Archived BERC Events
Please see below for descriptions, pictures and videos from past BERC events.
SEED Energy Fair
May 9, 2009 | 10:30am-2:30pm | Campanile Esplanade
Students for Environmental Energy Development (SEED) held its first annual Energy Fair. 4th-6th grade students at Horace Mann Elementary School in Oakland and King Middle School in Berkeley worked with SEED mentors and BERC members once a week this school year to learn about energy and the environment. They spent the final 6 weekly sessions completing small group projects ranging from a working wind turbine to a model green building to a methane digester. Students who completed the project were invited to Campanile Esplanade to present for a panel of judges. They were then treated to tours of campus and research labs with SEED volunteers. Nine groups presented their projects on Saturday, and all of them did a great job of explaining what they had learned to teachers and judges. Thanks to BERC members who volunteered and to PG&E, Oracle, and SunPower for donating participation prizes for the students.
Career Panel: Energy Careers for PhDs in Science and Engineering
May 7, 2009 | 6-8pm | 290 Hearst Memorial Mining Building
Over sixty graduate students in engineering and science attended a panel discussion at which energy insiders spoke about career opportunities in their industry. The panelists included venture capitalist Andrew Williamson from Physic Ventures, Kate Martin from Chevron Energy Technology Company, and Alfred Gaertner from LS9, a Bay Area biofuels company. The panelists shared their thoughts on the value of graduate degrees, working environments at companies of different sizes, and strategies for finding jobs in the energy industry after grad school, among other topics. Professor Arun Majumdar of Mechanical Engineering and LBNL kicked off the event with remarks emphasizing the importance of collaboration between the technical, policy and entrepreneurial communities.
See more pictures from this event.
BERC/Imagine H2O Water Entrepreneurship Workshop
March 18, 2009 | 6-8pm | Wells Fargo Room, Haas School of Business
The Workshop attracted a crowd to listen to a stellar panel discussion on water issues and opportunities for entrepreneurship in the water sector. The evening opened with a warm welcome by Tony Kinsbury of the Center for Responsible Business, who turned it over to Tamin Pechet of Catamount Ventures (and founder of Imagine H2O). Tamin moderated the panel comprised of Dana Haasz of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Rachel Sheinbein of CMEA Ventures, and Alexis Strauss of the Water Division of the Environmental Protection Agency. The panel was followed by themed breakout table discussions to facilitate the exchange of ideas and find points of common interest between the attendees, and potentially form teams to compete in next Fall’s water business plan competition hosted by Imagine H2O. Of the hundred or so attendees, many were learning about BERC for the first time. Given the success of the event, and the clear excitement about water, BERC looks forward to further expansion of our community through increased resource-focused programming.
C2M Workshop
April 29, 2009 | 4-6pm | Goldberg Room, Boalt Hall
Cleantech to Market (C2M) teams representing three different LBNL technologies presented their project findings at a workshop attended by VC's, scientists, academics and industry professionals. The technologies studied represented three distinct phase in the product lifecycle, and included an inexpensive solar PV material, an alternative biofuel source, and a low NOx burner. The workshop sparked a full discussion on each of the presentations, including: what materials and cost models are best suited for photovoltaics, how efficient low emissions technologies can penetrate the market by overcoming industry barriers, and which biofuels are most cost competitive with gasoline.
Congratulations to all the C2M team members: Solar PV Materials - Jeff Olson (lead), Justin Amirault, Vinaya Rakesh, Boaz Ur, Anna Zaniewski; Biofuels - Emmanuel de Garsignies (lead), Kyle Kearney, Tawni Koutchesfahani, Lea Mouallem, Abel Spondel, Bob Tamaddon; Low NOx Burner - Osman Malik (lead), Phillip Liu, Anthony Radspieler Jr.
Strawberry Creek Service Day
April 25, 2009 | 10am-1pm | Strawberry Creek
On a beautiful spring morning, over 30 Cal alumni and current students participated in a Strawberry Creek Service Day to benefit the campus environment. Co-sponsored by BERC, the Berkeley Environmental Alumni Network (BEAN), the ASUC Sustainability Team (STEAM) and the Cal Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), the event brought environmentally-minded students and alumni together to remove non-native vegetation along Strawberry Creek in the Grinnell Natural Area on Berkeley's campus. The morning began with an informative briefing by Tim Pine of EH&S about the history of Strawberry Creek and environmental restoration at Cal and a primer on the native botany and animal life of Strawberry Creek. Then the group set to work removing weeds and ivy and restoring the natural area to what it would have looked like hundreds of years ago. After a few hours of fun, hard work the area was transformed and we were proud to turn the clock back on many years of unchecked invasive plant growth. It was great to meet everyone that turned out for the event and great to be a part of environmental restoration at Cal!
