Advanced Photovoltaics
Information related to the PV field can be found at Heliotactic Press, and I recommend visiting Photovoltaics CDROM, a web education tool for solar energy conversion.
Brownson Education at Penn State:
Solar Education
Materials and systems studies for solar energy conversion and technologies requires a multidisciplinary approach.
Present and Future
Natural Fusion · Solar Decathlon
The Natural Fusion project at Penn State has seen a very successful experience on the National Mall in in Washington D.C. this October 2009! Congratulations to the team for taking 3rd place in both Engineering and Lighting Design! What an amazing design-build process for all of us.
Visit the Natural Fusion Facebook and Twitter Pages:
We also experienced a fantastic visit by Mr. Ed. Begley Jr. on Sept. 25th of 2009. Mr. Thomas Rauch and I got to take Mr. Begley around State College via bicycles, and then capped off the day with a tour of the NF home and a wonderful speaking engagement on sustainability. He even stopped by the home at the Mall in October!
TRNSYS · Training Workshop
Date in the Summer of 2010 TBD. Contact us if you are interested in attending the workshop!
Contact Information if you would like to contact our group for outreach, consulting, or otherwise.
Graduate Education
EGEE 597D: Advanced Photovoltaics Integration of Materials and Systems. Students will evaluate materials used in thin film photovoltaic (PV) devices and discuss resource implications for large scale deployment. EGEE 437 is a prerequisite for this course. [Offered Fall 2009]
EGEE 597B: Design of Solar Energy Conversion Systems (grad) Runs parallel to EGEE 437, and includes computer simulation of photovoltaic or solar thermal energy conversion case studies. [Offered Spring 2010]
Undergraduate Courses
EGEE 437: Design of Solar Energy Conversion Systems (How Do We Convert Energy from the Sun?): Interested in solar energy use for electricity (photovoltaics), heating, and cooling? Join us to develop an understanding of the technologies that underscore the use of the Sun for energy conversion in society.This course examines the fundamentals of renewable energy conversion processes from basic concepts to implementation in different scales and the associated environmental impacts. Students will build a foundation for all renewable energy processes with emphasis on solar energy. Passive and active solar thermal energy, solar thermal electric systems, solar photovoltaic systems (current theory and design for electricity conversion in traditional and non-silicon devices, including dye-sensitized solar cells) will be discussed. [Offered Spring 2010]
EGEE 455: Materials for Energy Applications Our energy technologies are dependent upon interesting materials for energy conversion, transmission, and storage. We will be covering key principles and technologies for materials relevant to energy applications, including membranes, nanoparticulate catalysts, supercapacitors, adsorbents, and semiconductors. [Offered Fall 2010]
Undergraduate Courses
EM SC 100S: EMS First-Year Seminar Energy, Materials, and the Environment:
Today, Earth has 6.6 billion humans, and by the time this freshman class is 60 years old (~2050) the planet will house over 9 billion people. Today, people consume 15 trillion Watts of power across the planet. This is the equivalent of everyone on the planet running a dishwasher while playing Guitar Hero on an Xbox 360. But in 2050, the power demands will almost double current values. Additionally, we are charged to reduce our current rate of fossil fuel combustion and supplement it with carbon-neutral energy supplies to avoid climate changes that will adversely affect the well being of society. We will require new technologies and materials for this amazing challenge of energy conversion.
All technology comes at a cost of time, finances, and materials. Materials allow us to access useful energy and technologies that provide for the basic needs that drive our economies and support life on the planet. We can define five global reservoirs that all societies require: air, water, soil, minerals for materials, and energy. Intense demands for each of these have placed enormous pressures on government and industries to develop technological advancements to maintain them. It is our goal to assess those reservoirs, determining the advanced tools required for their maintenance, both on a personal and industrial scale. We will also be covering the various material requirements for energy technologies, and also address the professional ethics of using current technologies and developing new solutions. [Offered Spring 2010]
Educational Outreach
Teachers of high school and middle school interested in developing educational material for solar energy and renewables, please feel free to contact us.
My efforts include outreach and recruiting for the undergraduate programs of the Department of Energy & Mineral Engineering. Interested candidates (new undergrads, high school students and parents included) should feel free to contact me by email or phone with questions, or to discuss the exciting and diverse undergraduate opportunities within EME.