Economic and environmental pressures today are driving unprecedented commitment to research in alternative fuels. International, multi-disciplinary research programs have already yielded a dazzling array of improvements in energy collection, generation, and storage: cost and efficiency improvements in Grätzel cells, heat reduction breakthroughs in fuel cell production, nanotubes for hydrogen storage, and more. The Stanford University Sustainable Energy Seminar Series will cover theories, novel technologies, and promising design concepts that can move us toward a clean, sustainable energy economy.

• the potential impact and liabilities of new solar and fuel cell technologies
• the benefits and challenges of a hydrogen economy
• the problems of energy storage and possible solutions
• the potential for many consumer applications of new technologies

Discover the ways in which nanotechnology and new fabrication processes are affecting the future of sustainable energy, offering opportunities for practical opportunities:

• New Grätzel cells of flexible, nano-scaled crystals that double efficiency, lower costs, and increase potential consumer applications
• "Tandem" cells that can be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, opening affordable pathways to hydrogen production
• Colloidal quantum dots dispersed as absorbing semiconductors may increase efficiency and lifespan of next generation solar cells
• New fuel cells with ultra-thin membranes that run cooler without sacrificing power