What Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center (AERTC) does

AERTC (Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center) is a New York State Center of Excellence housed within Stony Brook University's Research and Development Park, established in 2006. The center validates and deploys advanced energy technologies across offshore wind, tidal/marine hydrokinetics, hydrogen production and storage, smart grid distribution, power electronics, and ammonia-based decarbonization. Core technical capabilities include high-fidelity CFD simulations for tidal turbine deployment (Verdant Power, Long Island Sound), level-set-based multi-physics topology optimization for electric machine design (in collaboration with GE), techno-economic analysis frameworks for green hydrogen production with offshore wind wake interaction, acoustic resonance spectroscopy for separation/filtration, and magnetic levitation launch assist systems. AERTC also operates an AI-enabled autonomous grid resilience program (backed by DOE and NSF Convergence Accelerator funding) and quantum-secured power grid research. The center holds multiple granted patents, including a phase balancing system for power distribution (US 9,728,971), a passive wireless channel estimation method, a storage-ring quantum computing concept, and an ML-based person detection system (US 12,300,033).

AERTC's business model is grant-funded rather than venture-backed. Primary revenue streams include competitive federal research grants (DOE, NSF, U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research, ARPA-E, NYSERDA), industry partnership contributions (Ørsted, GE, Sunrise Wind, National Grid, Spellman High Voltage Electronics), technology licensing through SUNY Research Foundation (e.g., SWFTLabs exclusive license in September 2025), and conference/event revenue from the annual Advanced Energy Conference, which draws approximately 1,000 attendees and 50-70 exhibitors. The center serves industrial and corporate partners seeking R&D collaboration, academic and research institutions, government and policy organizations, students and early-career professionals, and K-12 schools. It also operates the Long Island High Technology Incubator (LIHTI), which has graduated startups including Amogy (ammonia-powered transport) and ThermoLift (HVAC heat pumps). Distribution occurs through sponsored research agreements, incubator services, the annual conference, technology licensing, and workforce development programs.

AERTC's network encompasses 14 NY State Centers of Excellence, 14 Centers of Advanced Technology, 13 universities/colleges, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and over 100 industrial and federal laboratory partners. Strategic grants of note include the $18.5M NYSERDA offshore wind consortium award (2018), $7.36M Navy microgrid project, $5M DOE AI-grid project, and $4.9M hydrogen storage demonstration grant (2025). Leadership includes Chairman Robert B. Catell (also Chairman of National Grid US), Vice Chair Yacov Shamash (Dean of CEAS, SBU), and Director Abdelrahim Brown. The center is a state-designated nonprofit entity rather than an investable venture; economic exposure is to U.S. federal and New York State energy R&D budgets and to corporate cleantech commitments.

Name

Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center (AERTC)

Legal name

Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center

Website

https://aertc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AERTC is a New York State Center of Excellence at Stony Brook University that validates and deploys advanced energy technologies across offshore wind, hydrogen, smart grid, and power electronics, serving federal/state agencies and corporate R&D partners through grants, industry projects, and incubation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Research & Development Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Wind Electric Power Generation (221115), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy Systems & Power Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAG)

