Stanford Adds New Online Courses In Energy Innovation

The Stanford Center for Professional Development has added new courses to its online Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Program.

Launched back in 2012, the Stanford Center’s Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Program is billed as “energy education designed for engineers, product developers, product managers, marketing professionals, investors, and policy makers,” and this week Stanford has announced it is updating the program with two new courses and a revised solar cells-focused course.

The two new courses being added to the curriculum include Past, Present and Future of Fossil Fuels, which will address how efforts to decarbonize the energy sector affect the oil and gas industries, as well as investigating technologies that may help bridge a transition to a low-carbon future. The second new course is Behaviorally Informed Design for Energy Conservation, which “addresses the human factors involved in increasing energy conservation.”

In addition, the Center is updating its Solar Cells course with all new content, and will “examine the latest advances in photovoltaic technology and compare solar cells made out of different materials as well as dye-sensitised and multifunction cells.”

“Universities like Stanford have the opportunity to play a central role in finding solutions to our climate needs,” said Professor Mike McGehee, academic director of the program. “The sharing of our research with professionals in the energy sector is one way we contribute to this effort.”

Enrollment in the Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Program is ongoing and open to the public. Details can be found at energyinnovation.stanford.edu.