Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment

What Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment does

The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment is an academic research center within Princeton University's School of Engineering and Applied Science, established in 2013 and headquartered at 86 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ. It advances interdisciplinary research across six strategic initiatives — Renewable Energy Systems, Industrial Decarbonization, Decarbonizing Buildings and Transportation, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, the Water-Energy-Resource Nexus, and Climate Resilience Engineering — and complements this with the Net-Zero America modeling project and the Energy Systems Analysis Group.

The center's core technology portfolio spans patented and pilot-stage innovations: Peter Jaffé's microbial PFAS biodegradation approach, Princeton Critical Minerals' interfacial solar evaporation discs (96%+ solar-to-thermal efficiency and 40-122% evaporation rate uplift demonstrated at SQM's Chilean lithium ponds), solid-state battery research using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, machine-learning-assisted plasma control for tokamak fusion with PPPL, thermo-responsive hydrogels for atmospheric water harvesting, and Yenan Chen's issued Chinese patents in high-frequency power converters and renewable energy power electronics.

Its business model is non-commercial: the center is funded through Princeton University allocations, federal and foundation research grants (NSF, DOE, Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund), endowed fellowships (Maeder, Andlinger Visiting Fellows, Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows, New Jersey Wind Institute), and the Princeton E-ffiliates corporate membership program, which has delivered $9.5M in cumulative funding across 44 collaborations supporting 70 faculty, researchers, and students. GTM is event- and relationship-driven, anchored by the Highlight Seminar Series, New Light Summer Seminar Series, annual E-ffiliates meetings, PFAS summits, and a multi-channel digital presence (website, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSky, YouTube, monthly newsletter).

Name

Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment

Legal name

The Trustees of Princeton University

Website

https://acee.princeton.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1746

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment is Princeton University's interdisciplinary academic research center advancing renewable energy, industrial decarbonization, carbon capture, water-energy nexus, and climate resilience research, serving faculty, students, corporate E-ffiliates members, and government policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Energy and Environment Research

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Siting, Resource Assessment & Environmental Tech R&D (Remote Sensing, Wake Modeling, Wildlife Mitigation) (EUAMAOAJ), Hybrid Renewable Systems & Co-Optimization R&D (Solar+Wind+Storage, Multi-Resource Plants, Controls) (EUAMAOAI), Energy & Water Efficiency Programs (Corporate Resource Management) (EUAHAJAG), Renewable Policy & Regulatory Strategy (National/State/Local) (EUAMANAA)

Keywords

• Energy and environment research
• Sustainable energy research
• Industrial decarbonization
• Carbon capture research
• Renewable energy systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Core Funding: Base funding from Princeton University as an institutional research center within the School of Engineering and Applied Science
2. Corporate Membership (E-ffiliates): Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership is a membership-based program where corporations pay to engage in research collaborations. Member companies have provided $9.5 million in cumulative funding.
3. Research Grants: External funding from government agencies (NSF, DOE) and foundations including Grants for Innovative Research in Energy and the Environment, Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund, and Sustainability of Our Planet funding.
4. Fellowship Programs: Funding for Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows and Graduate Fellowships (Maeder Graduate Fellowship, New Jersey Wind Institute Fellowship Program) from endowed sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment conducts interdisciplinary academic research and offers educational programs in sustainable energy and environmental science at Princeton University. Its six core research initiatives span renewable energy systems, industrial decarbonization, buildings and transportation decarbonization, carbon capture/utilization/storage, the water-energy-resource nexus, and climate resilience engineering. Programs available to participants include the Minor Program in Sustainable Energy, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, visiting fellowships, seminar series, and the E-ffiliates corporate membership program for industry research collaboration.

Product overview

The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment is an academic research center at Princeton University that does not offer commercial products but instead operates a portfolio of research initiatives, educational programs, and fellowship opportunities. The core research initiatives include six strategic areas: Renewable Energy Systems, Industrial Decarbonization, Decarbonizing Buildings and Transportation, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, Water-Energy-Resource Nexus, and Climate Resilience Engineering. Educational offerings include a Minor Program in Sustainable Energy, Maeder Graduate Fellowship, and New Jersey Wind Institute Fellowship Program. The Center also runs visiting and postdoctoral fellowship programs, offers grant funding for innovative research, hosts the Highlight Seminar Series and New Light Summer Seminar Series, and operates the Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership for corporate engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• E-ffiliates Partnership: Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership is a membership-based program offering corporations engagement opportunities in energy and environment research collaboration with Princeton faculty.
• New Light Summer Seminar Series
• Highlight Seminar Series

