Search Results for: renewable energy

Renewable & Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL)

RAEL is engaged in projects to develop the science, technology, policy needs and to foster engagements that explore the future of energy, specifically the transition to a low-cabon, environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable energy system.

Analysis & Control (EMAC) Energy Modeling

The Energy Modeling, Analysis and Control (EMAC) group addresses the engineering and techno-economic challenges to decarbonizing electric power systems. Our work ranges from applied to theoretical. Much of our work focuses on building new control and optimization frameworks to facilitate the operation of low carbon grids.

Give to ERG

Your donation to ERG provides critical funding and academic opportunities for our graduate students. ERG has a 50-year history of outstanding research, teaching, policy advice and scholar-activism. ERG has researched ... Continue Reading »

Publications

“Biodiversity Scales from Plots to Biomes With a Universal Species-Area Curve” John Harte, Adam B. Smith, and David Storch“Carbon Cycle Uncertainty Increases Climate Change Risks and Mitigation Challenges” Paul A. ... Continue Reading »

Sustainability Summer Minor and Certificate

The Minor and Certificate in Sustainability provides a comprehensive understanding of the most pressing issues facing the world today. ERG’s Minor/Certificate program offers a practical and relevant interdisciplinary approach at ... Continue Reading »

Summer Instructors

The Energy and Resources Group summer instructors understand the complex and interdisciplinary nature of sustainability. All have significant experience teaching and/or professional experience in the subject areas of their courses. ... Continue Reading »

Affiliated Faculty

ERG has a small core faculty but a much larger group of affiliated faculty. Affiliated faculty are based in other departments on campus or at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ... Continue Reading »

Now is the Time to Start a Community Microgrid: ERG’s Dan Kammen on the Growing Accessibility of Renewable Energy

April 13, 2022

ERG’s Dan Kammen was featured in a recent Popular Science article discussing how more communities are beginning to generate their own power using renewable energy from microgrids. With the increased accessibility ... Continue Reading »

ERG’s Dan Kammen on How Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Underscores the Urgency of Shifting to Renewable Energy

March 7, 2022

ERG's Dan Kammen was featured in a recent article in the Los Angeles Times proposing that Russian aggression has hastened the need for America and other nations to transition away from relying on fossil fuels. (Photo by Karsten Würth)

EU Renewable Energy Plan for 2030 Allows Countries to Cut Down and Burn Additional Trees for Energy

December 14, 2017

The European Union has set ambitious goals for its renewable energy portfolio in order to drastically reduce emissions by 2030. However, the current version of its plan essentially allows for ... Continue Reading »

the Effects of Climate Change on Tropical Storms Dan Kammen: Renewable Energy

September 11, 2017

Photo: Lizette Kabré After a few hectic weeks in the news, Energy and Resources Professor Dan Kammen reflects on his resignation as State Department Science Envoy and highlights the continued importance ... Continue Reading »

ERG Ph.D. Candidate Grace Wu – New Tool Helps African Countries Find the Best Sites for Renewable Energy Projects

April 14, 2017

ERG Ph.D. candidate Grace Wu is featured in this IEEE Spectrum article on a tool called Multicriteria Analysis for Planning Renewable Energy (MapRE)

Kammen on Energy in Africa: Why Renewables Will Give More People Access to Energy than Coal

October 19, 2017

ERG Professor Dan Kammen was quoted in CarbonBrief this week, reinforcing the International Energy Agency’s assertion that renewable energy is emerging as a cheaper and more socially responsible alternative to coal ... Continue Reading »

ERG Researchers on Furthering Energy Equity in Africa Using Data Methods

August 15, 2022

ERG researchers Daniel Kammen, Sam Miles, Annelise Gill-Wiehl, and Hilary Yu at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab (RAEL) published a piece in Clean Technica about the Congo Power initiative, ... Continue Reading »

ERG Annual Lecture Returns in 2022: Damilola Ogunbiyi Speaks on Driving an Equitable Energy Transition

April 6, 2022

After going on hiatus for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ERG Annual Lecture on Energy and the Environment returned as a fully in-person event this year, with Damilola Ogunbiyi speaking at Sibley Auditorium about how to drive a more just and equitable global energy transition.

