黑料福利网

鈥楨lectrons are precious,鈥� stated the first speaker, Ted Sargent from the Department of Chemistry of the Northwestern University in Chicago. 鈥業f we allocate them towards chemical production, we should be as effective as we can.鈥� In his talk, Sargent presented the latest results of his research on generating more electrons from the sun by using novel solar cell materials like perovskites, and his insights into how to decarbonize sectors by means of solar energy.  

Linn Leppert from the Department of Computational Chemical Physics at the University of Twente explained what theory can tell us about materials for solar cells. 鈥楶erovskites display a high degree of static and dynamic disorder, yet being as efficient as the purest forms of silicon.鈥� By means of calculations, Leppert鈥檚 group learnt for example how dynamics in 2D perovskites affect their thermal and electronic properties, and how to tune the electronic structure of the solar cell material to improve its efficiency even further, by introducing strain during the growth of the material.

As a final program component before lunch, EIRES PhD students took the stage to introduce the EIRES PhD community, led by Bhavika Chouhan and Gianmarco Ravasi, and to pitch their posters, which the audience could study during the ample networking breaks. In total, 25 researchers presented their posters, sparking many inspiring and insightful conversations throughout the day.

After lunch, Tina Fawcett from the Environmental Change Institute of University of Oxford took the stage. 鈥業nstead of presenting my research, I would like to make an argument here,鈥� she said. 鈥業n our strive for the energy transition, we need to talk about justice and sufficiency.鈥� 鈥楳ine is a story of progress,鈥� she stated, 鈥榮ince in the UK, the energy use is now lower than in 1990, despite the population having grown by 20 percent, and the GDP going up as well. Yet, this is touching people鈥檚 lives. We have to think about how can we ensure that people have enough energy to lead a decent life, yet not consume too much to cross planetary boundaries.鈥�

脕lvaro Guti茅rrez Mart铆n from the Control and Robotics Lab at the Universidad Polit茅cnica de Madrid argued that we need to look at nature as a source of inspiration on how to coordinate and organize energy communities that self-adapt in a dynamic system. 鈥業n a swarm of insects, there is not one individual leading the group. They have a decentralized control, where the collective adapts to the environment using indirect communication methods. We can implement these ideas in our energy systems by sensing network activity, installing alarms that alert users when they tend to consume more than is available, and balancing demand and use.鈥�

In our strive for a more sustainable energy system, there is a desperate need for solutions to solve the seasonal energy gap. Michael Haller from the SPF Institute for Solar Technology at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences presented the option of using aluminum as an energy storage material, analogue to the iron power researched at 黑料福利网. Haller uses renewable electricity to directly convert aluminum oxide into aluminum and oxygen via electrolysis. By burning the aluminum, the energy stored in the material is released in the form of heat. 鈥榃e expect full commercialization of the electrolysis process in 2030,鈥� he stated. 鈥楢nd we are now building a 4 kW protype of our aluminum burner and performing a life cycle analysis of the metal power process.鈥�

As a final speaker, artist and designer Rosalie Apituley took a refreshing perspective on energy as a commodity. 鈥業 like to make our daily interactions with energy more tangible,鈥� she motivated her work. For example, she presented a cable lamp, where the user pulls out a certain length of power cable representing the amount of watt-hours they want to consume. When the lamp is on, the cable slowly slides across the floor back to the wall, rolling up on its reel. In another project, she is exploring how our society could move towards a weather dependent energy system. 鈥楢s a nation, we love ice skating. But we don鈥檛 have natural ice very often anymore. So, we erect these artificial ice rinks, consuming vast amounts of electricity. Why not revert to ice skating during summer, since that is when there is an abundance of solar power.鈥�

During the closing ceremony, EIRES said farewell to its first managing director Mark Boneschanscher. 鈥業t has been an honor and a privilege to be part of this journey,鈥� he said. 鈥業 am so very happy and proud that Diana van der Sloot will take over. She is the right person at the right time to lead the institute into the future.鈥� And with those words, the participants moved to the bar for further contemplations and well-deserved drinks.