Mapping and Evaluating New Energy Technologies

3-0-9 units · Graduate

Project-based seminar reviews recent developments in energy conversion and storage technologies. Merits of alternative technologies are debated based on their environmental performance and cost, and their potential improvement and scalability. Project teams develop qualitative insights, quantitative models, and interactive visualization tools to inform the future development of technologies. Models may probe how the impact of a technology depends on assumptions about future advancements in performance, and how quantitative performance targets can be estimated to inform investment and design decisions. Other projects may develop models to inform rational investments in a portfolio of technologies based on economic and environmental performance and scalability constraints. Both information-based (e.g., software and codified practices) and physical technologies will be discussed.