Energy Events Archive

On October 30, 2024, Jennifer Wilcox, the Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical engineering and Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania will present on The Role of Carbon Removal in Achieving Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

October 30, 2024

Lecture: 5 – 6 PM

1109 FXB

Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Building

1320 Beal Ave

and via Zoom

The lecture will be followed by a reception in the FXB Atrium with light refreshments.

Our next MIPSE seminar will be presented by Dr. Thomas Mehlhorn, former director of Plasma Physics at the Naval Research Laboratory and now advisor to fusion startups.  Dr. Mehlhorn’s seminar is titled “From KMS Fusion to HB11 Energy, Xcimer Energy, and Fuse Federal USA; A 50 Year Inertial Fusion Energy Perspective”, and will be presented on Wednesday, October 30, at 3:00 pm in room 1018 Dow. Dr. Mehlhorn will provide a unique perspective on investigating the science and developing the technologies that will be required to deliver inertial-confinement-fusion generated electricity to the grid.  The roles of national and international, government funded programs, and the private sector in achieving this goal will be discussed.   

The seminar will be conducted in person and simulcast via Zoom. Please see login instructions on the MIPSE website.

Despite some cooling of electric vehicle sales in the U.S. market, emerging markets around the world are creating their own hot spots on the electrification journey. Whether it’s new educational initiatives to prepare future EV business leaders and automotive workers to new policies and investments designed to create new EV innovation and manufacturing hubs, there’s a lot to learn from a new generation of leaders and innovators across geographies. The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (WDI) invites you to a learning webinar featuring EV leaders in Costa Rica, Mexico and the Philippines. Each with a different market perspective, this WDI discussion will reveal how emerging actors and new collaborations are energizing the EV value chain.

See the registration link with full details, open to all: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MqH5_JpVTLONwwkn7rT0fQ#/registration

On October 23rd, 2024, Todd Allen will host Brittany Lutz with IES.

Brittany Lutz is a Program Manager at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, where she leads research projects, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy focused on regulatory modernization at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brittany has extensive experience in nuclear weapons effects modeling. At the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Brittany developed and led initiatives to enhance nuclear wargaming software and provided analyses during high-profile military exercises. She holds an M.S. in Materials & Nuclear Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Further details will be updated here as well as in the new Energy Seminar Series Webpage

Add this event to your calendar

We welcome you (energy Faculty and Staff) to join for lunch on October 21st from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Phoenix Memorial Project, Room 2000. We will feature newer faculty and then discuss energy-related topics in breakout sessions. Please provide ideas for breakout sessions in your RSVP or by emailing [email protected].

The schedule for the event is as follows:
11:00 AM – Introduction and 1-slide new faculty introductions
11:30 AM – Lunch served
12:00 PM – Breakout Session #1
12:30 PM – Breakout Session #2
1:00 PM – Networking and Mingling

You are welcome to attend even if you can only attend a portion of the event. Food will be available 11:30 to 2:00 PM.
Add this event to your Google Calendar.
Please RSVP by October 16th. 
RSVP

CLIMATE FUTURES SYMPOSIUM

Thursday-Friday October 17-18, 2024

Art & Architecture Building,
A. Alfred Taubman Wing Commons,
2000 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Climate change poses existential risks to the earth’s ecosystems and humanity’s ability to thrive. We need to make systemic change across many sectors–including the ways we plan, develop, design, and construct our built environment, which accounts for a high proportion of emissions. On October 17-18, 2024, the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Michigan will host Climate Futures 2024, a symposium exploring the ways architecture and planning can help to bring about a better future for people and the planet.

Across two days of moderated presentation panels, speakers will show how urban planners, designers, technologists and architects help to reduce emissions, promote resilience, and improve equitable access to healthy and vital built environments. Symposium sessions will challenge the assumptions, interests, practices, and values shaping the current landscape of climate action, and they will open space for inclusive and collaborative imagining of new possibilities. 

The event launches a new Climate Futures platform through which Taubman College aims to elevate our impact in discovery and education for climate action, sustainability, and environmental justice. By supporting students, faculty, staff, and partners in research and creative practice, teaching and learning, outreach and engagement, we aim to partner across and beyond the university to achieve inclusive, vibrant, and just futures.

This event is supported by the Guido A. Binda Exhibit and Lecture fund and the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Lecture Fund. 

For seven decades, Guido Binda, B.Arch.’31, practiced architecture in Western Michigan, specializing in school design. Guido, with his wife Elizabeth, created this fund to provide for an exhibit program and annual lecture by visiting professionals.

The Raoul Wallenberg Lecture was initiated in 1971 by Sol King, a former classmate of Wallenberg’s. An endowment was established in 1976 for an annual lecture to be offered in Raoul’s honor on the theme of architecture as a humane social art.

On October 9th, 2024, Nina Lin will host Jose L. Avalos with IES.

Dr. José L. Avalos is an Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute at Princeton University. Dr. Avalos completed his B.S.E. at La Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, his M.Sc. at Imperial College London, and his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine.

Dr. Avalos’s research mission is to use biotechnology to address important problems in sustainable energy, the environment, industry and human health. Energy applications of his work include production of advanced biofuels, including fuels targeted as substitutions for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, especially through sources that do not compete with food production.

