A three-day energy conference hosted at Texas A&M tackled methods on how to design renewable energy and how they will effect on society.
The A&M Energy Research Society hosted The 2016 Energy Conference from Sept. 26-28 in the MSC Bethancourt Ballroom. The conference covered an array of topics including renewable energy outlook, utilization of carbon dioxide, designing energy systems and the social impact of energy politics.
Ahmed Ezzat, a graduate in the Department of Industrial and Management Engineering, gave a presentation on space-time modeling of asymmetric local wind fields and said wind energy is the direction people will want to invest in.
“Wind energy is cleaner and more sustainable for the environment,” Ezzat said. “In the United States, the amount of wind panels increased by a factor of 10 in the past 10 years.”
According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, 99.4 percent of total energy consumption in 2015 included natural gas, coal, wind and nuclear energy and less than one percent accounted for alternatives — such as solar energy. This is a constant concern of scientists, as the primary energy components consist of non-renewable resources.
Benjamin Roman, graduate chemistry student, gave a presentation on particle chemistry, discussing the use of nanoparticles to increase solar energy efficiency. Roman’s research contained a few limitations, such as expense and may be groundbreaking for the future of solar panels.
“I see this [nanoparticle research] absolutely being produced in an industrial level,” Roman said.
This conference generated a strong focus on energy sources that could be used to increase the efficiency of natural or renewable resources throughout the world. Theoretically, the conversion of solar power through solar panels should be at 95 percent, however, due to unresolved complications, this percentage is significantly lower.
This increase in wind energy connects to one of many components of his research of wind to enhance the interdependency between space and time. Abdullah Almenizia, an electrical manufacturing Ph.D. student, analyzed the different radiation and effects on society.
“Social energy is substantial in electrifying rural areas and upholds socioeconomic value,” Almenizia said.