Keywords

• Advanced energy research
• Clean energy technology
• Renewable energy R&D
• Energy technology commercialization
• Workforce energy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Stony Brook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Research Grants: AERTC operates as a grant-funded research center at Stony Brook University, generating revenue primarily through competitive federal and state research funding from agencies including DOE, NSF, Navy Office of Naval Research, ARPA-E, and NYSERDA. Major grants include $5M DOE AI-grid project, $4.9M hydrogen storage demonstration, $7.36M Navy microgrid project, and $18.5M NYSERDA offshore wind consortium.
2. Industry Partnership Contributions: Industrial partners including Ørsted, GE, Sunrise Wind LLC, Verdant Power, and others provide project funding, in-kind contributions, and equipment for collaborative research projects. Partners also support through sponsored fellowships, technology licensing, and facility access arrangements.
3. Technology Commercialization and Licensing: Revenue generated through technology transfer activities including patent licensing (e.g., SWFTLabs exclusive patent license agreement with SUNY Research Foundation), startup company support through the clean energy business incubator, and commercialization consulting services.
4. Conference and Event Revenue: The annual Advanced Energy Conference attracts nearly 1,000+ attendees and 50-70 exhibitors, generating revenue through registration fees, sponsorship packages, and exhibitor booth fees. Conference has run annually since 2007.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center (AERTC) operates as a New York State Center of Excellence at Stony Brook University, delivering collaborative applied research, technology validation, and commercialization services in advanced and renewable energy. It pairs industry, academic, and government partners on projects spanning offshore wind, tidal/hydrokinetic energy, hydrogen production and storage, smart-grid and power-electronics, while running an annual energy conference, a clean-energy startup incubator, and workforce-development programs.