Phadke and Professor Callaway Suggest India Double Down on Renewables ERG Alumni Deshmukh

April 6, 2021

ERG alumni Ranjit Deshmukh, Amol Phadke and associate professor Duncan Callaway recently had their research, "Least-cost targets and avoided fossil fuel capacity in India’s pursuit of renewable energy" published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Their analysis on India’s power usage, weather patterns and energy infrastructure was featured in the The Current, and suggests that the country is "well positioned to take advantage of green energy sources".

Carbon Pricing ERG’s Dan Kammen Interviewed in MCJ Podcast On Nuclear Energy

October 14, 2020

ERG professor Dan Kammen was featured in the latest episode of the My Climate Journey (MCJ) Podcast. Kammen discussed numerous topics, including the feasibility of carbon pricing in the US, the implications of switching a fossil fuel economy to a renewable economy, and much more. "There's no question that 100% renewables is possible. I've done a lot of research, my lab works on scenarios to get the U.S., China, Mexico, Kenya, Bangladesh, Morocco to 100% renewables. And in many cases where the technology mix is improving enough, the climate favors that you can do that. It's also a case that we are not today ready to think about a solar and wind only world, but solar and wind plus storage, plus geothermal, plus potentially nuclear," Kammen states.

Challenges ERGies Contribute to IEEE “Electricity for All: Issues

September 9, 2019

Several ERGies recently contributed articles to an IEEE Special Issue on "Electricity for All: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions for Energy-Disadvantaged Communities."

ERG’s Isa Ferrall and Haas Teammates Win “Energy in Emerging Markets” Case Competition

December 10, 2018

The case competition, hosted Nov. 6 by the MBA Energy Club at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, required a team of three to five graduate students to compare the electrical ... Continue Reading »

ERG’s Isa Ferrall and Haas Teammates Win “Energy in Emerging Markets” Case Competition

December 10, 2018

The case competition, hosted Nov. 6 by the MBA Energy Club at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, required a team of three to five graduate students to compare the electrical ... Continue Reading »

Mileva ERG Alumni Deshmukh

September 12, 2018

ERG alumni Ranjit Deshmukh, Ana Mileva, and Grace Wu recently published their research on alternatives to the hydroelectric power Inga III Dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The ... Continue Reading »

A Battery of Choices – Energy Storage in the 21st Century

March 1, 2018

As the world moves away from using traditional fossil fuels and towards sources of renewable energy like wind and solar, securing cost-effective ways to store this electricity is essential. ERG ... Continue Reading »

Ponce de Leon Lessons from Fracking in the USA and Mexico – ERG’s Kammen

October 10, 2017

Last week, Dan Kammen, Diego Ponce de Leon, and Peter Marsters published their analysis of the environmental, social, economic, and community impacts of the shale industry on Mexico. The team ... Continue Reading »

Wind and Solar Energy Potential in The Democratic Republic of Congo – New ERG Study

October 2, 2017

Image: Renewable Riches: How Wind and Solar Could Power DRC and South Africa (2017) Ana Mileva, Ranjit Deshmukh, and Grace Wu discuss The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) position to harness ... Continue Reading »

Paper Authored by PhD Candidate Noah Kittner and Professor Dan Kammen Published in Nature Energy

August 16, 2017

Noah Kittner and Dan Kammen's new paper, "Energy stor­age deploy­ment and inno­va­tion for the clean energy tran­si­tion," was published in Nature Energy on July 31, 2017

Renewable Dis-integration?

April 12, 2017

ERG associate professor Duncan Callaway co-authored this post with ARE associate professor Meredith Fowlie for the Energy Institute at Haas blog on grid dis-integration and the potential economic effects of grid defection.

ERG PhD’s Deshmukh and Wu – The Economic Case for Wind and Solar Energy in Africa

April 3, 2017

ERG PhD students Ranjit Deshmukh and Grace Wu discuss their research on cost-efficient renewable energy solutions to meet Africa's energy demands with Berkeley Lab.