Further details will be updated here as well as in the new Energy Seminar Series Webpage

Add this event to your calendar

The Energy Storage Forum 2024 is part of the Battery Show North America. The event goes from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Global Attain Advancement, LLC (GAA Exhibitions & Conferences) is hosting the event. See more details on the event.

Electric vehicles bring a host of new challenges to the industry: how to keep things cool around a hot battery; how to conserve energy and reduce engine emissions; how to improve the cabin environment; and how to meet global standards and regulations. This year’s Thermal Management Systems Symposium (TMSS) will bring the industry together to tackle these important questions and much more.

In two productive days, you’ll get up to speed on regulations, technology and industry trends, and interact with engineers who do what you do. This is where important conversations happen. Don’t miss this vital opportunity to interact with and network the best of the best in the field of ground vehicle thermal systems technology and thermal systems management.

The event will be located at Saint John’s Resort 44045 Five Mile Road Plymouth, MI 48170.

See details

Hosted by Center for Sustainable Systems

September 27, 202411:00am – 12:00pm

Dana 1040

Akshat Kasliwal – MS, 2019 and Managing Consultant at PA Consulting Group – joins us for a seminar on providing strategic and transaction advisory services to key energy industry stakeholders, including investors, developers, regulators, and end-users. His clients include Invenergy, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. Akshat will share key considerations underpinning renewable M&A deals, commercial offering development, and power market risk/opportunity assessment. He will share specific case-studies from his time at PA, and map those back to the skills needed to be a trusted advisor to the biggest names in the power sector. The session will be followed-up with Q&A and networking opportunities.

Light refreshments will be provided!

About Akshat Kasliwal

Akshat is an expert in the commercialization of clean energy, and leads PA’s renewable asset valuation and offtake contracting workstreams. He advises energy industry stakeholders on quantifying and qualifying risks and opportunities associated with infrastructure investments; mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; policy developments; and strategic/operational decisions. In his time at PA, he has advised on transactions for over 200 GW of infrastructure projects across all asset classes, helped craft the development of 24/7 carbon-free energy solutions, and assess the efficacy of regional carbon-pricing policies. Akshat joined PA having completed his M.S. in Sustainable Systems from the University of Michigan, where he worked on the interface of energy, mobility, and strategy. Specifically, he led projects involving energetics of flying and self-driving cars; development of Ford Motor Company’s Scope 3 GHG inventory and circular economy protocol; and analyses of nationwide co-op markets for energy storage deployment. Prior to graduate school, Akshat trained as a chemical engineer, researching waste-to-fuels with Shell in India; evaluating solar-thermal enhanced oil recovery in Oman; and developing novel battery materials at a federal lab in South Korea.

On Thursday, September 26th, the Michigan Climate Summit will be held at the U-M Rackham Auditorium and Michigan Union from 8 AM to 5 PM. The summit will be hosted by Michigan Climate Action Network and the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). The theme will be Climate Civics, looking at intersections between social justice, civic engagement, and climate action. If you are interested in attending read more about it and register now.

Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council hosts an evening of networking and celebrating successes in Michigan’s advanced energy sector.

Learn more about the event and register

Please join us for a special fall symposium hosted by the Graham Sustainability Institute and a diverse group of university co-sponsors. This event aims to bring together the U-M research community to enhance and advance our collective efforts in decarbonization.

Event Highlights

Fireside Chat: Shalanda Baker, U-M’s Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action, will discuss energy justice and equity with Jennifer Haverkamp, Graham Director.

Research Panel: Shalanda Baker will moderate a panel featuring Todd Allen, Skip Lupia, Shelie Miller, Jonathan Overpeck, and Kathy Velikov, exploring decarbonization opportunities at U-M.

Community Conversations: Attendees will share insights on Campus-as-Lab and Community Benefits, with live mural translation of ideas.

The University of Michigan Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program is hosting the “Our Clean Energy Future” conference.  The event will convene students, professors, lawyers, government representatives, and industry leaders to reflect on developments and innovations in clean energy. The conference will focus on decarbonization across industries and fields.

All sessions will take place at the Law School in Jeffries Hall 1225 (701 South State Street). More information, including a detailed schedule, is available on the conference website. This event is free and open to the public.

This event, sponsored by the Global CO₂ Initiative and co-sponsored by the Graham Sustainability Institute and the Michigan Ross, is part of Climate Week NYC, the largest annual climate event of its kind, encompassing over 600 events and activities across New York City – in person, hybrid, and online. 

Carbon-based products are central to our economy, yet urgent action is needed to combat climate change. This event will explore how carbon capture and utilization (CCU) can mitigate the negative impacts of fossil fuel use, addressing the technology’s economic and social impacts, as well as its challenges.

On September 18th, Vladimir Dvorkin will host Duncan Calloway with IES. Duncan Callaway is a Professor of Energy and Resources with an affiliate appointment in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  He is also Energy and Resources Group’s Chair. He received his PhD from Cornell University and subsequently worked in the energy industry, first at Davis Energy Group and later at PowerLight Corporation. He was a member of the research faculty of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan before joining UC Berkeley.  Dr. Callaway’s teaching covers energy systems with a focus on the electrical grid and and data science.  His research group focuses on emerging energy technologies by quantifying their impacts on power system operations and developing control, optimization and data analysis tools to facilitate their integration into power systems.