If anyone is interested in participating in the ongoing project to restore Strawberry Creek, contact Tim Pine to learn about future volunteer opportunities.
Roundtable to Introduce Energy and Resources Courses at Berkeley in Fall 2009
April 23, 2009 | 4pm | Berkeley
Students from ERG, Law, Haas, I-School, GSPP, Engineering, and Public Health gathered to share tips on choosing courses in energy and resources, for Fall 2009 and beyond. Topics discussed included: how to successfully register for courses in Law and at Haas, which classes teach useful skills/methods for future research/work in this area, and how to find interesting lecture series. A compilation of the current BERC course recommendations has been uploaded to the website, and will be updated over time with FAQs and new course offerings. Watch for an interactive course guide, to be launched on the BERC website next academic year! See the Fall 2009 Course Guide here.
The Political Economy of Carbon Regulation; Professor David Victor, Stanford Law; Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
April 21, 2009 | 4pm | 223 Moses Hall
The BERC Social Science and Policy Group met at the Institute of International Studies for the first time on April 21st in order to organize activities, exchange research ideas, and get to know about people in the social sciences and policy arena who study energy, resource, and climate change issues. The impetus for the creation of the group came from political science PhD student Bobak Tamaddon who, while studying energy and climate change, had noticed that no organization represented social students interested in these topics. BERC seemed a natural home for the group and following an overture to newly appointed BERC co-presidents Sarah and Kate, the group was formed with Bobak as the social science liaison. About twenty students from disciplines as varied as demography, sociology, environmental economics, public policy, public law, and political science attended the meeting. Discussing the research issues over wine and portabella mushrooms, a common theme arose; inter-disciplinary work is more important in energy transitions, resource protection, and climate change mitigation/adaptation than it has ever been.
The group meeting was set up to coincide with Professor Victor's talk entitled the Political Economy of Carbon Regulation. Following the meeting, Professor David Victor joined the group while setting up for his talk, and asked about the composition of the BERC Social Science and Policy group and its goals. The common theme in this exchange was that researchers need to know who is doing what outside their own fields because the themes and subject areas span across disciplinary boundaries and competencies, forcing researchers to collaborate and to learn from each other.
David Victor's talk was a hit, with over 60 people present and many sitting outside in the hallway. Victor emphasized that following the failure of CDM, it has become clear that the mechanisms of carbon regulation require better review and monitoring. In addition to international agreements, he maintained, there may be a need for bilateral or multi-lateral agreements between China, US, India, Brazil, EU and other blocs. The problems that continue to haunt the efforts in carbon regulation include fragmented markets, the choice of instruments, and institutional designs that would ensure proper crafting and maintenance of commitments. Victor divided the latter problem into five groups: 1) Geometry (universality and clubs), 2) Codification (binding vs. nonbinding), 3) Agency (who negotiates), 4) Content (inputs vs. outputs), 5) Delegation to Institutions: Monitoring, Review, Adjustment & Enforcement.
The talk was followed by a slew of lively exchanges between Professor Victor and various researchers including Prof. Kammen of ERG. The BERC social science and policy group hopes to continue its activities through the summer of 2009 by posting research to the BERC website, making announcements about events in the field, and collaborating with other relevant BERC and campus groups to help research the immense problems of policy and social scientific research in the fields of resources and energy.
Questions about the group can be directed to Bobak.
See Professor Victor's presentation materials.
BERC Spring Semester BBQ
April 15, 2009 | 4-7pm | Campanile Esplande
The weather cooperated, providing a beautiful day for gathering friends and grilling up a storm. The semi-annual BERC BBQ once again provided tasty treats, frothy beer, and stimulating conversation for the BERC membership. We had a solid turn-out from across the University, even attracting new members to our ranks, and stimulating conversation all around. Thanks to all who contributed to make this communal event a success!
Edward Zaelke, Chadbourne and Parke: "Why be a Renewable Energy Lawyer?"
