Multimedia talks explore perspectives from green energy to the cosmos

Plenary talks on green energy research from two major photonics labs and a panel of experts exploring the latest trends in commercialization of photovoltaics technology.

The talks were recorded at SPIE Optics and Photonics in San Diego in August 2010.

Multimedia Videos:

Ed Moses, director of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, talks about recent progress toward the goal of creating fusion energy by ignition of a small target containing deuterium and tritium, and about the potential outcome of the experiment's success: the LIFE (laser fusion energy) system with the potential to power a million homes with a facility the size of NIF. The Building of the National Ignition Facility presentation

Jeffrey Tsao (Sandia National Labs) predicts a solid-state lighting (SSL) revolution in 2012, when SSL will surpass compact fluorescent lighting in cost efficiency with sufficient color-conversion quality to become the most viable lighting solution available. Solid State Lighting: Science, Technology and Economic Perspectives presentation

Podcast:

Solar panel discussion: Commercialization of Emerging Photovoltaics Technologies

Moderators Loucas Tsakalakos (GE Global Research) and Sean Shaheen (Univ. of Denver) give an overview of the current commercial state of photovoltaic technology -- silicon prices have dropped and therefore silicon-based solutions are growing. Panelists John Rogers (Univ. of Illinois), Gang Li (Solarmer Energy Inc.), Christoph Brabec (Friedrich-Alexander-Univ. Erlangen-Nürnberg), Gavin Conibeer (ARC Photovoltaics Center of Excellence, Univ. of New South Wales), Anders Olsson (Abound Solar), and Tom Tibbits (QuantaSol) discuss recent advances in a variety of technologies, and the latest world records for efficiency in solar-energy systems. Panel discussion audio podcast: Commercialization of Emerging Photovoltaics Technologies (MP3)