Further details will be updated here as well as in the new Energy Seminar Series Webpage

On Wednesday, September 18, the UM EV Center will hold an all-day workshop focused on reviewing submitted project ideas related to thermal management and vehicle end-of-life. Similar to our workshop in June, this will be a working meeting intended to identify project ideas that are of common interest to the company engineers/researchers and U-M faculty.

Monday, September 16 | 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Dana Building, Room 1040
440 Church Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) President Fred Krupp (JD ’78) and Adam Met, founder and executive director of Planet Reimagined, will be at the University of Michigan on Monday, September 16, at 5:30 p.m.

Registration is required for this event as seating is limited. 

1:30 to 4:30 in the GGB Galleria

5:30pm – 7:30pm in 1500 EECS Building

Details were announced on the Energy Seminar Series Webpage

CONVERGE is hosting a webinar titled “Solving Challenges in Hydrogen Safety and Storage with CFD”, presented by Gabriel Cojocaru on September 4th, 2024 at 10:30 CDT (11:30 EDT).

Hydrogen has the potential to address energy security issues while reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability across various sectors. To ensure a reliable supply chain, it is crucial to develop secure storage and transport solutions for hydrogen from production facilities to consumers. CFD plays a vital role in rethinking a traditional storage infrastructure and safety measures.

In the webinar, they will present how CONVERGE CFD can simulate tank filling and defueling as well as discuss how to apply CONVERGE’s chemistry solver for various scenarios.

To register for the webinar, please follow this link.

Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council trade organization member American Clean Power is hosting a lunch to celebrate Michigan’s progress on clean energy. Representatives Abraham Aiyash and Ranjeev Puri and Senator Sam Singh will be present. The event is at the Henry Ford in Dearborn. RSVP by July 10.

Professor Lei Zuo is hosting an NSF workshop from August 5th to August 6th at the Lurie Engineering Center. The workshop will include keynote talks, panels, and open discussions from academia, industry, government and NGOs on six topic areas: marine energy technologies, socio-economic-environmental nexus, industry perspectives, professional skills straining, curriculum innovations, DEI and community engagement.. See details for the workshop and the workshop agenda. Please register by July 30th, Registration Form. The registration is free and food will be provided. In addition, financial support for childcare is available for parents. For questions, please contact Lei Zuo at [email protected]and Rachel Miller at [email protected].

​​​​​​​​​​​Location: Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market – 315 Detroit St

Date / Time: August 2, 2024 / 5:00-8:00 PM

Th​e Home Electrification Expo is a free public event for homeowners, renters, & building professionals, featuring live music, food trucks, and industry experts.

Free and open to the public. Event details to come, see link.

Shaojun Zhang, Associate Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China will be visiting the Center for Sustainable Systems and deliver an informal seminar. The title is “Low-Carbon Hydrogen Development towards Carbon Neutrality in China” and will be held at 2024 Dana Building, DANA-2560 (or on zoom at https://umich.zoom.us/j/92739343703) on Monday July 29th, from 11 AM to 12 PM. Please contact a member of the MI Hydrogen Team for more information. See the MI Hydrogen website.

The Michigan Energy Providers Conference (MEPC) will be held July 25-26th at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Michigan. Further information is available.

ASME Energy Sustainability (ES) Conference brings together scholars and practitioners in a wide range of energy sustainability fields. The conference highlights advances in research and design of sustainable and innovative energy technologies from building to utility scales as well as society-level energy analyses and solutions. This conference is sponsored by ASME’s Advanced Energy Systems Division (AESD) and Solar Energy Division (SED).

This year includes 18 tracks, ranging from AI for Energy Sustainability, all the way to carbon capture and cleaner fossil fuel technologies.

This in-person event is not local to Ann Arbor, but is located in Anaheim, California. University of Michigan’s Rohini Bala Chandran is on the conference organizing committee and encourages you to consider attending. See more details about the event.

Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council member Lean & Green Michigan is hosting a networking and informational event at the Cambria Hotel in downtown Detroit from 8:30 AM to 10:00 on July 9th.

Each Thursday evening GLREA hosts an energy event – July 4, 2024 is a Solar Story night. Details will be added. See GLREA Thursday Night information.

On June 19th, Chemistry is hosting Dr. Peter Green from NREL to present on “Opportunities and Challenges for a Clean Energy Future”.

Abstract.

  Nations and organizations around the world have established NetZero goals with the intent to minimize imminent consequences of the climate crisis. A primary challenge is to eliminate, or significantly reduce, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from key sectors, including electricity, transportation, industry and buildings. Moreover, the associated warming of the planet is responsible for the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events (Physics Today, September 2023), exposing major vulnerabilities in today’s power grids and building infrastructure. Current plans to achieve NetZero emissions include designing, and building more versatile, resilient, reliable, and low carbon energy systems – powered by clean energy sources. The development of low carbon emission/low energy industrial processes to produce chemicals, fuels and materials, avoiding the use of petroleum, is a necessary undertaking. Within large US cities millions of distributed energy resources (DERs) -variable renewable power generation, smart homes, EV charging infrastructure, and energy storage – will be connected to power grids, which will be autonomously operated, in the near future. Achieving net zero goals, decarbonization of all the sectors, promise to be a major undertaking, financially, socially, scientifically, and technologically. These issues, including the status of various renewable technologies, will be discussed.  

Date: 6/19/2024

Time: 12:00 PM

Location: Room 1210 of the Chemistry Building

All are welcome!