April 15, 2009 | 12:30-2pm | Boalt Hall 100
Mr. Zaelke, managing partner of Chadborne & Parke’s L.A. office, gave an engaging overview of the renewable energy industry and the lawyer’s role within it. He reflected on years of experience as an energy and project finance attorney, and offered insights into how the green economy can shape the careers of the present generation of law students.Download Mr. Zaelke’s presentation.
Rooftop Solar and Energy Efficiency Financing—Optional Local Property Tax Financing: a new concept is launched in Berkeley
April 9, 2009 | 12-1:30pm | Boalt Hall 110
This comprehensive look into the BerkeleyFirst residential renewable installation financing project offered students crucial insight into the many issues which arise when trying to integrate municipal bond funding with small-scale solar installations and energy efficiency upgrades. The presenters (Mimi Frusha, COO, Renewable Funding, LLC; Craig Hill, Northcross, Hill and Ach; Chris Lynch, Vice President, Jones Hall) have generously given us the presentation materials from the talk. Find an introduction to BerkeleyFirst here, the in-depth presentation from the event here, and a summary of the project here.
BERC Climate Change Mixer
March 18, 2009 | 6-8pm | Thalassa Bar, Berkeley
We've invited some of our favorite professors who are experts on climate change so come with your questions and your curiosity! This is the first in a series of mixer events, the purpose of which is to provide a casual forum for students, faculty, and alumni interested in energy and resources to learn more about various topics and to network across disciplines. Please feel free to share this invitation with any colleagues who you think would be interested in attending this event or future events like it!
2nd Annual BERC @ Boalt Student Professional Social
April 7, 2009 | 6-8pm | Beckett's Pub, Berkeley
Berkeley Law students and professionals had an opportunity to speak casually about the rapidly evolving fields of energy, climate and clean technology law & policy. The Bay Area is truly Ground Zero for working in and shaping the future of energy & climate law, water law, resource management law, and coastal law in the non-profit, government and private sectors.
Special thanks to the representatives from Wilson Sonsini, Goodwin Procter, Pillsbury Winthrop, Manatt Phelps, and the California Public Utilities Commission who joined us.
Check out the BERC @ Boalt Career Guide for Energy, Climate and Cleantech Law here!
Dinner Discussion with Paul Valva, Northern CA Director, the Climate Project
March 30, 2009 | 6-8pm
Co-hosted by BERC and ERG.
Paul Valva was trained by Al Gore in December of 2006 as one of the first presenter/activist volunteers in Gore's Climate Project. Valva is now the District Director for Northern California, organizing over 70 presenters, who go out to give Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" talk to the community. Audiences range in size from a few dozen, to over a thousand, and volunteers typically give talks at least a few times per year. Valva stressed the importance of individuals making small steps, such as buying CFLs or writing a letter to your congress member. On the topic of spreading the word on climate change and building a political movement, Valva said "You have to be patient... quickly" With the Climate Project being such a success, Al Gore and it's leadership are trying to keep it's members and the people who they have reached connected through RePower America, a green political action website and email list which will transform into a social network for clean energy. Valva also mentioned 350.org, an equivalent online presence for global connection on green energy.
The Climate Project has trained a network of 1,200 people to give presentations to the general public on climate change. As of October 2008, they have collectively reached an audience of more than 2 million people. Join us for a discussion of how to effectively communicate climate change to the public. Paul will share his experiences designing and giving his talk, how the talk has evolved and why, what messages work for different audiences, and his thoughts on how to take climate change communications to the next level.
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Energy and Cleantech Firm Night
March 16, 2009 | 7-9pm
An opportunity for Bay Area firms in the cleantech and energy fields to meet with the Bay’s best MBA students (please note, this event is limited to Haas students only).
Robin Chase, founder of GoLoco: "Transportation Policy and Environment
March 16, 2009 | 12:30-1:30pm | Goldman School of Public Policy
Robin Chase is founder and CEO of GoLoco, an online ridesharing community. She also founded and leads Meadow Networks, a consulting firm that advises city, state, and federal government agencies about wireless applications in the transportation sector, and impacts on innovation and economic development.
3rd Annual UC Berkeley Energy Symposium: Landscape
February 23, 2009 | All Day | MLK Student Union
Read about the event, watch videos and download the full program here.
