Solar and Wind Energy Project (SWEP), Stanford Energy Club’s newest community, recently organized a cross-campus energy open house. The event, which was sponsored by the Uytengsu Teaching Center, was designed to expose students to a sampling of clean energy project opportunities at Stanford, and included presentations by Professors John Dabiri and Mark Jacobson, as well as the Stanford Energy Club and Stanford Solar Car Project.
Professor Dabiri presented an overview of his research on predicting and improving the performance of large-scale wind farms. After explaining that turbulence caused by the wind turbines can dramatically decrease a wind farm’s efficiency, Dabiri outlined the computational challenges associated with calculating turbulent wind flow patterns on a reasonable timescale. He then turned to a short film about his field project in Igiugig, Alaska, where wind energy stored on a local microgrid has empowered residents.
Professor Jacobson followed with a presentation on the Solutions Project, which is an actionable plan for providing 100% clean energy in all 50 states of the USA and in 139 countries around the world. This project aims to provide policymakers with concrete, affordable, and realistic alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy programs.
After a short lunch, representatives from the Stanford Solar Car Project described their experiences building a solar car and racing it in the Australian outback every two years. This group offers a variety of engineering opportunities, ranging from aerodynamic optimization of the car shape to optimization of the solar modules installed on the car surface.
These presentations represent only a few of the energy-related research at Stanford! The SEC and the Solar Car Project encourage interested students to investigate further and join us in the upcoming quarter. Stay in the loop by signing up for our newsletter here.
–Emily Davis