Seed Grants and Exploratory Energy Research at Stanford
Faculty seed grants are awarded for research proposals with a strong potential for high impact on energy supply and use. These “proof of concept” awards bridge theory to early experiments and analysis. Seed grants are awarded each year by the Precourt Institute for Energy (PIE), the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center (PEEC) and the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy. The Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) also provides funding for exploratory research. The Bay Area Photovoltaic Consortium (BAPVC) awards grants for research that will reduce the cost of utility-scale solar modules.
Below is a list of recent grant recipients. For details about previous awards, see "More Information" on the right.
2014 Seed Grant Recipients
| Funding Year | Research Topic | Description | Principal Investigtors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | A novel technique for producing high-efficiency photovoltaic devices | Solar cells made of gallium arsenide hold the record for photovoltaic efficiency but are extremely expensive to produce. This project proposes using... |
Bruce Clemens, Materials Science and Engineering |
| 2014 | A new approach to understand and control energy conversion processes at the nanoscale | Phonons, quantized collective vibrations of atoms in solids, are the main carriers of heat in non-metallic materials. In this project, researchers... |
David Reis, Applied Physics and Photon Science (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory); Arun Majumdar, Mechanical Engineering |
| 2014 | Revolutionizing power electronics with 3D-printed, high-frequency power converters | Power electronics involves the transformation and control of electrical energy. The research team will focus on developing power supplies that... |
Juan Rivas-Davila, Electrical Engineering |
| Funding Year | Research Topic | Description | Principal Investigtors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Low-cost polymer materials for efficient waste heat reclamation | Thermoelectricity, the direct conversion of heat into electrical power, can be used to reclaim otherwise wasted thermal energy from cars, factories... |
Zhenan Bao, Chemical Engineering; Kenneth Goodson, Mechanical Engineering |
| 2014 | From ‘waste’ water to fresh water: Anaerobic treatment for energy-neutral potable water | Wastewater is typically treated with oxygen-consuming (aerobic) bacteria, an energy-intensive process that converts organic-rich wastewater... |
William Mitch and Craig Criddle, Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| 2014 | Economic assessment of polygeneration energy systems | Polygeneration energy systems use multiple feedstocks (such as coal, natural gas and biomass) to generate multiple products (electricity, hydrogen,... |
Stefan Reichelstein, Graduate School of Business; Adam Brandt, Energy Resources Engineering |
| Funding Year | Research Topic | Description | Principal Investigtors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Improving the efficiency of combined cooling, heating and power systems | Combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems theoretically use 90 percent of the primary energy going into them, but in reality their... |
Martin Fischer, Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| 2014 | Miniature thermoacoustic engines to capture waste heat from computers | This project will first assess the feasibility of miniature thermoacoustic engines to convert waste heat from computers and other electronic devices... |
Lambertus Hesselink, Electrical Engineering; and Carlo Scalo, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University |