BERC 2nd Annual Lecture: Van Jones and the Green Collar Economy
February 11, 2009 | 6pm | Bancroft Hotel
As climate chaos and soaring fuel costs batter the U.S. economy, Van Jones brings a unique perspective to the color green. He argues that a green economy that rescues the polar bears can also rescue the U.S. economy -- putting America back to work; driving down energy and food prices;giving green collar jobs and new chances to underserved youth; and forever ending the need for oil wars and resource wars.
Event Co-Sponsors: Don Vial Center on Employment and the Green Economy, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, The Stiefel Family Foundation
"Field Trip" to Potrero Point Generating Station
October 18, 2008 | 8:00am-5:00pm | Potrero Plant
Find out more about Potrero Point!
Saving Energy in U.S. Commercial Buildings -- A New Initiative for an Urgent Task
September 24, 2008 | 10:30am-2:30pm | Campanile Esplanade
Ashok Gadgil, Senior Scientist and Deputy Director EET Division, LBNL, and Adjunct Professor, ERG
U.S. has the largest per capita CO2 emissions (~20 tonnes per year) in the world. About 20% of U.S. energy is consumed in commercial buildings -- most of it inefficiently. Energy use per sq. ft. in commercial buildings in the U.S. is significantly higher than those in Europe. New U.S. commercial buildings show negligible improvement in energy use for the past many years. I will describe the vision and the approach being pioneered at LBNL for a large effort to curb energy consumption on U.S. commercial buildings, both in the existing stock, and new construction. Substantial innovation is urgently needed in a broad range of topics: policy, markets, technology, behavior. We don't have all the answers in hand -- and have piecemeal information about causes of failure in this large and important energy sector. This offers rich intellectual opportunities for research that will have deep and far-reaching impact on curbing global carbon emissions. See the powerpoint presentation!
Richard Swanson, Sun Power Corporation -- Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Photovoltaics
Feburary 23, 2008
Berkeley Entrepreneur's Forum -- Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Photovoltaics
Jim Davis -- President of Chevron Energy Solutions
Feburary 23, 2008
Berkeley Entrepreneur's Forum
Climate Change Brownbag
Feburary 7, 2008
Part 1 -- A behind the scenes look at climate science.
Chevron Downstream Talk
November 28, 2007
Speaker: Amanda Salter-Yuh
Freedom From Oil
November 6, 2007
Dr. Sandalow -- Brookings Institution. Freedom From Oil webcast now available.
1st BERC Annual Lecture: Dr. Michael Walsh
October 2, 2007 | 6pm | Lipman Room, Barrows Hall
Dr. Michael Walsh -- Executive Vice President of the Chicago Climate Exchange. Watch the webcast.
California Clean Innovation 2007 (CACI): Energy & Transportation
May 11, 2007 | Pasadena
California Clean Innovation 2007 (CACI) provides an unprecedented opportunity for attendees to expand their knowledge of the clean technology landscape, network with industry leaders, and participate in a fast pitch business case competition. Cosponsored by BERC.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Brownbag
May 2, 2007 | 1-2:30pm | C320 Haas
Lance Kim, joint Nuclear Engineering and Public Policy graduate student, will provide an introduction to the nuclear fuel cycle, discuss recent trends in the nuclear industry, and discuss security and nonproliferation issues. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and discussion throughout the session. Lance is graduate student in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and the Goldman School of Public Policy. His research focuses on developing robust design strategies for nuclear systems. His work experience includes stints at the California Council on Science and Technology, the US Department of State, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is a fellow of the NSF Public Policy and Nuclear Threats IGERT program.
Wind Energy Brownbag
May 1, 2007 | 12:30-2pm | C125 Haas
Devi Prasad, a Haas MBA student with entrepreneurial experience in India and US, has offered to present his research related to wind energy investments in China and India. Devi will provide an introduction to wind energy economics and project financing. His presentation will cover the following as they relate to wind energy investing in India/China/USA: project financing, government tax credits, renewable portfolio standards (RPS),pay-back periods, power purchase agreements and risks. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and discussion throughout the session.
Napa Solar Wine Tour
April 27, 2007 | 8am-6pm | Napa
The tour will last from approximately 8am until 6pm, during which we plan to meet with the decision makers at a winery that has installed a large solar energy system (Peju) and at a winery that recently decided against installing solar (Cakebread). Of course, we will also do some wine tasting. Since space is very limited, slots will be allocated based on a short written response demonstrating interest in solar power. Contact Matthew Evans for more information or to sign up. Read more about their solar installation.