ERG’s Energy Research Featured in Multiple News Outlets

May 25, 2016

“Research at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory [ERG Professor Daniel Kammen’s lab] at the University of California Berkeley highlights that while cities currently contribute to global climate change by ... Continue Reading »

Rethinking Energy on Islands

April 25, 2014

Rebekah Shirley (ERG PhD) and Professor Dan Kammen show how small-scale energy can work in the Pacific Islands.

Earthweek Features ERG Professor Margaret Torn’s Lead Research on Net-Zero Emissions

March 23, 2021

ERG adjunct professor Margaret Torn was recently featured in Earthweek for her leading research in how the U.S can reach zero net emissions of carbon dioxide in 2050 by shifting energy infrastructure to operate mainly on renewable energy. “It means that by 2050 we need to build many gigawatts of wind and solar power plants, new transmission lines, a fleet of electric cars and light trucks, millions of heat pumps to replace conventional furnaces and water heaters, and more energy-efficient buildings,” Torn states.

On Science— Kammen Explores the Industrial Drivers of a Low-carbon Economy

September 24, 2019

In an recent article on Science, Kammen contributes insight on the possibilities of harnessing renewable energy through various techniques.

ERG Professor Callaway – Solar Power in Africa

April 3, 2017

ERG Professor Duncan Callaway comments on renewable energy in Africa, noting the advancements in solar technology in Crescent Vale News.

ERG Graduate Students Deshmukh and Wu: Can Wind and Solar Fuel Africa’s Future?

November 4, 2016

ERG Graduate Students Ranjit Deshmukh and Grace Wu's research on renewable energy in Africa was highlighted in a news article in Nature.

ERG Professor Kammen: Coal Makes Global Poverty Worse

October 29, 2016

ERG Professor Daniel Kammen discusses how renewable energy offers a road out of poverty, while coal condemns people to it.

ERG PhDs in National Geographic: SWITCHing to a Low-Carbon Future

March 3, 2016

ERG PhD students Diego Ponce de Leon Barido and Josiah Johnston published a blog post in National Geographic on renewable energy investments in Nicaragua.

Sarawak May See the End of Mega Dams

July 1, 2015

As an alternative to the current Baram Dam project, Professor Daniel Kammen presented the benefits of using renewable energy instead of mega hydro-dams at a press conference held at Kuch­ing, Sarawak, East Malaysia.

ERG Alum Greacen’s book on small power

January 18, 2014

From the bottom up : how small power producers and mini-grids can deliver electrification and renewable energy in Africa

Argues ERG’s Dan Kammen California Must Accelerate Carbon Neutrality Goal

June 17, 2022

In an op-ed published in the Los Angeles Times, ERG’s Dan Kammen pushes for California to set a more ambitious carbon neutrality goal, and suggests that this plan should mobilize ... Continue Reading »

Farbes ERG Alums Williams

February 3, 2021

A new article, "Carbon-neutral pathways for the United States," published in the open-access journal AGU Advances by ERG alums Jim Williams, Jamil Farbes, ERG alum and adjunct professor Margaret Torn, and others found that "reaching zero net emissions of carbon dioxide from energy and industry by 2050 can be accomplished.

COVID-19 Shifting the Paradigm— ERG Kammen and Student Vasquez Speak at Live Broadcast

May 1, 2020

ERG professor Dan Kammen and ERG PhD student Valeri Vasquez have recently spoken alongside a live panel of UC Berkeley experts in the live broadcast "Climate Change and COVID-19: Can this crisis shift the paradigm?".

ERG PhD Student Szinai and Alumnus Gopal Link Grid Costs to Electric Vehicle Charge Management

March 9, 2020

ERG PhD student Julia Szinai, ERG Alumnus Anand Gopal, and two other co-authors from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab have recently published a collaborative research paper on ScienceDirect.

Two ERG Alumni Named Top 50 Green Innovators and Influencers by Grist Magazine

March 12, 2019

Sam Arons (MS ’07) and Joshua Apte (PhD ’13) were named as the 2019 “Grist 50” — a list of the most innovative and influential leaders in sustainability. Grist is ... Continue Reading »

What Does Development Mean for the Stateless?

