Energy Seminar Series: Managing the emission and absorption of thermal radiation in large scale energy technologies – September 17, 2026

Abstract:
Thermal radiation and thermal storage can play crucial roles in alleviating the intensifying pressure on energy systems caused by surging electricity demand, extreme weather, and supply-chain constraints. This talk will focus on the development of advanced, scalable materials for managing thermal radiation and their integration with thermal storage systems. Hot and cold thermal storage is a scalable, low-cost solution that is maturing rapidly and seeing growing global adoption. To charge and discharge these storage systems, we have developed materials that control solar and thermal radiation while overcoming fundamental challenges in broadband spectral control, scalability, and material stability in harsh environments.

Biography:  Andrej Lenert is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he leads the Lab for Efficient and Enduring Energy Systems (LE3) which conducts research on materials and devices that convert light (photons) into valuable products such as electricity, high-grade heat, and sustainable chemicals. He is a pioneer in the fields of thermal photonics and thermophotovoltaics (TPVs). His research group at UM established thin-film back-reflector TPV cells, now widely used in the manufacture of high performance TPV systems. Dr. Lenert guided the development of air-bridge TPVs from invention to technology and co-founded Heat2Power to see their translation into the market. His inventions include bifacial and multi-terminal TPVs, aerogel solar collectors, and high-albedo radiative coolers. Prior to UM and H2P, he received his PhD at MIT in 2014 where he focused on the development of nanophotonic solar TPV devices which made the MIT Technology Review 2017 list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies.