9/22
Energy Science
Marrying models with experiments to build more efficient solar cells
Marrying models with experiments to build more efficient solar cells
Penn chemist Andrew M. Rappe, in collaboration with former postdoc Arvin Kakekhani and researchers at Princeton University, has gained insight into how the molecular make up of solar cells can affect their properties and make them more efficient.
With school out, construction crews work in earnest
With school out, construction crews work in earnest
Campus may have depopulated for the summer, but construction workers have moved in to begin or accelerate work on projects both big and small. Here, an overview of what’s in progress on Penn’s campus—and beyond.
Solutions to mitigate climate change, from the IPCC
Solutions to mitigate climate change, from the IPCC
The latest assessment offers both a harsh reality check and a path forward. Experts William Braham, Peter Psarras, and Michael Mann offer their thoughts.
Talking energy at Penn
Talking energy at Penn
Energy Week 2022, hosted by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, runs April 4-8. It includes student presentations, along with conversations about renewables, energy and the war in Ukraine, and much more.
Four takeaways from the IPCC’s report on climate adaptation and vulnerability
Four takeaways from the IPCC’s report on climate adaptation and vulnerability
The assessment gets explicit about the effect of climate change on people, places, and ecosystems. Experts from Penn weigh in on what it means.
An investment in energy and sustainability ‘for the survival of humanity’
An investment in energy and sustainability ‘for the survival of humanity’
Significant new support for research and hires will bolster Penn’s existing strengths in developing the energy and sustainability solutions of the future.
Four things to know about the latest IPCC climate report
Four things to know about the latest IPCC climate report
The assessment describes ‘unequivocal’ human influence that no doubt caused ‘widespread and rapid changes’ to the atmosphere, oceans, and more. Professors Mark Alan Hughes and Michael Weisberg discuss the findings, plus how we can avoid passing the point of no return.
Penn Engineering’s ENIAD sets new world record for energy-efficient supercomputing
Penn Engineering’s ENIAD sets new world record for energy-efficient supercomputing
ENIAD, named after ENIAC, the world’s first digital computer, which was developed at Penn 75 years ago, took the top spot among a list of 500 of the most energy-efficient supercomputers reported in the world.
The alternative fuel life of everyday items
The alternative fuel life of everyday items
Researchers in the Goldberg Group, including Karen Goldberg, Vagelos Professor in Energy Research, and Drew Newman, doctoral candidate in chemistry, focus on alternative fuel sources for items that are part of everyday life.
The infrastructure bill could fix trucking for the long haul
The infrastructure bill could fix trucking for the long haul
As the country explores major infrastructure investments, urban truck ports have the potential to increase the fuel efficiency of trucks, reduce air pollution, and improve the lives of truckers who deliver our critical goods.
In the News
The New York Times
Mississippi crisis highlights climate threat to drinking water nationwide
Allison Lassiter of the Weitzman School of Design says that the infrastructure act doesn’t inject enough money into public water supply systems to fundamentally change them.
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With COP27 approaching, cities like Philadelphia are ‘powerful tools’ for climate adaptation
Mark Alan Hughes of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy says that cities are powerful tools for collective action on climate change, noting that Philadelphia is vulnerable on climate adaptation but well-positioned to improve.
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NPR
Renewable energy is maligned by misinformation. It’s a distraction, experts say
Shelley Welton of Penn Carey Law and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy says that blaming renewables is a distraction, a way to forestall a transition that is underway but needs to be moving faster.
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Associated Press
Dangerous heat predicted to hit three times more often in future
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that a new study about rising heat waves focuses on mathematical probabilities rather than the true political obstacles.
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KWGS (Tulsa)
A GOP misinformation campaign targets Democrats’ climate spending packages
Shelley Welton of Penn Carey Law and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy says that continued reliance on fossil fuels will create a worsening cycle of threats to the electricity grid.
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