August 31, 2018

For over one million Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, water and sanitation, health, and shelter are crucial issues. ERG PhD student Samira Siddique examines the importance of ... Continue Reading »

UC Wins Excellence in Green Power Use Award from EPA

October 30, 2017

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the University of California system with the Excellence in Green Power Use Award for its investments in renewable energy, and continued progress ... Continue Reading »

including ERG International Team

July 5, 2017

“The fossil-​​free econ­omy is already profitable.”

ERG PhD Lara Speaks at TEDx Pura Vida 2017

March 6, 2017

Last week, ERG PhD student José Daniel Lara spoke in Costa Rica at the TEDx Pura Vida 2017 event. Lara’s talk focused on the urgency for Costa Rica to integrate solar energy ... Continue Reading »

Kammen highlighted in Scientific American

December 22, 2016

Daniel Kammen comments for Scientific American on the opportunities scientists think they can seize with the appointment of Trump's climate skeptics.

ERGie Wins Big Ideas Contest

May 24, 2016

"ERG grad student Emily Woods took 2nd place in the 'Scaling up Big Ideas' category with her project 'Feces to Fuel.'"

2015 ITRI-Rosenfeld Fellowship Winners Announced

November 4, 2015

Congratulations to ERG postdoctoral fellow Peter Alstone, who was recently announced a winner of the 2015 ITRI-Rosenfeld Postdoctoral Fellowship.

but scientists say the work’s just begun. Obama’s Clean Power Plan is finally out

August 5, 2015

ERG Professor Daniel Kammen was featured in two magazine publications regarding Obama's Clean Power Plan and the impacts it might have on the U.S. population.

California daring others to follow ScienceMag: In boosting climate goals

May 2, 2015

Dr. Dan Kammen on how CA's new GHG reduction targets are not only good for the state but also international talks

RAEL at UN Climate Summit

September 26, 2014

SWITCH model selected as a "Project to Watch" by the UN's Big Data Climate Challenge.

ERG students win United Nations award

November 13, 2013

Jalel Sager (PhD candidate) and Austin Cappon (Minor) head to Nairobi, Kenya to pick up UN prize for a sustainable energy development project in Vietnam.

ERG Kammen on New Berkeley Study — “90% carbon-free electricity achievable by 2035”

September 15, 2020

In a new Berkeley study “2035 – The Report: Plummeting Solar, Wind, and Battery Costs Can Accelerate Our Clean Energy Future,” ERG professor Dan Kammen comments that its findings of the U.S. being able to achieve 90% carbon-free, “clean” electricity could become a reality. "That goal – 90% carbon-free electricity by 2035 – can be achieved without increasing consumer electricity costs 'at all,'" Kammen states. "Solar, wind, and storage costs have fallen so significantly that even conservative leaders, conservative states, districts, countries can legitimately look at renewables, and actually economically need to look at renewables, as their next purchases.”

Kammen Responds to California’s Canceled Rolling Blackouts in AP News

September 1, 2020

ERG professor Dan Kammen was recently quoted in AP News regarding California's power grid operator cancelling rolling blackouts. These scheduled widespread blackouts were averted after regulators warned that the electric grid would not have enough power to meet demands in the midst of a heat wave. Kammen commented that the state needs to do more to store and sell clean energy sources, and he hopes this week’s blackouts will prompt officials to act. “This is kind of a stress test on the system,” he said. “We have not built up enough of a smart enough system to take advantage of all the renewables we have in place.”

Kammen and RAEL Address the Racial Inequalities in Solar Deployment on The Beam

November 25, 2019

ERG’s Dan Kammen and RAEL investigate how the benefits of solar energy is not distributed equally among individuals, and how there are racial disparities especially in rooftop solar PV deployment ... Continue Reading »

Noah Kittner and Dan Kammen Argue for Solar and Wind Over Hydropower in Nature Article

May 16, 2019

Recent ERG alum Noah Kittner (MS ’15, PhD ’18) and professor Dan Kammen, along with Stanford postdoc Rafael Schmitt and UC Berkeley professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Matt ... Continue Reading »

Alum Chris Jones Featured on Berkeley Talks Podcast

April 10, 2019

As part of April’s Cool Campus Challenge, ERG alumnus Chris Jones (MS ’05, PhD ’14), now director of the CoolClimate Network, sat down with student reporters from the Goldman School ... Continue Reading »

