The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, non-profits, and more. 

Talk Abstract:

Switching from fossil and nuclear power to cheaper solar and windpower can double or triple primary energy efficiency. Most analysts think another doubling is available in further conversion to delivered global energy services. But "integrative design" can raise that twofold to fivefold by optimizing buildings, vehicles, and factories as whole systems for multiple benefits, not as isolated parts for single benefits. Practical examples illustrate this proven, profitable, and powerful way to make the transition to clean energy severalfold quicker, cheaper, and easier.

Speaker Bio: Physicist Amory Lovins (1947– ) is Cofounder (1982) and Chairman Emeritus, and was Chief Scientist (2007–19), of RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute, www.rmi.org), where he continues to collaborate. He has designed many superefficient buildings, vehicles, and industrial plants, and synthesized an "integrative design" method and practice that can make the energy efficiency resource severalfold larger, yet cheaper, often with increasing returns. Since 1973 he has advised major firms and governments in >70 countries on advanced energy efficiency and strategy, linked with renewables, grid integration, resources, environment, security, development, and economy. He is a Visiting Scholar of the Precourt Institute for Energy and has worked in ~20 disciplines.

Lovins has received the Blue Planet, Volvo, Zayed, Onassis, Nissan, Shingo, and Mitchell Prizes, MacArthur and Ashoka Fellowships, 12 honorary doctorates, the Heinz, Lindbergh, Right Livelihood, National Design, and World Technology Awards, many other energy and environment recognitions, and Germany’s highest civilian honor (the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit). A Harvard and Oxford dropout, former Oxford don, honorary US architect, Swedish engineering academician, and 2011–18 member of the US National Petroleum Council, he has taught at ten universities—most recently the US Naval Postgraduate School and Stanford (spring 2007 MAP/Ming Visiting Professor, half-time 2020–24 Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, then Lecturer)—teaching only subjects he hasn’t formally studied, so as to cultivate beginner’s mind. In 2009, Time named him one of the world’s 100 most influential people; Foreign Policy, one of the 100 top global thinkers; and Stanford's Scopus analysis, in the top 2% of world scientists.. His most recent books, mostly coauthored, include Natural Capitalism (1999), Small Is Profitable (2002), Winning the Oil Endgame (2004), The Essential Amory Lovins (2011), Reinventing Fire (2011), and a volume of aviation essays (2022–24, aspenflyright.org). His avocations include fine-art landscape photography (the profession of his wife Judy Hill Lovins, www.judyhill.com), music, writing, orangutans, great-ape language, linguistics, and Taoist thought.

Anyone with an interest in energy is welcome to join! You can enjoy seminars in the following ways:

• Attend live. The auditorium may change quarter by quarter, so check each seminar event to confirm the location. Explore the current quarter's schedule.
• Watch live in a browser livestream if available. Check each seminar event for its unique livestream URL.
• Watch recordings of past seminars 
  • Available on the Past Energy Seminars page and the Energy Seminars playlist of the Stanford Energy YouTube channel
• (For students) Take the seminar as a 1-unit class (CEE 301/ENERGY 301/MS&E 494)

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