Newark, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/07/2010 -- A delegation from Ningguo in the People’s Republic of China was named a Sister City of Newark on Nov. 18, 2010 during a special visit to NJIT. Donald H. Sebastian, PhD, senior vice president for research and development, represented Newark during the signing. City officials were unable to attend.

Earlier that day, the group toured the laboratory of NJIT Physics Professor Ken K. Chin to learn more about using thin film solar technology to develop sustainable urban living and solar energy. Chin is the director of a new solar energy research center at NJIT funded last spring by Apollo Solar Energy, Inc., of Chengdu, China. The research center will focus on improving the applications of Cadmium telluride semiconductor materials for use in thin-film solar cells.

Zheng Dong Sun, the economic counselor of Ningguo in eastern China, led the Chinese group. He said their goal is to transform Ningguo into China’s “Solar City.” Sebastian led a similar trip to China last summer to sign an agreement to help reach these goals. Ningguo’s population is 380,000.

During the recent NJIT ceremony, highlights from Sun’s remarks in Chinese (translated by Chin) included the following.
• A dream to set up a joint research institute with NJIT to study energy.

• A vision of how with the help of NJIT a technology business incubator will be created in his city to help Chinese students learn more about technology. NJIT, home to the Enterprise Development Center (EDC), New Jersey’s oldest and largest high-technology business incubator, is in a good position to offer this advice. The EDC gives early-stage start-ups an edge in meeting the many challenges of commercialization.

• To interest companies in Newark to invest in research in Ningguo.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to work with a city that has set aggressive goals for renewable energy use,” said Sebastian. “NJIT is deep in expertise on sustainable urban living and we see many benefits in deepening relations between our university, Newark and Ningguo.”

Recent solar energy initiatives at NJIT have included the following.

Last spring, Apollo Solar Energy, Inc. http://www.njit.edu/news/2010/2010-075.php awarded NJIT a three-year, $1.5 million grant to establish Chin’s solar research center. Apollo Solar Energy mines and refines tellurium (Te) and high-purity tellurium-based metals for specific segments of the global electronic materials market. The research center will focus on improving the applications of Cadmium telluride semiconductor materials for use in thin-film solar cells.

In July, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded NJIT $468,495 http://www.njit.edu/news/2010/2010-249.php to create a comprehensive series of four courses to train and teach mechanical engineers in the region how to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings. The NJIT Center for Building Knowledge is organizing and running the training sessions.

This past fall, NJIT and Building Media Inc. (BMI), a DuPont subsidiary,
http://www.njit.edu/news/2010/2010-284.php will lead one of 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes ? the Building America Retrofit Alliance (BARA). The 15 teams, appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial 18 months to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential market and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach of all.

NJIT students now live in a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient, renewable energy building, thanks to $1.6 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). http://www.njit.edu/news/2010/2010-008.php

The university’s Oak Residence Hall upgrade project has been approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the U.S. Department of Energy as one of seven projects in the $20.6 million State Energy Program.

Chinese dignitaries who attended the event included Wang Pu, vice mayor of Ningguo People’s Government, Tang Junhuai, general manager of Ningguo Huapu Building Material Co. Ltd., Zhang Jinlong, general manager of Anhui Ruitai New Material Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Wu Yi, director of Ningguo Economy and Information Committee, and Yang Anfeng, director of Ningguo Tourism Bureau.

NJIT, New Jersey's science and technology university,enrolls more than 8,900 students pursuing bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 120 programs. The university consists of six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, College of Architecture and Design, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, College of Computing Sciences and Albert Dorman Honors College. U.S. News & World Report's 2009 Annual Guide to America's Best Colleges ranked NJIT in the top tier of national research universities. NJIT is internationally recognized for being at the edge in knowledge in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and e-learning. Many courses and certificate programs, as well as graduate degrees, are available online through the Office of Continuing Professional Education.