WWU's Science and the UniverCity Series to Present 'Powering the Planet with Sunlight' March 20
Contact: Western Washington University College of Sciences and Technology, (360) 650-6400.
BELLINGHAM – Western Washington University Professor of Mathematics David Patrick will present “Powering the Planet with Sunlight: The Science Behind the Quest for Cheap Solar Energy” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at the Bellingham City Council chambers, second floor, Bellingham City Hall, 210 Lottie St.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is offered as part of the annual “Science and the univerCity” community science lecture series. It is sponsored by the WWU College of Sciences and Technology, the City of
Among all renewable energy sources, only solar energy is sufficiently plentiful to offer a practical chance for replacing fossil fuels on a global scale. Yet despite decades of research and billions of dollars in investment, solar energy remains too expensive and too inefficient to make a significant contribution to worldwide energy production.
Why is it so difficult to cheaply and efficiently convert sunlight into usable energy?
What are the prospects and scientific challenges for better solar technologies, and what can we expect in the future?
This lecture will examine the science behind solar energy, exploring the fundamental limits of cost and efficiency, and taking a tour of cutting-edge research from around the world aimed at answering the question: Can we power the planet with sunlight?
David Patrick is a professor of chemistry and member of the Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Center at Western. His research and teaching focus on solar energy conversion, nanoscience, and plastic electronics.
Patrick’s presentation will also be taped and rebroadcast on Bellingham BTV 10.
For more information, contact Patrick at (360) 650-3128 or david.patrick@wwu.edu.