Zoom ID: 969 4285 6374; Password: 108789

ABSTRACT: In this seminar I will discuss at least six pathways that have been proposed to reach the stated goal of GWG reduction by 2030. But the question is: How accurate are these predictions? The models developed by NREL, and other energy modeling organizations aim to predict both the generation and demand side of the energy system, and the technologies needed to achieve a balance between them. These modes typically require super computers to optimize over several days of runtimes. Policy makers usually rely on others to generate and interpret the results for them. What these models don’t take into account is social input. "Not in my backyard” is a social phenomenon that seriously hampers the implementation of new and existing energy technologies. To overcome some of the limitations of these heavy models, we have developed a simple-to-use tool targeted for policy makers and energy customers to run what-if scenarios on a laptop computer. I will describe the design and implementation of the Energy System Trade-off Estimator (ESTE) and the (unexpected) results of a case study in South Africa.

Biography: Dr. Lambertus Hesselink is Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, by courtesy. He has presented over 270 keynote and invited presentations at scientific meetings, he has organized over 80 scientific meetings, published over 500 papers in scientific journals, over 15 book chapters, and was an editor of Applied Optics, Applied Scientific Research, and IEEE Transaction on Visualization. He has over 100 issued and pending patent applications worldwide. He pioneered 3-D optical data storage technology, demonstrating world-record performance in 2000. He built the first Internet controlled laboratory in 1998. His group pioneered the field of topological matrix and tensor visualization in the middle 1990’s. He founded three startup companies, consulted for Fortune 100 corporations worldwide, co-designed the Astronaut Memorial, was a member of the Hubble Space Telescope Committee, and a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. Among other honors, he is a Member of the National Academy of Inventors, the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow of the OSA and SPIE, and he studied at Caltech as a Fulbright scholar.