Author Archives: Stanford University


About Stanford University

I work in communications for Stanford University, writing on the university's broad range of energy research. Coverage spans more than 200 faculty members, as well as dozens of independent labs and academic departments from fundamental sciences to law.

Global Solar Photovoltaic Industry Is Likely Now A Net Energy Producer
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The rapid growth of the solar power industry over the past decade may have exacerbated the global warming situation it was meant to soothe, simply because most of the energy used to manufacture the millions of solar panels came from burning fossil fuels. That irony, according to Stanford University researchers, is coming to an end. For the first time since the boom started, the electricity generated by all the world’s installed solar photovoltaic (PV) panels last year … Read More

Energy Efficiency Wins Big In California Election, But Debate Looms Over Dividing $2.5 Billion

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Yes on Proposition 39 - Close the Loophole-200217

  By Mark Golden California’s Proposition 39 did not get much attention in the months leading up to Tuesday’s election, but voters handily approved the measure to increase taxes on some corporations, with $2.5 billion of the money going for projects to conserve electricity and natural gas consumed by schools and other government buildings. The appeal to Californians was understandable. Basically, the additional taxes will be paid by companies that sell their products in the … Read More

Can Conservatives Be Convinced On Climate Change?

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  Editor’s note: while many points below are true and useful, there is an underlying issue not explicitly stated here: fossil fuel and renewable energy options aren’t on level playing field because a strong, rich fossil fuel industry won’t “allow” that. Politicians on one side of the aisle are, for the most part, against anything that will challenge the industry’s profits. Politicians on that side of the aisle receive over 80% of donations from the … Read More

Stanford Researchers Complete 1st Complete Computer Model of an Organism

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The Covert Lab incorporated more than 1,900 experimentally observed parameters into their model of the tiny parasite Mycoplasma genitalium. (Illustration Credit: Erik Jacobsen / Covert Lab)

  Here’s a pretty remarkable new development out of Stanford University. The world’s first complete computer model of an organism! This could be very helpful in a number of ways down the road. Here’s the full news from Stanford: BY MAX MCCLURE In a breakthrough effort for computational biology, the world’s first complete computer model of an organism has been completed, Stanford researchers reported last week in the journal Cell. A team led by Markus Covert, assistant professor of … Read More

Clean Tech Investors Finding Opportunities at Nexus of Energy and IT

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Opower energy efficiency app

  By Mark Golden STANFORD, Calif.–U.S. investors in clean energy technology are looking to make only modest financial commitments to startups now, but they still expect nothing less than total passion from entrepreneurs. Most early-stage investing in clean tech today focuses on energy startups that leverage information technology not currently used in the energy sector, according to several fund managers who spoke at the Silicon Valley Energy Summit at Stanford University. The focus is due in part … Read More

Electric Car Mass Adoption — How Soon? (Do You Think the Glass Is Half Full or Half Empty?)

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Tesla-Model-S

  Editor’s note: This is an article primarily focused on one side of the electric vehicle discussion that I think is worth a read. I’ve inserted my own notes throughout to try to better express what I think the actual situation is today. Basically, while I wouldn’t bet against Elon Musk’s prediction that 50% of new cars will be EVs in 20 years or less, and I think these will take off exponentially in the … Read More

Stanford’s George Shultz on Energy: It’s Personal

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George Shultz (left) talking with Admiral Michal Mullen (right). ( Some rights reserved by CSIS: Center for Strategic & International Studies)

  Editor’s Note: This is a truly excellent interview with a true leader. George Shultz, as you’ll catch from the interview below, is an energy security, clean energy, climate change, and distributed energy leader. He also walks the walk. Check this post out if you don’t read anything else this week. By Mark Golden and Mark Shwartz George Shultz leads a group preparing to propose a federal tax on carbon to slash U.S. greenhouse gas … Read More

Commercial Solar Now Cost-Competitive in US

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this film solar panels

  Editor’s note: the costs discussed below, of course, do not take into account the important health benefits and environmental benefits of using solar power instead of dirtier alternatives. Add those in, and we’ve got an even better solar cost situation. Of course, the Stanford researchers were looking at the price of going solar for utilities and businesses since that is the primary factor  they consider. However, for businesses, the CSR and publicity benefits of … Read More

Stanford Opens Renewable Energy Certificate Program

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Stanford University Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies

  As the race to meet the world’s escalating energy needs heats up, Stanford University is responding by offering a new professional certificate program in renewable energy. The online program, Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies, explores emerging technologies that can transform how we obtain, distribute and store energy. … Read More