New Super-Bright 2GreenEnergy Intern Will Research Clean Energy Technology, Economics, and Politics

I just got off a Skype chat with a talented young engineering student who lives near Paris and wishes to perform an internship in which he will conduct research as the basis for articles on a range of clean energy issues.  I just compiled a list of potential topics that I had thought I’d email him, but then realized it might make a decent blog post.  He can choose those that interest him most, and add others if he would like.

• Where are the areas for the greatest potential improvement in the cost effectiveness of PV, CPV, CSP, wind, etc? What role does materials science play in all this?

• How will costs come down as the world moves from the megawatt to the gigawatt and ultimately to the terawatt scale? 

• How can other countries compete with China in this capacity?

• Has Germany overcommitted to renewables?  If so, what are the most likely short-term and long-term affects?

• How is the continuing disaster at Fukushima affecting the world of renewables?

• What’s the future of geothermal?  Is there some way to make this whole enterprise less risky?

• What are the cutting-edge technologies in gasification/pyrolysis of various waste streams?

• What’s the future of biofuels, in particular those that are algae-based?

• What are the latest developments in synthetic fuels?

• What’s happening in hydrokinetics: tidal, ocean current, run-of river, wave, etc?

• Is OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversation) potentially cost-effective for tropical regions?

• What are the chief developments in high-voltage transmission of large volumes of energy?  Where are the key projects in place?  What’s the rationale / cost-justification behind them?

• How is the new IPCC report on climate change driving the world demand for renewables?

• The U.S. seems to be the only country on Earth that has a significant number of climate change deniers.  Is this true? What are the driving forces around this?

• Are the fossil fuel (especially oil) companies protecting their monopolies?  How?  Has this been successful, historically?  Will it continue to be?

• What’s the trajectory for the successful implementation of thorium nuclear reactors?

• Is cold fusion a hoax, or is there some legitimacy to this area of science?

• What is the future of electric transportation?  How does this vary by country?

• What are the ideal arrangements for the deployment of EVs and charging stations in terms of public/private partnerships?

• What role does smart grid play in the implementation of renewables?

• What about energy storage?  What is the future of pumped hydro?  Advanced batteries? Which battery chemistries hold the most promise?  Is this all about lithium?  What about air electrodes?

• How should power utilities be regulated so as to provide them incentive to sell us less power?  Cleaner power?

• Who are the real heroes in the migration to clean energy?

• What is the best way to bring clean energy to the rural parts of the developing world where some people (like me) see this as supremely important to world sustainability?

• What are the most important developments in energy efficiency?

• What are the world’s most important competitions/prizes in this space?  Who is winning them?

• Are there any developments in particle physics that have bearing on the world’s approach to energy?

• What are the most important developments in terms of social consciousness that surrounds energy conservation and sustainability?

• How does the world’s current approach to energy affect the loss of biodiversity?  Lung disease? World hostility?

• What’s happening with ocean acidification?  What’s the likely outcome here?

I look forward to seeing what he comes up with here; I know he and I will both learn a great deal in the process.