Civil and Environmental Engineering

A common criticism of a total transition to wind, water and solar power is that the U.S. electrical grid can't affordably store enough standby electricity to keep the system stable. Stanford researcher Mark Z. Jacobson proposes an underground solution to that problem.

A new study shows that wind, water and solar generators can theoretically result in a reliable, affordable national grid when the generators are combined with inexpensive storage.

Last modified Mon, 30 Nov, 2015 at 10:28

A Stanford-led team shows how these ancient creatures' undulating motions cause water to pull them along. This counterintuitive insight could spur new designs for energy-efficient underwater craft.

Millions of years ago, even before the continents had settled into place, jellyfish were already swimming the oceans with the same pulsing motions we observe today.

Now through clever experiments and insightful math, an interdisciplinary research team has revealed a startling truth about how jellyfish and lampreys, another ancient species that undulate like eels, move through the water with unmatched efficiency.

Last modified Tue, 3 Nov, 2015 at 15:06

New interdisciplinary major prepares Stanford engineers to build sustainable urban, coastal and freshwater systems

Nearly half the people on Earth live in coastal areas, and more than half live in cities. The numbers are expected to grow dramatically, and a changing climate’s effect on rising seas and extreme weather will likely take a greater toll. Who will build the infrastructure to sustain these vulnerable cities and the natural resources that they depend on?

To meet the need, the Stanford School of Engineering is rethinking what it means to be an engineer in the 21^st Century.

Last modified Thu, 22 Oct, 2015 at 15:02

An ongoing study by Stanford engineers, in collaboration with researchers in China, shows that common mealworms can safely biodegrade various types of plastic.

Consider the plastic foam cup. Every year, Americans throw away 2.5 billion of them. And yet, that waste is just a fraction of the 33 million tons of plastic Americans discard every year. Less than 10 percent of that total gets recycled, and the remainder presents challenges ranging from water contamination to animal poisoning.

Last modified Wed, 30 Sep, 2015 at 7:02

Huang Enginineering Amphitheater

Monday, 10/22/15, 4:00 - 10:00 pm

Please join us as we mark the Stanford Construction Program 60th Anniversary.

Last modified Fri, 11 Sep, 2015 at 13:19

Building on the success of its first year, the Innovation Transfer Program at the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy is financially supporting 11 new teams composed mostly of Stanford students and recent graduates trying to put university research to work.

Miniature ultrasound sensors embedded in windmill blades could help avoid catastrophic failures and reduce wind power costs by replacing field inspections with online monitoring.

Stanford Engineering students Alex Guo and Kevin Zheng have set out to show that their sensor system, developed in the laboratory of electrical engineering Associate Professor Boris Murmann, can be commercialized. Then they plan to develop applications for monitoring pipelines, trains, planes and other critical infrastructure.

Last modified Wed, 29 Jul, 2015 at 11:05

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment jump-starts interdisciplinary projects around the world.

How can drones help improve water quality in the San Francisco Bay? What does it take to protect marine habitats from seafloor dredging? Can a private-market approach solve household water contamination in low-income urban areas?

Last modified Thu, 9 Jul, 2015 at 14:31

Mondays, June 22 - August 10 (except July 6)

4:15 – 5:15 pm, Refreshments at 4:00 pm

Yang & Yamazaki Environment & Energy Building (Y2E2), Room 299

Stanford grad students, postdocs, and faculty interested in energy

Last modified Wed, 15 Jul, 2015 at 19:26

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Last modified Wed, 17 Jun, 2015 at 14:44

Professor Mark Z. Jacobson and colleagues show that it's technically possible for each state to replace fossil fuel energy with entirely clean, renewable energy.

One potential way to combat ongoing climate change, eliminate air pollution mortality, create jobs and stabilize energy prices involves converting the world's entire energy infrastructure to run on clean, renewable energy.

Last modified Mon, 8 Jun, 2015 at 14:50