The Michigan Engineering community is invited to attend the fifth annual EECS Juneteenth Celebration on Wednesday, June 19, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The theme of this year’s event is Celebrating Excellence in People-First Engineering and Computing. 

The program will include: 

• Live performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Amber Rogers (U-M School of Music), first prize winner of the 2024 George Shirley Vocal Competition, with piano accompaniment by Herbert Winful, Joseph E. and Anne P. Rowe Professor of Electrical Engineering
• Abridged reading of the Emancipation Proclamation  
• Presentation by Shawn Blanton, Joseph F. and Nancy Keithley Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at Carnegie Mellon University
• Presentation by James Mickens, Professor, Computer Science, Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences
• Remarks by EECS department leaders 

Click here for more information and bios.

DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is hosting the IAC grant program workshop on June 13, 2024 from 1 to 2 PM Eastern

See details on this workshop and more related events.

GLREA is hosting a Renewable Energy Seminar tonight at 7:00 on zoom. Mike Shriberg, U of M Professor of Practice & Engagement, Director of Engagement, Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research and Michigan Sea Grant, will be presenting four alternatives for electricity supply and distribution to the main current model of Investor-Owned Utilities in Michigan.

Please Register in Advance for this Meeting:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Heard about the University of Michigan’s commitment to purchase 100% of our purchased electricity from renewable sources and want to learn more? Join the Planet Blue Ambassador program on June 11 for an exclusive tour of large-scale solar and wind energy projects in southern Michigan. This will be an all-day adventure from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. starting and ending at the Michigan League. Lunch, snacks, and bus transportation will be provided, and renewable energy experts will be on hand to answer all your questions. There are limited spots available on the tour. Registration as well as providing a $20 “security deposit” (which will be returned to participants on the day of the tour) is required to reserve your space on the tour. REGISTRATION WILL OPEN SOON. STAY TUNED.

One-hour virtual event hosted by the GLREA. Come hear from Ann Arborites who have gone solar, and have a chance to ask them all your questions!  Register here for “Thursday Night Energy Events” to receive meeting links.

Date / Time: June 6, 2024 / 7:00-8:00 PM

DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy is hosting a webinar through DOE’s WINDExchange initiative at 1:00 PM eastern time on May 30, 2024. NREL experts will discuss key concepts in end-of-service processes for wind technologies and infrastructure, including decommissioning, repowering, and recycling. See details and register for the webinar.

DOE office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has a webinar on the phase 2 of the Re-X Before REcycling Prize, which offers a total prize pool of $1.5 million in cash prizes and $1 million in technical assistance for teams who design new ways to reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, and/or repurpose goods. The phase 1 submissions are already past and phase 2 submissions are currently open. See details on the prize. The webinar is hosted from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm on May 29, 2024.

Date/Time: May 29, 2024 / 6:00-7:30PM

Location: AADL Downtown branch, 343 S. Fifth Ave

Zoom Link

Sustainability Series

Michigan LCV will be convening Ann Arbor area stakeholders, local elected officials and agencies, and environmental justice organizations for our Energy Savings Now Program rollout.

This event will bring our collective power and resources together to inform local stakeholders about the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, focusing on the financial savings that also help to push for a cleaner and renewable future in Michigan.

Date/Time: May 23, 2024 / 6:00-7:00 PM

Location: 340 Beakes St. Ann ARbor, MI 48104

Learn more about the event

GLREA is hosting this solar story around EVs and how they can be powered by solar electricity. If you are an EV owner, GLREA encourages you to participate and tell the group how it’s going.

Please register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsdOyqrTgvH9wbXPMvLCy5xgq4qZsgpHjJ

Date: May 23, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: virtual

Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Date: May 20-22, 2024

Details to follow

Event information

Location: Palmer Commons 100 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: May 13, 2024 / 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

(2:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Optional Lab Tour)

MI Hydrogen is hosting the Building Foundations for the Hydrogen Economy – State of Michigan Workshop.

Click the “Registration” link or scan the QR code below.

Registration 

Location: Suburban Collection Showplace 46100 Grand River, Novi, MI

Date/Time: May 7, 2024 / TBD

Event info: “This year we’re celebrating a special anniversary! 25 years of offering this one-of-a-kind conference, designed to educate small to large commercial and industrial businesses on technology, products, and services that will assist them in successful energy management. The event draws close to 850 people every year.”

Michigan Energy Efficiency Conference & Exhibition Details

Tickets are limited for the Ann Arbor for Public Power Earth Day Celebration. Plant based dinner, music, and speakers will be present for this celebration.

Location: Cobblestone Farms, 2781 Packard St Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Date/Time: April 20 / 6:00 – 9:00 PM

Ann Arbor for Public Power Earth Day Celebration Details

Abstract: “COP 28 has been referred to as the Nuclear COP with delegations from more than 20 countries joining a pledge to triple nuclear power by 2050. Earlier in 2023, the G7 ministers of climate, energy, and environment issued a communication committing to maximize use of existing reactors, work collaboratively to develop secure supply chains for fuel, technology, and human resources, and to working domestically and with partner countries to build advanced reactors. These policies forecast rapid growth of nuclear in the US and partner countries over the coming decades. This presentation covers global policies related to nuclear as well as the programs and legislation in the US and EU intended to accelerate progress towards these goals and the social and legal obstacles to their attainment.”