Products and services

• Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership A membership-based program offering corporations engagement opportunities with academic experts to pursue transformational innovations in energy and the environment. Member companies engage in close collaborations with Princeton faculty, participate in featured projects, events, and have proximity access to Princeton facilities.
• Minor Program in Sustainable Energy An undergraduate academic program at Princeton University providing interdisciplinary courses on energy and environmental issues, available for enrollment by Princeton students.
• Maeder Graduate Fellowship A graduate fellowship supporting Princeton students conducting research in energy and environmental fields.
• New Jersey Wind Institute Fellowship Program A fellowship program at Princeton University focused on wind energy research and development, supporting graduate students in wind-related energy research.
• Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Fellows Program A program attracting distinguished visiting scholars to collaborate with faculty, researchers, and students at the Andlinger Center on energy and environment research.
• Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows Program A program supporting postdoctoral researchers collaborating with Princeton faculty on energy and environment-related research projects at the Andlinger Center.
• Grants for Innovative Research in Energy and the Environment A grant program supporting innovative research projects in energy and environmental fields, made available to Princeton faculty and researchers through a competitive call for proposals.
• Highlight Seminar Series A lecture series hosting distinguished professors, researchers, government officials, and practitioners from energy and environment fields for public lectures at the Andlinger Center.
• New Light Summer Seminar Series A summer seminar series featuring Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows and early career researchers from the Andlinger Center presenting on cutting-edge energy and environment topics.
• Net-Zero America Project A research initiative within the Rapid Switch program analyzing pathways to net-zero emissions for the United States through comprehensive energy systems modeling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-122% increase in evaporation rates for lithium extraction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2025Chemical company partnered with Princeton Critical Minerals startup to pilot lithium extraction technology at evaporation ponds in northern Chile. Field tests showed 40-122% evaporation rate improvements.
• Princeton Critical Minerals (formerly PureLi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2025Startup spun from Princeton research (co-founded by Z. Jason Ren and Sean Zheng, former Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow) developing technology for boosting minerals production from evaporation ponds. Participated in HAX Accelerator and NSF I-Corps program.
• HAX AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2025Pre-seed startup development accelerator headquartered in Newark, NJ that PCM participated in to accelerate commercialization.
• New Jersey ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2025Fortune 1000 energy infrastructure company joined E-ffiliates to unlock advances in circular carbon economy. Collaborating with Z. Jason Ren on energy-water nexus research including hydrogen electrolysis from treated effluent and biogas conversion projects.
• KomlinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2024Separation technologies leader joined E-ffiliates to advance PFAS treatment and environmental solutions. Founded 1946, headquartered in Peapack, NJ. Working with Peter Jaffé and Ryan Kingsbury on removing PFAS from biosolids without destroying agricultural value.
• Various Industry, Academic, Government Entities (PFAS Summit)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2024Over 80 leaders from academia, industry, and public sector gathered for PFAS summit to brainstorm solutions for combating PFAS contamination, particularly in biosolids from wastewater treatment.
• Ara PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2024Industrial decarbonization investment firm joined E-ffiliates bringing expertise in sustainable investments to advance research collaborations.
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2020PPPL, a national laboratory managed by Princeton University, collaborates with Andlinger Center faculty on fusion energy research. Faculty member Egemen Kolemen is also a physicist at PPPL working on plasma control systems and tokamaks.
• Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership (Corporate Members)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2020The E-ffiliates is a membership-based program offering corporations unique opportunity to engage in big-picture thinking and find innovative solutions in energy and environment. Member companies engage in close collaborations with academic experts to pursue transformational innovations. E-ffiliates has facilitated 44 collaborations and $9.5M in cumulative funding supporting 70 faculty, researchers, and students.
• Office of Innovation, Keller Center, I-Corps ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2020Princeton's ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship including Office of Innovation, Keller Center (Design for Impact program), NSF I-Corps program, IP Accelerator Program, and START Innovators program that support researchers in translating discoveries to commercial applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): Industry-funded R&D organization for the electricity sector. Operates a member-based research model analogous to Andlinger's E-ffiliates program. Direct overlap on grid, renewables, energy storage, and carbon capture research, with much larger industry membership base.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): DOE's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency R&D. Operates at much larger scale than any university center and is a major source of competition for federal energy R&D funding, faculty collaborations, and industry partnerships across all of Andlinger's core research areas.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: DOE national lab managed by UC Berkeley with major programs in energy efficiency, renewables, and climate science. Strong overlap with Andlinger's Water-Energy-Resource Nexus and Climate Resilience Engineering initiatives; competes for DOE funding and faculty collaborations.
• Argonne National Laboratory: DOE national lab with major programs in energy storage, advanced computing, and materials science for energy. Strong overlap with Andlinger's solid-state battery, CCUS, and Industrial Decarbonization research; competes for federal grants and industry partnerships.

Direct peers

• Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences: Harvard's engineering school hosts substantial energy and environment research (e.g., Harvard Grid Project, Harvard Forest). Competes for elite faculty, graduate students, and corporate energy research partnerships in the same Ivy League / Northeast US ecosystem as Andlinger.
• MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI): MIT's flagship energy and environment research initiative. Most direct peer—same university-based model, six interdisciplinary research areas, corporate membership program (MITEI Members Program), and similar focus on decarbonization, renewables, and energy systems. Directly competes for faculty, students, and corporate partners.
• Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy: Columbia University's energy policy and research center. Closely comparable in mission (interdisciplinary energy research and policy), location (Northeast US Ivy League), and structure (faculty research, fellowships, policy-focused output). Direct competitor for energy policy thought leadership.
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL): DOE national lab managed by Princeton University itself—Andlinger's primary fusion research partner and a sister institution within the Princeton ecosystem. Overlap on fusion energy R&D, plasma physics faculty (Egemen Kolemen holds dual appointments), and shared access to Princeton's innovation pipeline.
• Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy: Stanford's central energy research hub with a comparable structure: interdisciplinary faculty, corporate affiliate program (Precourt Affiliates), research spanning renewables, storage, and grid. Direct competitor for talent and corporate partnerships in the same elite university tier.

Emerging players

• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): Independent nonprofit energy think tank focused on market-based decarbonization. Less academic-research oriented than Andlinger but operates a similar model of convening industry, conducting analysis (like Andlinger's Net-Zero America), and publishing influential research. Increasingly competing for philanthropic and corporate energy research dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AndlingerCenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/AndlingerCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/princeton-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/andlingercenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment