The Search for a Sustainable Energy Future:
Challenges for Basic Research
A Mini-Symposium sponsored by the Energy Research Group at Penn
Friday March 9, 2007
Wu & Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall
University of Pennsylvania
The EWGP organized this inaugural event, which brought to Penn two experts in the energy field to present their views on the scientific and technological hurdles to solving the energy crisis in an environmentally acceptable way. We also learned how the federal government is responding, by identifying promising directions for funding breakthrough research. Penn scientists and engineers presented over 30 posters describing ongoing research during an extended lunch break. <click for list of posters>
Plenary speakers:
Dr. George Crabtree
Senior Scientist and Director, Materials ScienceDivision, Argonne National Laboratory
“The Global Energy Challenge”- The expected doubling of global energy demand by 2050 and its impact on supply, security, environment and climate challenge our traditional patterns of energy production, distribution and use. New routes are needed for the efficient conversion of energy from chemical fuel, sunlight, and heat to electricity or hydrogen as an energy carrier and finally to end uses like transportation, lighting, communication and information processing. Opportunities for efficient new energy conversion routes based on nanoscale materials will be presented, with emphasis on the sustainable energy technologies they enable.
- The expected doubling of global energy demand by 2050 and its impact on supply, security, environment and climate challenge our traditional patterns of energy production, distribution and use. New routes are needed for the efficient conversion of energy from chemical fuel, sunlight, and heat to electricity or hydrogen as an energy carrier and finally to end uses like transportation, lighting, communication and information processing. Opportunities for efficient new energy conversion routes based on nanoscale materials will be presented, with emphasis on the sustainable energy technologies they enable.
Dr. JoAnn Milliken
Director, Department of Energy Hydrogen Program
“The Advanced Energy Initiative - Challenges, Progress, and Opportunities”- This talk will address hybrid vehicles and battery technology, ethanol as a fuel, and hydrogen fuel cells, the ability of these technologies to reduce oil dependence and the challenges for each approach, and the progress made. Stationary power generation, solar buildings, and portable power fuel cells will also be discussed. The presentation will be at a programmatic level and will touch on the applied research and technology development opportunities under the Advanced Energy Initiative.
Schedule:
- 9:00 am Prep & poster set-up
- 10:00 am Welcome
- 10:15 am Morning Session
- Dr. George Crabtree, “The Global Energy Challenge”
- 11:45 am Poster Session and Lunch <click for list of posters>
- 1:45 pm Afternoon Session
- Dr. JoAnn Milliken, “The Advanced Energy Initiative - Challenges, Progress, and Opportunities”
- 3:15 Close