Location: Cooley Building – White Auditorium (G906)

Date / Time: April 19, 2024 / 4:00 – 5:00 PM

NERS Colloquium Legal and Policy Drivers Event Details

Dr. Liang Wang, from Toyota Research Institute of North America, will present “From Fundamentals to Frontiers: Exploring PEMFCs Innovations at Toyota Research Institute of North America”

Abstract: “Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are essential in advancing zero-emission mobility, electrification, and carbon neutrality. Since 1992, Toyota has been at the forefront of fuel cell technology, contributing significantly to its development and application. This presentation will delve into the core technology of PEMFCs, addressing critical challenges such as the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction, catalyst durability, and the development of robust solid polymer materials for the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). At the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA), a multifaceted approach is employed to tackle these issues, ranging from fundamental research to the innovation of novel materials. The talk will highlight key research initiatives of ionic liquids for oxygen reduction catalysts and high-temperature rotating disk electrodes, as well as the current focus areas at TRINA, demonstrating our commitment to advancing PEMFC technology.”

Location: North Campus, GGB 1280 Blue Lounge

Date/Time: April 19, 2024 / 3:00 – 4:30 PM

This event is open to faculty, staff, and students at University of Michigan and is hosted by the EV Center and by the Electrochemical Society – University of Michigan Student Chapter.

RSVP for Dr. Liang Wang

Adam Dempsey, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Marquette University, will present on Fuel Flexible Mixing-Controlled Combustion System for Heavy-Duty Engines Using Low Carbon Alternative Fuels.

Where: 2540 GG Brown

Date/Time: April 19, 2024 / 10:30 AM

ME Seminar Link Passcode: 509521

GLREA is hosting Tephra Reshdan, Detroit’s new Sustainability Director and point person for Detroit’s transition to clean energy, reducing flood risks, improving air quality, and addressing climate change in Detroit.

Where: Virtual

Date / Time: April 18, 2024 / 7:00 PM

Please Register in advance

The Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Electrify Washtenaw County event on April 18, 2024.

“Let’s connect and explore the changes in Washtenaw County’s renewable energy landscape. Together, we can empower your clients to make sustainable choices for their homes, upgrades, and new builds.  Come join us and our guest speakers, Julie Roth with the City of Ann Arbor and Gross Electric as we dive into new home improvement considerations.  “

Location: 8265 Dexter-Chelsea Rd. Dexter, MI 48130
Columbus Hall and Banquet Center

Date / Time: April 18, 2024 / 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Electrify Washtenaw County Event Details

About: Professor Chang-Ying Zhao will present on the joint initiative China-UK Low Carbon College (LCC) of Shanghai Jio Tong University. LCC is the first low carbon college in China and it aims to build up talent database of world-leading experts in low carbon fields, lead research, and offer training for governments and businesses.

Prof. Chang-Ying Zhao is the Chair Professor, the Director of the Institute of Engineering Thermo-physics, and the Dean of China-UK Low Carbon College of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Prof. Zhao is the Principal Investigator for quite a few major research projects sponsored by Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and Ministry of Science and Technology of China. Prof. Zhao’s research interests mainly cover micro/nanoscale thermal radiation and metamaterial energy devices, advanced thermal energy storage and hydrogen storage, and heat transfer in porous media.

Location: GGB 2505 or virtual

Date/Time: April 16, 2024 / 11:30 AM

Seminar Zoom Link

Passcode: 037782

Add Seminar to Google Calendar

RSVP HERE

About: This talk will discuss the factors influencing the turbulent burning rate in premixed flames, utilizing these two interpretations as a motivator for needed future research.

Dr. Tim Lieuwen is a Regents’ Professor, the David S. Lewis, Jr. Professor and the Executive Director of
the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech. In this capacity, he manages Georgia Tech’s overall strategy and external relations for its 315 faculty and over 1000 researchers working in energy RD&D. He is also founder and CTO of TurbineLogic, an analytics firm working in the energy industry. Prof. Lieuwen is an international authority on clean energy and propulsion, and his work has contributed to numerous commercialized innovations in the energy and aerospace sectors.

Location: Boeing Lecture Hall, Room 1109 FXB

Date/Time: April 11, 2024 / 3:00 PM

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host the Clean Fuels & Products Shot™ Summit on April 8, 2024, from 11am – 2pm ET, and April 9, 2024, from 11am – 4pm ET. Register today for the virtual event that will gather stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and non-profit organizations to engage on the objectives, progress, priorities, and future plans for the seventh DOE Energy Earthshot™. 

Location: virtual

Date/Time: April 8, 2024 / 11AM-2PM, April 9, 2024 / 11AM-4PM

Link: Clean Fuels and Products Shot Summit

Open and encouraged for the general public

Learn how using clean energy sources can help you save money on your bills while also protecting the environment

Where: Ann Arbor District Library: Downtown

343 South 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Date/Time: Friday April 5 / 5:30-6:30 PM

Event Link

Location: Mallets Creek Public Library

Date/Time: Thursday April 4, 2024 / 6:00-7:30 PM

About: How a Sustainable Energy utility and Municipal Electric Utility Can work together – Speakers Dr. Missy Stults and Greg Woodring are discussing municipal electric utility, sustainable energy utility, and the future of energy in Ann Arbor. This is a public event and guests are encouraged to bring their questions! Visit AnnArborPublicPower.org or contact [email protected]

About: Wahu! is the first Ghanaian brand to produce EVs domestically. The e-bike startup brings together local talent and experienced automotive engineers and designers from global automakers, including Audi and BMW.

