promises to improve water quality and reduce the city’s use of fossil fuel,” said Ronald C. Sims, Department Head, USU Biological and Irrigation Engineering. “What’s also very exciting is that a successful pilot could lead to products and services aimed at the 16,000 other wastewater treatment lagoon systems in the United States.”

Senator Robert F. Bennett visited Logan on Tuesday, August 24th, and toured the Biofuels facilities with USU officials. “It was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate to the Senator the progress USU is making in renewable energy technology,” Sims said.

USTAR has funded Biofuels research at USU since 2007. “These efforts, under the direction of Jeff Muhs, have gained national notoriety and attracted federal grants,” said Ted McAleer, USTAR executive director. “Jeff is considered a national expert on alternative energy, and his team will bring considerable expertise to the Logan lagoon project.”

In addition to support of Biofuels research, the USTAR Governing Authority recently approved significant start‐up funding for the Energy Dynamics Laboratory, as well as for an Intuitive Buildings research team at EDL. The new team aims to create real‐time measurement and interpretation techniques for electric lighting systems with the goal of reducing and optimizing energy utilization in buildings.

EDL is also invested in researching wind profiles as an alternative energy source. According to Ned Weinshenker, USU VP for Strategic Ventures and Economic Development, “Both EDL and the new research team are a natural outgrowth of prior USTAR investments. We are delighted to see our energy R&D portfolio blossom and grow from the seeds planted by senior faculty such as Byard Wood, who has spearheaded the university’s push into alternative energy research for several years.”