Director Emeritus
Neal Elliott directed ACEEE’s research for many years prior to transitioning to emeritus status. He continues to contribute to ACEEE’s research and policy efforts as an internationally recognized expert and author on energy efficiency programs and policies, industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization, electric motor systems, and clean distributed energy and thermal storage. Neal is a frequent speaker at domestic and international conferences. He joined ACEEE in 1993.
Prior to joining ACEEE, Neal was an adjunct associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University and senior engineering project manager at the N.C. Alternative Energy Corp. (now Advanced Energy) where he was founding director of the Industrial Energy Laboratory. Prior to AEC he worked as N.C. Wood Assistance team leader for the Industrial Extension Service and Department of Wood and Paper Science at North Carolina State University. He is also a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee (ITIAC).
Neal earned a bachelor of science and a master of science in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University, and was a dean's fellow and received a PhD from Duke University. He is a registered professional engineer in North Carolina and has six patents in the area of thermal storage and produce processing.
Expertise:
- Industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization technologies, programs, and policies
- Industrial heat pumps
- Distributed energy and thermal storage technologies and policies
- Energy markets and policies (including natural gas, oil, coal, and electricity)
