Place: 4274 Chamberlin (Refreshments will be served)
Speaker: Michael Winokur, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: The rate of growth in renewable energy production has generally exceeded even the most optimistic projections. This dramatic scenario has been driven by a steady stream of technological advancements in combination with a breathtaking reduction in actual the cost of the energy production. Many traditional sources of energy are becoming economically uncompetitive. This introductory level talk will give a broad overview of the potential sources of renewable energy with an emphasis on the recent history of solar and wind energy production and likely near-term developments which will further improve device performance. Time permitting some of the issues associated with energy storage will be discussed.