Introduction to Solar Fuels

Growing energy demand worldwide is a crucial challenge for chemists. Suzannah Hexter, Armstrong Group, shows how, with the help of enzymes, the principles of photosynthesis may be artificially exploited and improved to provide a clean energy resource. 

Dr Alison Foster, a former chemist and Senior Curator at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden explains the principals of natural photosynthesis that the Armstrong Group is trying to mimic in the lab. 

Andrea Bachmeier, a DPhil student in the Armstrong Group, is helping to create a fully integrated artificial photosynthesis (APS) system which could be much more efficient at turning sunlight into fuel than living systems. 

First up in our energy series: solar! How do we harness the energy from the sun to produce electricity? Why should we? What are the environmental impacts?   Resources for this episode: National Renewable Energy Laboratory How Does Solar Work (energy.gov) End of Life Solar Panels: ... Show More

Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. There are lots of ways to support the show:Support the podcast with donation | Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free episodes and bonus content | Buy our book and merch | Come to our live showsSolar panels capture energy from the sun ... Show More

Approximately every eleven years, our sun experiences a cycle in which its magnetic poles flip. During this cycle, solar flares and sunspot activity increase, and then the sun returns to a state of relative calm. These solar cycles have been tracked for over two hundred years and ... Show More

Solar energy is booming, which is good news for Glint Solar. The Norwegian software-as-a-service startup has built a platform that’s helping energy giants and large solar developers such as E.ON, Recurrent Energy, and Statkraft cut the time it takes to plan and pre-design solar i ... Show More

Episode number 001 of Elemental Energy introduces our need and responsibility as market leaders to elevate and support the energy transition. It gives an introduction to the host Marcia Leonard and the goals of the podcast. This is the beginning of a long series of introducing bu ... Show More

Professor Jim Skea, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, joins Jack Stewart in the studio and brings his insight from the Paris climate talks. Paul Younger, the Rankine Chair of Engineering and Professor of Energy Engin ... Show More

Welcome to the Artificial Intelligence Podcast with your host, Jonathan Green! In this riveting episode, we dive into the sustainability of AI with our special guest, Kacy Clarke, a seasoned IT strategist and enterprise architect.Kacy provides an insightful perspective on the bur ... Show More

An introduction to the principles of thermodynamics, including a look at temperature and heat, the laws of thermodynamics, perpetual motion, methods of transferring energy, and the phenomenon of entropy. If you enjoyed the podcast please consider supporting the show by making a p ... Show More

Solar power and batteries are becoming cheap and ubiquitous. Great. But there are problems batteries can’t solve – like fueling ships and planes. One way to solve those problems: Use solar power to create hydrogen, and turn that hydrogen into fuel. Today’s guest is Raffi Garabedi ... Show More

Is our planet doomed? Probably not, it turns out. Dr. Jordan B. Peterson joins geologist Scott Tinker to dismantle the myth of energy scarcity, exposing the flawed narratives that demonize coal, oil, and natural gas. Together, they reject the false binary of renewables versus fos ... Show More