News and Events

March 24, 2010

Renewable Energy Lecture Series

The Copenhagen Protocol: the View from Las Vegas – Problems, Possibilities and Shifting Paradigms in Sustainable Urbanism.

Dr. Robert Dorgan - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday, April 6

The rapidly growing city of Las Vegas, Nevada, with over 2 million residents, 40 million tourists annually, and an acute desert climate in the upper Mohave, provides one of the most compelling design laboratories in the world. This lecture re-examines well-known strategies of sustainable urbanism in practice today, and explores the unique ways in which these strategies are practiced in the Las Vegas valley.

Biological, Chemical and Engineering Research to Study the Viability for an Algal Biofuel Economy in Southern Nevada.

Dr. Jian Ma - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday, April 13

Biofuels derived from algae have the potential move to the nation ever closer to energy independence. Biofuels from microalgae have many merits, such as significantt high oil productivity, CO2 recycling, non-food based feedstock sources, use of other-wise non-productive non-arable land with the use of a wide variety of water sources such as fresh, brackish, saline and waste-water. Join us as we discuss the research behind the technical challenges of this new resource, the scaling up and feasibility of long-term production.

Making your World Better through Ground Source Heat Exchange.

Gregory P. DeSart - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday,April 20

A Ground Source Heat Exchange (GSHE) system is a heating and/or air-cooling system that uses the Earth's ability to store heat in the ground and water thermal masses. The presentation will discuss: the different types of GSHE as well as the pros and cons; the benefits of GSHE; payback; determining if GSHE is right for a project; local (southern Nevada) projects in which GSHE was installed; what the stimulus package has set aside for GSHE as well as tax credits and incentives.

Hydrogen: Fuel of the 21st Century?

Dr. Paul M. Forster - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday, April 27

There are serious environmental and political reasons to move away from fossil fuels. One option receiving serious consideration is that of hydrogen. This talk will summarize the technical challenges associated with using hydrogen. Specifically, it will explore the production, distribution, storage, and combustion of hydrogen as a fuel, focusing on vehicular applications.

Novel Thermophilic Microorganisms and Cellulases for Improving Second-Generation Biofuel Technologies.

Dr. Brian P. Hedlund - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday, August 31

The current focus on the development and implementation of clean, renewable replacements for fossil fuels rivals technological challenges of recent decades, such as the race to put a man on the Moon and the completion of the human genome. This presentation will cover second-generation biofuels, focusing on novel thermophilic (“heat-loving”) microorganisms and enzymes.

Using Green Algae for Biofuel Production and Carbon Recycling.

Dr. John C. Cushman - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday, September 7

Green algae are ideally suited as a non-seasonal, renewable energy resource for the arid western U.S. because they can be more productive than terrestrial crop feedstocks, can be grown on marginal lands with municipal waste, in brackish or saline water unsuitable for traditional agriculture, can leverage geothermal and solar resources, and provide widespread potential for recycling of CO2 from biomass, coal or gas-red power plants. This lecture will discuss current research methods to optimize algal production and compare production harvesting systems.

Cyanobacterial Sugars for Biofuel Production.

Dr. David R. Nobles - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday, September 14

Through genetic modications, strain selection and novel culturing techniques; several strains of cyanobacteria have been developed that are capable of synthesizing and secreting large amounts of cellulose, glucose, and/or sucrose. Through these products biofuels can be produced. Join us on a discussion of this process and the potential capabilities of biofuel production.

Can we Live off Sustainable Energy?: A Quantitative Approach.

Dr. George Rhee - 7:30 to 8:30pm on Tuesday, September 21

This lecture will address the key issue of whether we can sustain our current rate of energy consumption by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. Emphasized will be the need to quantify the problem by estimating the per capita energy consumption by category such as transport, heating, electricity etc. We will discuss both the scientic and political dimensions of a viable energy plan for our country that does not include fossil fuels.