The Spring 2012 issue of MIT Spectrum profiles energy research across the Institute. In this issue:
- A letter from the President: MIT's Energy Initiative
- MITEI@5: MIT's Energy Initiative reaches a milestone
- Energy for the Future: Since the creation of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) five years ago, the world’s energy landscape has changed.
- Trickle Down Effect: Ruben Juanes’ work has profound implications for carbon sequestration, which can help prevent global warming.
- Going With the Flow: Michael Triantafyllou says that as oil and gas companies operate in deep waters, under-water robots are essential to the world’s energy supply.
- The Economics of Energy: A major part of Christopher Knittel’s attention-getting research focuses on the economics of transportation policy.
- The Future of Natural Gas: Henry Jacoby co-leads a key study on natural gas, a fuel that has become the largest U.S. energy story in decades.
- The Energy-Water Nexus: John Lienhard examines the energy footprint of water, while Ahmed Ghoniem examines the water footprint of energy.
- Biofuel in the Pipeline: Kristala Prather is designing a better biofuel — one that’s closer to the octane of gasoline.
- Solar Cells on Paper: Karen Gleason develops a low-cost, environmentally friendly way to make solar cells on tracing paper, which one day might charge a cell phone.
- Power From Nature: Marc Baldo and Jeffrey Grossman say that if it weren’t for MIT’s Energy Initiative, they wouldn’t have federal support.
- Why We Give: Donor gifts to the MIT Energy Initiative help transform the Institute and the world.
- Building Wise: John Ochsendorf is designing zero-energy buildings for the world.
- Cookstoves and Biomass: A research supergroup studies the health consequences of energy consumption in India.
- An Energy Education: MIT students Kwabena Bediako and Lucy Fan are now contributing to the world’s energy future.
- Campus Energy Effort Saves Millions: Campus energy efforts save MIT $3.5M this year, and reduce energy use by five percent.
- Carbon-Capturing Enzymes: Catherine Drennan says it might one day be possible for enzymes to convert some of energy’s waste products into energy.
- Nano-Repellents: Kripa Varanasi’s tough new nano-engineered surfaces and coatings could make energy systems more efficient.
- The Power Generation: Caleb Waugh, co-president of MIT’s Energy Club, says that energy is the defining challenge of this generation.