Valerie Labi, co-founder and CEO of Wahu! Mobility Ltd. will discuss how the business is unlocking new possibilities in low-emission mobility solutions, particularly in urban markets.

Location: Blau Colloquium, 5th Floor of the Blau Building at the Ross School of Business

Date/Time: April 3, 2024 / 4:00 PM

Attendees are encouraged to register and submit questions in advance.

Event Link

Location: 3316 EECS Building

Date/Time: April 2, 2024/3:00-4:00 PM

About: Stephanie Ross and Paul Hines are visiting from EnergyHub to present on grid balancing.

Stephanie Ross is a Data Scientist at EnergyHub, where she develops advanced algorithms for EnergyHub’s DERMS platform. Before joining EnergyHub, Stephanie led Green Mountain Power’s strategy for DER management and developed pilots for emerging technologies. Prior to GMP,  Stephanie was a consultant at the Brattle Group where she conducted resource planning studies focused on decarbonization for a wide range of clients, including the New York ISO, utilities, EPRI, and the DOE. Stephanie holds a BA and BE in Electrical Engineering from Dartmouth College and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan where her research focused on advanced control algorithms for DER management.

Paul Hines is VP, Power Systems at EnergyHub, where he leads the Data Science and Power Systems Intelligence (DataPSI) team, which develops and maintains advanced control, prediction, analysis and machine learning algorithms used in EnergyHub’s DERMS. Paul joined EnergyHub in 2021 through the acquisition of Packetized Energy, a distributed energy software startup, where he was co-founder and CEO. From 2007-2021, Paul was a professor in electrical engineering and director of the energy systems laboratory at the University of Vermont, leading research on energy reliability, resilience and distributed technology and policy. Formerly he worked in power systems engineering roles at the US National Energy Technology Laboratory, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Alstom ESCA, and Black and Veatch. Paul has a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2007, and MS and BS degrees in electrical engineering/power systems from the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific University.

There is broad agreement that large-scale decarbonization will require large amounts of grid-balancing flexibility from customer-sited resources, such as smart thermostats, water heaters, electric vehicles and home batteries. There is a long history of academic research into advanced control algorithms for demand-side flexibility, but what has been deployed in the electricity industry, until very recently, has been very simple demand response to reduce peak loads. In this talk Ross and Hines will discuss a number of recent results from real-world implementation of advanced forms of demand-side flexibility with EVs, thermostats and water heaters.

Event Link

McNaughton-McKay Electrical Company is hosting a Renewable Energy Seminar.

“AGENDA

Enphase
• Introduction to Commercial & Industrial (C&I)
• Introduction to 5PN battery storage
• Benefits of an EnPhase Microinverter system

SPAN
• Review SPAN panel for a hands-on experience highlighting the features and benefits of the hardware
• Overview of the functions of the SPAN Installer App for quick and easy set-up
• Understand how to integrate SPAN systems with HVAC, PV, or battery backup installations
• Learn about sales and marketing tools available

CertainTeed
• Introduction to CertainTeed; A Saint-Gobain Company
• Solstice Solar Shingle & Panel
• Warranty program
• Information about CertainTeed credentialing program for contractors”

Location: Ann Arbor (see registration for further details)

Date/Time: March 27, 2024 / 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Location: DANA 2024

Date/Time: March 22, 2024, 2:00 PM

Event Link

Location: 1500 EECS Building

Date/Time: March 22, 2024 / 3:30-4:30 PM

Event Info: Dr Bai Cui is visiting from Iowa State University. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and focuses on the application of control and optimization techniques in power and energy systems to improve system security, economic efficiency, and sustainability, and in developing new analytical tools for renewable energy integration, power system optimization, and stability analysis of large-scale power systems. Prior to joining ISU, he was a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and a postdoctoral appointee at Argonne National Laboratory. He obtained his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech, and bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

In this talk, several major challenges of effective distributed energy resources (DER) aggregation/integration will be discussed, along with some proposed methods to address them. In particular, we will present some decision-making models and algorithms for the characterization and improvement of the aggregate flexibility regions of aggregate DERs, as well as the development of their market participation strategies under uncertainty.

Event link

Location: Muscogee Nation – River Spirit Resort, Tulsa Oklahoma

Date/Time: March 18-21, 2024

Event Info: The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy is hosting their annual Tribal Energy Equity Summit (TEES) in Oklahoma. While this event is closed to the general public, there will be a debrief webinar posted following the event. If you qualify under one of the groups eligible to attend, further information is included below.

Event link

Location: Ross School of Business, Room 1240

701 Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: March 8, 2024 / 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Limited admission to Energy Club at Ross members and students

Event link

Location: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building

1301 Beal Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: March 6, 2024 / 8:30 – 9:30 PM

About:

High-energy-density plasmas have pressures exceeding one million atmospheres and temperatures above ten thousand degrees. These extreme states of matter are present in diverse systems from inertial fusion targets to the hearts of stars. Measuring the precise conditions of these plasmas and predicting their atomic-scale properties play a key role in understanding system-scale behavior. This talk introduces X-ray spectroscopy, a powerful measurement technique that can identify the elemental composition of a plasma, constrain its temperature and density, and signal extreme magnetic and electric fields. It will also show how X-ray spectroscopy can help refine the designs of inertial fusion targets and increase our understanding of main sequence and white dwarf stars.