Product overview

AERTC is a New York State Center of Excellence at Stony Brook University that operates as a research and technology deployment center rather than a product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the Advanced Energy Conference (annual industry conference), the Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (startup support), Workforce Development and Education Programs (K-12 STEM outreach and professional training), and collaborative Research Projects with industrial and academic partners. The center functions as a hub connecting 14 NY State Centers of Excellence, 14 Centers of Advanced Technologies, 13 universities/colleges, and over 100 industrial and federal laboratories to accelerate energy technology validation and commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advanced Energy Conference (AEC) Annual industry conference (held since 2007) bringing together researchers, government officials, legislators, energy policy-makers, environmentalists, and business and academic leaders to advance energy solutions. Features keynotes, technical sessions, exhibits, and networking. Theme for 2026: 'Adapting the Course: Innovation for a New Energy Era' in New York City.
• Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (CEBIP) Business incubator supporting clean energy startups with mentorship, SBU facility and faculty access, office space (via Long Island High Technology Incubator), and technology-licensing support through the SUNY Research Foundation. Has graduated companies including ThermoLift and Amogy.
• Workforce Development and Education Programs Educational programs including K-12 STEM outreach, high school programs, and professional development for teachers to prepare students and professionals for careers in the advanced energy economy. Includes facility tours, curriculum-aligned programs, and teacher training.
• Sponsored Research & Technology Validation Projects Collaborative research initiatives with industrial and academic partners covering tidal energy, offshore wind, hydrogen production and storage, smart-grid power distribution, power electronics, electric machine design, and aerospace. Includes high-fidelity CFD simulations, techno-economic analysis, and experimental validation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 industrial and federal laboratory partnerships established
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Verdant Power IncorporatedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Collaborative research with SBU researchers and AERTC to advance next generation marine hydrokinetic turbines. Project involves high-fidelity numerical simulations of Verdant Power's tidal turbine system in Long Island Sound, between Little Gull Island and Fishers Island, including techno-economic analysis for performance prediction and optimal turbine positioning.
• SWFTLabscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Partnership with Stony Brook University for zero-waste biotech innovation in agriculture. SWFTLabs launched at CEWIT with exclusive patent license agreement from SUNY Research Foundation for core proprietary technology. AERTC supports through incubator and technology commercialization.
• ØrstedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2024Ørsted Fellow program at SBU for large signal stability research in renewable energy systems integration. Post-doctoral research project with SBU and Aalborg University under Sunrise Wind R&D Agreement. Includes $5M commitment from Ørsted and Eversource to support offshore wind research at SBU.
• NYSERDAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2018U.S. DOE selected NYSERDA as recipient of $18.5M grant to develop national research and development consortium for offshore wind industry. Consortium headquartered at AERTC. AERTC serves as central hub for offshore wind R&D coordination across multiple states and developers.
• General Electric CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-project collaboration including: PFI-RP magnet topology optimization for electric machine design with level-set-based multi-physics software; ICORPS training for market-aligned technology development; GE-Renewable Energy partnership for rare-earth permanent magnet structure design for generator systems.
• Sunrise Wind LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations including: Sunrise Wind R&D Agreement funding Ørsted Fellow and stability research; green H2 production techno-economic analysis with wake field interactions; energy storage modeling for offshore wind projects. Sunrise Wind is 50/50 joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource.
• Brookhaven National LaboratoryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research partnership including: collaborative projects with ACES Lab on hydrogen production; joint work on battery technology and energy storage; BNL National Lab researchers co-advising SBU students; shared facilities access; SBU/BNL Seed Grant program for joint research initiatives.
• Genesys Engineering PC (Acquired by Willdan Group Inc)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on alternative decarbonization pathways for hard-to-decarbonize industry sectors using ammonia as hydrogen carrier. Project addresses off-road transportation, stationary power generation, and building heating applications with green hydrogen solutions.
• AWE Technologies LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBU collaboration for testing and validation of AWE Technologies' acoustic resonance spectroscopy (ARS) and swept frequency acoustic interference (SFAI) technologies for non-invasive measurement applications in thermo-fluidic sciences and separation/filtration processes.
• Magnet Launch LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMG-89 RF SUNY at SBU project developing reusable launch vehicle maglev launch assist system. FuzeHub-supported initiative aiming to reduce space launch costs below $1/kg through evacuated tube acceleration technology.
• National Grid USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partnership including gas pipeline safety research (2007 partnership), National Grid gift supporting ECE department's Engineering Summer Camp programs, and Robert B. Catell (Chairman of National Grid US) serving as AERTC leader.
• LIPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKevin S. Law (former LIPA President and CEO) serves on AERTC leadership. LIPA collaboration on grid modernization and offshore wind integration research. LIPA Community Advisory Board newsletter features AERTC CyberLearn program.
• Spellman High Voltage Electronics CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year funding commitment for Spellman Power Electronics Lab at SBU. CEO Dr. Loren Skeist engaged in creating locally trained pipeline of power electronics professionals. Collaboration on high voltage power conversion systems and wide bandgap device packaging.
• Hesse MechatronicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNo-cost loaner program with Hesse BJ 653 wirebonder and Hesse Smart Welder SW1185 supporting Spellman Power Electronics Lab advanced packaging capabilities for SiC/GaN and ultra-wide bandgap power electronics systems.
• AmogycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy startup demonstrating world's first ammonia-powered zero-emission semi truck (2023) and ammonia-powered tractor (2022). Graduated from SBU clean energy incubator ecosystem. Revolutionary ammonia-based power systems for transportation.
• ThermoLiftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThermal heat pump technology company that graduated from SBU clean energy incubator. Raised $25M funding round. Demonstrated groundbreaking HVAC performance surpassing DOE targets. Featured at CERAWeek 2019 and received Google for Startups cloud support.
