​Clean Energy Commercialization Center
An open-source facility ​for
​academic and industrial collaboration


Our History:

AHEAD Energy Corporation was formed as a non-profit organization in 1988.  Initially, AHEAD had its headquarters at the University of Rochester and focused on projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

AHEAD Today:

In 2016 and under new leadership, AHEAD took donation of a commercial building in Brighton, NY, which was previously leased and used by General Motors and then Delphi Automotive for fuel cell development, prototyping, and testing for more than 20 years.  AHEAD has repurposed the building and lab infrastructure as a multi-user facility. It is now a StartUp-NY site, affiliated with Alfred University, which has noted expertise renewable energy systems and in high temperature and catalytic materials. AHEAD remains interested energy solutions for off-grid, underserved areas, but now has a fully global focus. 

Our Vision:

We envision a world in which universal access to energy and its wise stewardship enables all people to attain a high quality of life on a thriving planet.

Our Mission:

We work to demonstrate, promote, and enable mass deployment of cost-effective, climate-friendly energy systems for off-grid and underserved areas of the world, based on renewables, energy storage and clean fuels.

We collaborate with partners to deploy technology-based solutions to meet basic energy needs such as cooking, lighting, internet, refrigeration, and small-scale power generation.

We seek to identify "double-green" approaches which are environmentally sustainable and have strong potential for economic development.

​AHEAD's Metro Park site is an invaluable resource, allowing Rochester to maintain an edge in Clean Energy technology development and commercialization.

​This space supports R&D, demonstration, system integration, internships and vocational training, and technical exchange.

What people are saying...


Hiroshi Miyagawa,
Toyota Central R&D Labs: 
​
"Liquid ammonia is feasible for vehicle fuel in the era of sustainable (hydrogen) society."


Matt Simmons, 
National Petroleum Council:

"Ammonia (NH3) is the only realistic energy solution that makes sense."


James Grieve,
Chairman, AHEAD Energy:

"AHEAD Energy seeks pragmatic, affordable solutions to climate change based on a renewables, energy storage, and high efficiency utilization of alternative, low-carbon fuels."


Dr. Aage Stangeland, 
The Bellona Foundation:

"The strategy for reducing global CO2-emission must be a combination of
(1) increased energy efficiency,
(2) more renewable energy production  
(3) a wide implementation of clean carbon systems."

Doing more with Less CO2

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AHEAD solutions address many of Professor Socolow's "climate wedges".

Renewables with energy storage
High End Use Efficiency of Electric Generation
Low Cost/Low Carbon Fuels (with sequestration)