Location: Downtown library, 4th floor meeting room

343 S 5th Ave Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Date/Time: February 28, 2024 / 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

About:

Please join us for an evening of exploration and discussion around Ann Arbor’s Home Energy Rating Disclosure (HERD) ordinance, which will officially take effect on March 12th, 2024. HERD requires single-family homes in Ann Arbor receive a Home Energy Score (HES) prior to being listed for sale. In this second session of the 2024 Sustainability Series, hear from staff of Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations about why the ordinance was passed, what a Home Energy Score is, how residents can sign up for a Home Energy Score assessment, and more. 

This event is in partnership with Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations.

The Library will be providing a live stream of this event and we intend to make it available for future viewing. A video player will appear on this page 1 hour before the start of the event.

Link

Location: Cooley Building – White Auditorium G906

2355 BONISTEEL BLVD
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: February 16, 2024 / 4:00 – 5:00 PM

About:

Kairos Power LLC, committed to developing a safe and affordable technology in pursuit of its mission to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, is actively engaged in demonstrating a series of major hardware advancements. Notably, this includes the introduction of Hermes 1.0, a low-power test reactor, which represents a groundbreaking achievement as the first operational pebble bed Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (FHR). The initial startup process of Hermes 1.0, encompassing pre-fuel loading, fuel loading, and the transition to a low-power core, signifies a historic milestone in the realm of advanced nuclear energy on a national scale.

Dr. Nader Satvat holds the position of Senior Manager of Nuclear Design and Methods at Kairos Power. As the head of the team, he oversees various critical aspects of nuclear design and safety, including reactor core design, startup planning, criticality safety, radiation shielding and transport, and radiation detection. The team’s responsibilities also encompass delivering nuclear design methods compliant with the NQA1 standard for licensing, safety analysis, operational setpoints, limits, and other relevant design and analysis areas. Prior to joining Kairos Power, Dr. Satvat served in academia, engaging in both teaching and research roles. His expertise predominantly lies in reactor physics, reactor safety analysis, fuel performance, source term, advanced reactor modeling, and methods development.

Location: Jeffries Hall 1020

701 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: Wednesday February 14, 2024 / 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

About:

Please join us for the latest installment of the EELP Lecture Series. Professor Lisa Benjamin of Lewis & Clark Law School will speak about “The SEC and Climate Disclosure.”

This event is free and open to the public.

Event link

Location: online

Date/Time: February 13, 2024 / 7:00 PM

Curt Wolf, the Managing Director of Urban Collaboratory at the University of Michigan, is preparing to share his insights in the upcoming Climate Innovation Virtual Town Hall presented by Great Lakes Now on February 13^th at 7pm ET. During the session, he will speak from his expertise in establishing partnerships between academics and community stakeholders on topics of urban sustainability and climate resilience. He hopes to highlight the work of the Urban Collaboratory during the discussion.

You can watch the event live here.

Location: Ruthven Administration Building, Room 4140 (U-M faculty only session)

Date/Time: February 9, 2024 / 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM

About: Research Collaboration and Funding Opportunities U-M Faculty only session

Location: Michigan League,

911 N. UNIVERSITY AVE
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: February 8, 2024 / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

About:

Elizabeth Goldschmidt, Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will be presenting “Quantum photonics with rare-earth atoms in solids” as part of the Quantum Research Institute’s winter seminar series from 11am – noon in the Henderson Room (3rd floor) at the Michigan League. A Zoom option is also provided.

Seminar Description:

Optically active and highly coherent emitters in solids are a promising platform for a wide variety of quantum information applications, particularly quantum memory and other quantum networking tasks. Rare-earth atoms, in addition to having record long coherence times, have the added benefit that they can be hosted in a wide range of solid-state materials. We can thus target particular materials (and choose particular rare-earth species and isotopes) that enable certain application-specific functionalities. I will give an overview of this promising field and discuss several ongoing projects with rare-earth atoms in different host materials and configurations. This includes efforts to identify and grow new materials with rare-earth atoms at stoichiometric concentrations in order to reduce disorder-induced inhomogeneous broadening, as well as photonic integration of rare-earth doped samples to increase the light-atom interaction for practical quantum devices.

Zoom Presentation

Date/Time: February 7, 2024 / 11:30 AM

Dr. Rajiv Ghimire will demonstrate the need for the transformation in climate change adaptation, sustainability, and development, and will share insights on how we could overcome barriers to the adoption of climate-smart agriculture and promote sustainable and equitable energy transition.

A live Q&A session will follow Ghimire’s presentation.

Ghimire is a lecturer in the Sustainability and Development MasterTrack™ Certificate program. Through the MasterTrack Certificate, you will learn how to address sustainability and development challenges with actionable knowledge that empowers you to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

Free and open to the public.

Event information

Location: Michigan League,

911 N. UNIVERSITY AVE
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: February 2, 2024 / 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

About:

The SEAS Student Center Career Services office will be offering an in-person fair on February 2, 2024 at the Michigan League. This fair will be open to all U of M Students. The Green Career Fair provide a critical opportunity to develop professional networking connections and to learn about employers that may interest you in the future.