• Long Island High Technology Incubator (LIHTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy business incubator affiliated with AERTC providing office space, mentorship, and access to SBU facilities for startup companies. Has graduated multiple successful clean energy companies including ThermoLift and Amogy.
• Center for BiotechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource partner for AERTC industrial partners. Center provides biotech industry connections, research facilities, and commercialization support for energy biotechnology applications.
• NSF Center for Thermal Spray ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated research center providing advanced materials processing capabilities relevant to energy technologies including power electronics packaging and manufacturing processes.
• NSF Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered InterfacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated research center focusing on polymer materials science with applications in energy systems, membranes, and advanced materials development.
• Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBU center hosting startup launches including SWFTLabs. Provides wireless and information technology infrastructure and industry connections for energy technology applications.
• Center for Mesoscale Transport Properties (m2m)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded center at SBU focused on mesoscale transport properties relevant to battery technology, energy storage, and thermal management in energy systems.
• Brookhaven National LaboratoryflagshipTechnology or IntegrationKey federal laboratory partner for energy research. BNL provides: access to NSRL space radiation facility; NSLS-II synchrotron; battery research collaboration; SBU/BNL Seed Grant program; joint faculty appointments and student co-advising.
• College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SBU)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary academic partner housing AERTC. CEAS departments (ECE, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, etc.) provide faculty expertise, student talent, and research infrastructure for AERTC projects.
• Farmingdale State CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in AERTC network. President W. Hubert Keen served on Advanced Energy Conference organizing committees. Collaboration on regional energy workforce development.
• Aalborg University (Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner collaborating on Ørsted Fellow research project for large signal stability analysis of renewable energy systems. Multi-institution research spanning Denmark and US.
• Imperial College LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cleantech collaboration with US partners. Imperial deepens cleantech collaboration expanding global research network for advanced energy technologies.
• 14 NY State Centers of ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAERTC partnered with all 14 NY State Centers of Excellence providing statewide network for energy research collaboration and resource sharing across New York's innovation ecosystem.
• 14 NY State Centers of Advanced Technology (CATs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership network including Sensor CAT (Center for Advanced Technology in Diagnostic Tools and Sensor Systems) rooted in ECE department. CATs provide technology development support and industry connections.
• Intellectual Property Partners (IPP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSBU resource for AERTC industrial partners providing intellectual property management, patent licensing support, and technology commercialization services.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResource for AERTC incubator companies and industrial partners providing business development consulting, startup support, and growth advisory services.
• Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence (SPIR)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSBU program connecting industrial partners with AERTC research capabilities for technology development and commercialization support.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Sandia National Laboratories: DOE national laboratory with major programs in renewable energy integration, grid security, power electronics, and energy storage. Overlaps with AERTC's smart grid, microgrid, and energy storage work, though at much greater scale and with national security scope.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory with extensive energy research programs in energy efficiency, renewables, grid modernization, and energy storage. Comparable to AERTC in the breadth of energy research and industry partnerships, though at much greater scale and with national lab infrastructure.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory with substantial energy, battery, and hydrogen research programs. Overlaps significantly with AERTC (in fact, AERTC is a partner of BNL), but operates at a much larger scale with national lab infrastructure and DOE national security scope.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory with major programs in grid modernization, energy storage, advanced manufacturing, and power electronics. Comparable in mission to AERTC for federally funded energy research, but with much greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): Industry-funded research organization conducting applied R&D for the electric utility sector. Comparable to AERTC's grid modernization, power electronics, and AI-grid work, with a similar industry-funded, collaborative research model and overlapping member companies (utilities and energy firms).
• Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy: Stanford University's energy research institute spanning renewables, storage, grid, and decarbonization. Comparable as a university-based energy research center with industry partnerships, faculty-led research, and a focus on energy technology commercialization.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): DOE-funded national laboratory focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency R&D. NREL is the most direct peer to AERTC given overlapping mandates in offshore wind, hydrogen, grid modernization, and energy storage, though at much greater scale and with a national rather than regional remit.
• Carnegie Mellon Scott Institute for Energy Innovation: University-based energy research institute at Carnegie Mellon with research spanning advanced power systems, energy storage, and grid modernization. Comparable to AERTC as a peer university energy research center with industry partnerships and applied research focus.
• MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI): University-based energy research hub at MIT conducting low-carbon energy research across areas overlapping with AERTC, including energy storage, solar, wind, and grid systems. Comparable as a peer university energy center with industry partnerships and faculty-led research.

Regional players

• NY-BEST (New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium): New York State-funded consortium focused on energy storage R&D, testing, and commercialization. Closely comparable to AERTC's energy storage work and aligned with the same NY State ecosystem, though more narrowly focused on batteries and storage rather than the full energy portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AERTC_SBU
• Facebookfacebook.com/AERTCatSBU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advanced-energy-research-and-technology-center-aertc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center (AERTC)