Energy Days 2016

Purpose:

How do we meet the goals of energy affordability, sustainability and security to ensure innovation, policy and investment in our energy system going forward?  To meet these current and future energy challenges, Penn State is hosting a symposium on May 19-20, 2016 at Penn State Law’s Katz Building on the University Park Campus. The purpose is to bring energy leaders together across the spectrum of technology, economics, law, and regulation to discuss these critical issues and identify what Penn State could do to help meet these future needs. Invited Attendees:  Industry leaders and private companies; government officials (federal, state, local); non-governmental organizations; Penn State faculty and staff; general public

Thursday, May 19, 2016

11:00 registration table opens (C&I)

1:00-4:00 PM            Tours of campus energy facilities

1:00–2:15                  Busses depart for Tour Sessions Group 1 (various locations)

  • EME Labs (Hosler Building - Drilling/Subsurface)
  • Turbine & Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) Laboratory
  • Pennsylvania Housing Research Center
  • Biomass and Thermal Battery Labs
  • Battery & Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Center

Busses return at Katz Building

2:45–4:00                     Busses depart for Tour Sessions Group 2    

  • College of Earth and Mineral Sciences - Energy Institute
  • Larson Transportation Institute and EcoCar
  • Materials Characterization Lab
  • Office of Physical Plant - Penn State Operating Station - being developed to provide integration of education, basic research, development and demonstration of energy system design, transformation and operation.
  • Applied Research Laboratory, CIMP 3D - Additive Manufacturing
  • Morning Star Home / Solar Energy Research display
  • Center for Combustion Power and Propulsion

Busses return to Katz Building

4:00-6:00 PM             Katz Building - Poster Session to highlight cutting edge energy-related research

5:00-6:30 PM             Katz Building - Reception/heavy appetizers                       

6:30 PM                     Katz Building Auditorium - Keynote presentation(s): Energy Challenges of the Next Century       

Friday, May 20, 2016

7:30 AM – Registration Table Open (C&I)

Coffee/Continental Breakfast

8:30-9:00 AM          Katz Auditorium - Welcome: Nick Jones or Neil Sharkey

                                 Penn State: Building an Energy University, Tom Richard

9:00-10:00 AM         Katz Auditorium-- Transforming the Energy System: Moderated Panel Discussion

  1. Design & Management: policy, law, regulation, climate, environment
  2. Supply: fossil, renewable, nuclear
  3. Infrastructure: supply chain, internet of things, infrastructure
  4. Energy Use: power, transportation, buildings, materials
  5. Education & Outreach

10:00-10:30 AM       Networking Break – Coffee/Water/Tea?

10:30 AM-Noon

Listening Workshops Part I:

Topics

  • Room 1:
    Impacts of changing energy trends on market needs and R&D strategies (natural gas and renewables, mergers and IPOs, evolving regulations, global instability)
  • Room 2:
    Addressing the challenges of critical and coupled energy infrastructure (pipelines and grid, evolving financial models, reliability, and uncertainty)
  • Room 3:
    Needs and opportunities for “smart grid” and energy security (distributed and intermittent supply, demand management, software, and security)
  • Room 4:
    Energy & climate in the context of the Paris COP21 agreement (global market impacts, carbon-negative strategies)
  • Room 5:
    Pennsylvania as a bellwether state for future energy systems (energy-manufacturing connections, barriers to transformation)
  • Room 6:
    Decision making in the context of regulatory or market uncertainty (quantifying risk, implementing new financial models)
  • Room 7:
    Best practices for moving technology to market (scale-up and demonstration)
  • Room 8:
    Innovative strategies for university-industry collaborations (breaking down IP barriers, life-long education, human capital development, and talent recruiting)
  • Room 9:
    Adapting energy systems to new modes of mobility (autonomous vehicles, low-carbon aviation, electrification)
  • Room 10:
    Disruptive technologies at the materials - energy interface (batteries, 3D printing, smart fabrics, sensors)
  • Room 11:
    Value chain transformation through big data, sensors, and measurement (internet of things, smart systems, real-time adaptive management)
  • Room 12:
    Reducing the cycle-time for innovation in a changing energy industry (rapid response, adaptive design processes, global teleconnections)­

12:00-12:45 PM          Lunch, Informal Discussion (Tent)

12:45-2:00 PM           Welcome – Honorable Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, U.S. House of Representatives (confirmed)

The Future of Energy – Melanie Kenderdine (DOE)

Partnering for the Energy Future- President Eric Barron (confirmed)                                                     

2:15-3:00 PM           Listening Workshops Part II: Same Rooms as Above.

3:15-3:45 PM             Report Back – TBD based on number of sessions

3:45-4:00 PM             Concluding Remarks, What’s Next

3:15-4:00 PM             Option B: Combined report back and concluding remarks