The
Southwest Technology Development Institute (SWTDI)
was founded in 1977 as a renewable energy research and development
center. The Institute is a non-profit, university-based organization
housed in the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University
(NMSU) in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Institute's focus is on the
development, transfer, promotion, and commercialization of renewable
energy technologies. SWTDI provides contract services for systems
analysis, program implementation, business development, feasibility
studies, market studies, computer modeling, and educational computer
kiosks.
SWTDI has accumulated
extensive domestic and international experience with a variety of
renewable energy technologies. SWTDI expertise includes photovoltaic,
solar thermal, wind, geothermal, alternative fuels, evaporative
air-conditioning, micro-hydroelectric, aquaculture, biomass, energy
efficiency, minority education, traffic monitoring, environmental
systems, bioremediation, and waste management. SWTDI is an
internationally recognized applied research and development center for
solar and wind energy systems, geothermal research, energy systems
simulation, resource assessment, and environmental analysis.
Environmental Systems
The
environmental systems program includes three interrelated subdivisions:
biomass conversion for food and energy; geothermal-based aquaculture;
and environmental engineering. In all of these areas, an applied
approach is assumed and partnerships with the private sector are
encouraged to facilitate the rapid development and transfer of usable
technology. Analytical and experimental activities in these three
program areas are supported by the Southwest Environmental Systems
Laboratory and the Southwest Geothermal Aquaculture Facility. Interest
in the biomass to energy area has focused on the feasibility of high
solids anaerobic digestors, small-scale gasifiers, and algae production
systems. Recent projects have included an extensive inventory of New
Mexico biomass sources, and a DOE funded project for the
commercialization of a small system biomass gasifier. The environmental
engineering program area has a broad range of projects including:
constructed wetlands for bioremediation and treatment of domestic
wastewaters for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; coupled
preoxidation with biological activated carbon for treatment of
recalcitrant wastewaters; biodegradation of substitute solvents in the
industrial operations; microorganism based toxicity testing and
analysis; and process waste assessments for minimizing the generation
of hazardous wastes. SWTDI has also built artificial wetlands for
wastewater treatment in Ciudad Juárez and Ojinaga, Mexico.
Geothermal Energy
SWTDI
designed, built, and manages the Southwest Geothermal Greenhouse
Facility. The greenhouses are leased to commercial growers considering
southern New Mexico for their operations. Geothermal services include
assistance with permitting, regulatory compliance, geologic
consultation, and aiding with overall project and business development.
The Institute is responsible
for much of the characterization of the geothermal resource base of
Arizona and New Mexico. Several SWTDI studies have formulated and
tested viable exploration and occurrence models for low-to-intermediate
temperature geothermal resources. Recent work has focused on radon
soil-gas surveys to map zones of hot water upflow and associated halos
of mineralization and rock alteration. Field collection and
interpretation of geochemical surveys, geologic mapping, and
coordinating, recommending and integrating geophysical surveys into
exploration and resource characterization programs are services offered
by SWTDI. The Institute also offers detailed and precise temperature
well-logging and interpretation for specialized ground-water and
environmental needs. A comprehensive computerized geothermal database
of New Mexico has been developed and compiled. Most recently, the
Institute has been working on developing the Rincon geothermal site in
southern New Mexico, as well as sites on Fort Bliss.
Photovoltaic (Solar) Energy
SWTDI operates the Southwest
Region Experiment Station, which is a three-acre test and evaluation
facility on the NMSU campus established by the U.S. Department of
Energy in 1980. The SWRES has tested thousands of photovoltaic, solar
thermal, and wind energy systems on-site and in the field. Engineers
provide design assistance, systems monitoring, and acceptance testing
of installed systems. The SWRES also assists with solar and wind energy
program development and implementation, project feasibility
assessments, business plans, and standards development.
Non-Energy Programs
SWTDI also oversees some
non-energy programs, the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation
(NMAMP), the Vehicle Detector Clearinghouse (VDC), and the Evaporative
Cooling Institute. The National Science Foundation sponsors the New
Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation (NMAMP), and the Federal
Highway Administration sponsors the Vehicle Detector Clearinghouse
(VDC). The Evaporative Cooling Institute (ECI) is organized as a
non-profit institution to advance the art and science of evaporative
air-cooling and air conditioning.
International Programs
A
strong component of SWTDI programs is utilizing renewable energy
technologies for international development, especially in rural areas.
The SWTDI philosophy is to make a difference in the lives of rural
people by providing them local renewable energy resources to help meet
their energy needs. SWTDI provides a variety of overseas services
including program management, project implementation, professional
education and training, and resource assessment and monitoring. We have
worked on all seven continents and our staff are fluent in English,
Spanish, and Portuguese. We are always happy to share our experiences
and in working with new partners overseas.
SWTDI has conducted over 130
international courses alone since 1990 for a variety of clients in
Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and South
Africa. SWTDI has provided training to most persons active with
renewable energy development in Latin America, including NRECA
(Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras), Fundación Solar (Guatemala),
Asociación Nacional de Energía Solar (Mexico),
Centro de Pesquisas Eléctricas (Brazil), and many others.
New Mexico State University
