Open Forum on Energy and
the Environment ~ Spring 2011
The open forum is an ongoing lecture series aimed at broadening the understanding of important topics related to energy and the environment among a diverse, multidisciplinary audience. Faculty, students, and research fellows from all schools and disciplines are encouraged to attend. Presentations will provide introductory material to motivate a discussion of critical scientific, engineering, and economic challenges in the field. The overarching goal of the forum is to educate a significant cross-section of the campus community and motivate the research necessary to address energy challenges.
The inaugural Open Forum lecture series in 2009 covered topics related to carbon dioxide, its impact on the Earth's climate, and technological approaches to mitigate its emission. In 2010 the Open Forum focused on solar energy, including different approaches to harness sunlight energy and the major challenges to its widespread deployment as well other forms of alternative energy including wind, biofuels, tidal energy, and fuel cells.
This semester, the Open Forum focuses on energy efficiency and smart grid technologies. For each technology, state-of-the-art research, technological challenges, and contributions to the future market will be discussed. In addition to technological topics, aspects of business, policy, and ethical implications will be covered.