Study finds racial inequality in the deployment of rooftop solar

January 10, 2019

A new study by researchers at UC Berkeley and Tufts University shows fewer rooftop solar photovoltaics installations exist in African-American and Hispanic-dominant neighborhoods than in white-dominant neighborhoods, even when controlling ... Continue Reading »

2018’s Greenest States — John Harte Weighs In

April 19, 2018

Have you ever wondered which states in the U.S. are the most environmentally conscious? The least? “In order to highlight the greenest states and call out those doing a poor ... Continue Reading »

Misplaced Praise – How Kosovo Took a Step in the Wrong Direction

March 13, 2018

The U.S. government recently congratulated the government of Kosovo for signing a contract with American multi-national corporation Contour Global to build a new 500 MW coal-fired power plant. Kosovo highlights ... Continue Reading »

Emission-Free Neighborhoods? The Oakland EcoBlock Project Pioneers Residential Sustainability

February 14, 2018

The College of Environmental Design (CED) at UC Berkeley spotlighted the innovative Oakland EcoBlock project this week, lead by CED professor Harrison Fraker and ERG chair Dan Kammen. The project, ... Continue Reading »

What Environmental Policy Options Does the U.S. Have in 2018?

January 16, 2018

In a Knowledge @ Wharton public policy podcast, Dan Kammen joins Eric Orts, legal studies and business ethics professor, and director of the school’s Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership. Kammen and ... Continue Reading »

Climate Change Slowing Down Wind Turbines? Kammen Weighs In

December 12, 2017

With global temperatures increasing, researchers analyze the effects of temperature differences on wind patterns. Multiple studies confirm the possibility of wind resources declining across the Northern Hemisphere, reducing the energy ... Continue Reading »

New ERG Chair Daniel M. Kammen

July 25, 2017

We are pleased to announce the appointment of the new Energy and Resources Group Chair, Professor Daniel M. Kammen. His appointment began July 1, 2017. Daniel Kam­men is a Pro­fes­sor of Energy with ... Continue Reading »

ERG-led THIMBY Wins Categories in Tiny House Competition

October 25, 2016

The Tiny House in My Backyard (THIMBY) team won several categories in the 2016 Sacramento Municipal District Tiny House Competition.

RAEL and GRID Alternatives Partner for Off-Grid Solar

August 1, 2016

Solar Industry Magazine has announced a partnership between the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) and nonprofit solar installer GRID Alternatives. RAEL is a unique new research, development, project implementation, and community ... Continue Reading »

ERG Alumnus Reports Suburban Living Less ‘Green’ than it Appears

March 15, 2016

ERG alum Christopher Jones comments on suburban sprawl and carbon footprints.

ERG Summer Courses Available

February 28, 2016

ERG is offering four of its most popular courses this summer! Enroll Today!

ERG at the Paris Climate Talks

December 1, 2015

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris has begun and will continue until December 11th. Energy and Resources Group faculty, students and alumni will be playing an active role at the conference and the many peripheral activities.

Feeding people on our stressed planet will require a “revolution”

August 7, 2015

ERG Professor John Harte was featured on Environmental Health News speaking of how the implementation of sustainable energy will play an important role in future food security.

CAL-RAE to pilot solar solar microgrid design in rural Uganda

May 2, 2015

PhD candidate Jalel Sager, Austin Cappon (ERG minor) and Jonathon Lee to pilot solar microgrid design this spring

Zoë Chafe leads new WHO Report

March 12, 2015

"We wanted to help policymakers and members of the general public understand that household heating with biomass is a complicated issue," says ERG PhD candidate Zoë Chafe.

Kammen on UC Climate Advisory Group

June 9, 2014

UC President forms Global Climate Leadership Council including UC professors and climate experts.

ERG Alum on the Executive Mansion’s Solar Installation

May 28, 2014

Watch White House scientists, including Dr. Cyrus Wadia (ERG MS'06, PhD'08), talk about the White House's shift toward renewables.

50% of U.S. household carbon footprint Suburban sprawl

January 8, 2014

Chris Jones (ERG PhD) and Prof. Dan Kammen point out that U.S. households are responsible for about 20% of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, which are driving climate change.