Leaders in Energy Law Panel Series: The Clean Energy Revolution
April 20, 2007 | 12:45-1:45pm | 123 Boalt Hall
Speakers: Peter Mostow -- Partner @ Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati | Mitch Zuklie -- Partner @ Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Where do venture capitalism, corporate finance, and environmentalism meet? Where green means green: clean energy. If you are interested in business, technology or environmental law, or just curious to meet the dealmakers who are fueling the clean energy revolution, join the Berkeley Energy Resources Collaborative @ Boalt for the first of several panels on opportunities in the multifaceted field of energy law. Lunch will be provided.
Energy Brownbag: Solar cells - How do they work and what impact could they make?
April 5, 2007 | 12:30-2:00pm | C210 Haas
Becca Jones, Materials Science PhD student, and Shondip Ghosh, MBA student, will provide an overview of how a solar cell works and the different types of solar cells currently on the market, and will share their related research and experience. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and discussion throughout the session.
CleanTech: The New Entrepreneurial Frontier
March 22, 2007 | 6:30-8:30pm | C210 Haas
Energy Brownbag: Global Costs of GHG Abatement Thomas Goerner, MBA Student, will facilitate a discussion of a recent McKinsey Quarterly study on the cost of a variety of proposed measures to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases to sustainable limits (McKinsey Quarterly, A cost curve for greenhouse gas reduction, 2007). Thomas will summarize the article for 10 or 15 minutes followed by general discussion of the topic. This is a great opportunity to share your views on GHG-related issues with other BERC members and to hear their thoughts. All students are welcome to attend.
UC Berkeley Energy Symposium
March 21, 2007 | 8:00am-5:00pm | MLK Jr. Student Union
Challenges, Opportunities, and the Role of UC Berkeley in Creating a Sustainable Energy Future
Vinod Khosla, Founder of Khosla Ventures
March 14, 2007 | 4:00-6:00pm | Wells Fargo Room, C420 Haas
Lecture on Investing in Energy -- Part of the Management of Technology Lecture Series
Fuel Cells Roundtable
February 27, 2007 | 6:00-8:00pm | Helzel Board Room, Haas School of Business
Energy Brownbag: Turning the Corner of GHG Emissions
February 22, 2007 | 1:00-2:00pm | C210 Haas
Sam Borgeson will be facilitating a discussion of an analysis of the cost effective options available to California, Oregon and Washington to reduce GHG emissions by 2020. The format will be Sam summarizing the article for 10 or 15 minutes followed by general discussion of the topic. This is a great opportunity to share your views on energy issues with other BERC members and to hear their thoughts. All students are welcome to attend. The whole report is pretty long, so Sam suggests that you just read the executive summary (ending on Roman Numeral X) prior to the discussion.
SAM'S BIO: Sam Borgeson is an MS student in the Building Science program at UC Berkeley. He received his BA in Physics from Wesleyan University in 1997. In 2000, Sam co-founded Carbon Five, a San Francisco based software consulting firm, where he was CTO and a managing partner for six years. He is interested in the potential of building modeling, monitoring, and control software to inform design decisions and facilitate the process of building green.
BERC Bar Night
February 20, 2007 | 8:30-?pm | Bear's Lair Pub
Take a break from your schoolwork, research, internship search, or whatever else you are doing and join your fellow BERC members for a beer. Hope to see you there!
Energy Brownbag: Long Term Energy Supplies
February 8, 2007 | 12:30-2:00pm | Cheit C335 Haas
Paul Albertus, Chemical Engineering Student, will be facilitating a discussion of a recent energy-related article. The format will be Paul summarizing the article for 10 or 15 minutes followed by general discussion of the topic. This is a great opportunity to share your views on energy issues with other BERC members and to hear their thoughts. Email Leif Kalberg at leif_kalberg@haas.berkeley.edu if you have any questions.
Energy Brownbag: Fuel Cells
January 24, 2007 | 12:30-2:00pm | Cheit C335 Haas
It’s time for BERC’s first brown-bag of the semester. Russell Carrington, PhD Engineering Student, will share his research in hydrogen storage for fuel cells and Matt Price, 2nd-year MBA student, will share his experience working for fuel-cell start-ups. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and discussion of the technological and economic hurdles facing fuel cells.
Solar Energy Roundtable
December 6, 2006 | 6:00-8:00pm | Wells Fargo Room C420 Haas
Biofuels Roundtable
November 8, 2006| 6:00-8:00pm | Andersen Auditorium, Haas
