Who we are...
In 1997, the Laboratory for Sustainable Solutions (LSS) was formed within the University of South Carolina Department of Mechanical Engineering to investigate a new research area that was taking hold internationally. This research area involves concepts such as Sustainability, Sustainable Design & Development (SD&D), Industrial Ecology (IE), Eco-Industrial Development/Eco-Industrial Parks (EID/EIP), and related topics such as “green building”, “product take-back” and environmental management systems. Research topics have directly involved and supported 22 students (6 Ph.D., 11 Masters, 1 Law, and 8 Undergraduate) and 2 visiting foreign scholars over the past 5+ years.
 
Dr. Wally Peters founded the lab with the following initial student members: Katherine Neal Blue, Katty J. Chen, and S. Lynn Odom.  There are currently six students working on interdisciplinary research in the lab (2 Ph.D., 1 Masters and 3 Undergraduates).
 

Research members of LSS are currently performing research on the following topics

bulletSustainable Systems Analysis
bulletInternet Interactive Sustainable Systems Analysis
bulletSustainable Industrial Development
bulletGreen Building Design
bulletIndustrial Ecology/Complex Systems Theory
bulletRenewable and Distributed Energy Systems
bulletEnvironmental Philosophy/Ethics
 
 
LSS maintains a strong working relationship with the USC School of the Environment.