Please note: The on-campus Green Career Fair is open to all University of Michigan students. Your MCard is required for entry.

Location: Virtual – Zoom

Date/Time: 7 pm on the first Thursdays of the month

About:

In 2020 the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) started an on-line weekly series of events on Zoom, that discusses a broad range of topics pertaining to renewable energy.  We have three types of Events:  Solar Stories where a Member of GLREA discusses a solar or geothermal energy system they had installed at their home or business in Detroit, Ann Arbor or some other location in Michigan;  Clean Energy Seminars where a Member or Guest of GLREA discusses a renewable energy policy or efforts to to enact new policies and Energy Q & A which is an open discussion where GLREA Members or any interested person can ask questions, share concerns and learn from each other about any topic pertaining to energy or renewable energy.

More Information

Location:

AADL Downtown location

Date/Time: January 31, 2024 / 6:00-7:30 PM

About:

OSI is bringing the Sustainability Series back in 2024 for another season at the Ann Arbor District Library! Join us in person or online on the last Wednesday every month. Please hold the dates! We look forward to engaging and sharing with you. You can register here for the virtual meetings, but registration is not required to attend in person.

1. Jan. 31 – Electrification
2. Feb. 28 – Home Energy Rating Disclosure
3. March 27 – Circular Economy and e-Waste
4. April 24 – Equity in Action through A²ZERO
5. May 29 – Rebates and Home Energy Advisor Services​​​​​​​

Location:

Rackham Auditorium, 915 E. Washington St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: January 30, 2024 / 5:00 PM

About:

Dr. Rajiv Shah (BS ’95) is president of the Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. Shah will discuss his new book, “Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens” (Simon & Schuster, 2023), and how universities can embrace a big bets mindset of transformative change, especially as it relates to solving the climate crisis. In his talk, Shah will share a dynamic new model for creating lasting change, inspired by his own work and that of the Rockefeller Foundation on some of the biggest humanitarian efforts of the 21st century. Shah will draw from his experiences working as the 16th administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and his leadership roles at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The event will include an audience Q&A session and a book signing immediately following the talk. A limited number of books will be available for purchase. Free and open to the public. 

Reserve spot here.

Location: Cooley Building – White Auditorium (G906)

2355 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: January 26, 2024 / 4:00 – 5:00 PM

About:

This presentation provides the environmental science perspective of nuclear energy with a particular focus on waste management and accidents. I will first talk about the historical overview of waste management, including past contaminations and the comparison with general hazardous waste. I will then present the multi-disciplinary synthesis of the Fukushima Nuclear Power plant accident with a particular focus on the key factors that exacerbated the consequence.

Link for details

Location: Cooley Building – White Auditorium (G906)

2355 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: January 26, 2024 / 4:00 – 5:00 PM

About:

This presentation provides the environmental science perspective of nuclear energy with a particular focus on waste management and accidents. I will first talk about the historical overview of waste management, including past contaminations and the comparison with general hazardous waste. I will then present the multi-disciplinary synthesis of the Fukushima Nuclear Power plant accident with a particular focus on the key factors that exacerbated the consequence.

Link for details

Location:

Jeffries Hall – 1020

701 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: Monday January 22nd, 2024 / 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

About:

Please join the Law School’s Environmental & Energy Law Program for the next event in our lecture series. Gabriel Chan, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, will discuss “Energy Justice in State Utility Regulation.”

This event is free and open to the public.

Event Information

Location:

Cooley Building – White Auditorium (G906)

2355 Bonisteel Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Date/Time: Friday, January 19, 2024 / 4:00PM – 5:00 PM

About:

Jason Price of West Monroe presents on democratizing utility date to accelerate the clean energy transition. In the months and years to come, the utility industry should anticipate an increasing number of regulatory commissions to begin ruling on third-party access to utility data. Several state orders are currently examining the implications of making utility data more accessible to third parties and customers. Some states are going further and broadening the data pool to include more than just customer-metered end-use data. Whichever position a state may take in democratizing its data, it should do so in a way which will encourage customer adoption and improve the marketing and sales of distributed energy resources (DER) and other energy solutions to help states reach their net-zero carbon goals. A result of democratizing the grid utility data will open new markets and accelerate innovations that will help states achieve their carbon reduction goals.

Event link

Location:
1005 EECS Building

1301 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2122

Date/Time: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 / 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
This event is free and open to the public

About:
Thermonuclear reaction rates and nuclear processes have traditionally been explored by means of accelerator experiments, which are difficult to execute at conditions relevant to stellar or big bang nucleosynthesis. High energy density (HED) plasmas generated using lasers, such as the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) platforms at the NIF and OMEGA facilities, more closely mimic astrophysical environments in several ways. These include thermal distributions of reacting ions as opposed to mono-energetic ions impinging on a cold target; stellar-relevant plasma temperatures and densities; and neutron flux densities not found elsewhere on earth. This talk will present some initial nuclear astrophysics-relevant results for the T+T and solar 3He+3He reactions using this platform to illustrate the possibilities, and describe efforts to study the 3He+3He reaction at stellar-relevant conditions at NIF and with unprecedented data quality at OMEGA. Future directions, including platform developments to study CNO-cycle-relevant reactions including higher Z ions, neutron capture on nuclei in excited states and electron screening will also be discussed. The work was supported in part by the US DOE, LLE, and LLNL.

Link for access to virtual attendance