STANFORD UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE: ENERGY STORAGE

Stanford University
Sustainable Energy Conversion and Storage: Energy Storage and the Hydrogen Economy

Stanford University is a private residential college that took 5th place in U.S. News & World Report’s 2011 ranking of the nation’s top schools. About 6,300 undergraduates live on campus each year, and 57% of graduate students choose to live in university-owned apartments. It is recognized as one of the world’s leading universities, and the students have opportunities to participate in a remarkable range of activities. 

This course is devoted to examine and compare current energy storage technology from every angle, with an in depth look into the « future » of rechargeable battery technology, the Lithium-Ion battery. Discussions focus on both the benefits and barriers Lithium-Ion battery technology will face as future applications of this energy storage technology are explored. Evaluation criteria discussed are efficiency measures, capacity, cost, weight, size limits, etc. 

This lecture also examines hydrogen as a renewable energy source and the barriers to a hydrogen economy. Hydrogen’s long term viability is evaluated on various criteria: hydrogen’s properties, production methods, storage, conversion to usable energy, costs, drivers for market penetration, and safety issues.