Month: October 2012

GLITR Visits Pearce and Hu

Monday’s Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report (GLITR), published by CBS Detroit, featured two extensive stories about Michigan Tech research and new initiatives, part of GLITR’s annual Tech Tour of state universities.

From Tech Today.

Tech Tour Day Two: Solar Power, Star Trek Replicators, New Drugs At Michigan Tech

The visit started with Joshua Pearce, associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, a passionate advocate and researcher in both advanced solar energy and so-called 3D printing.

Read more at CBS Detroit, by Matt Roush.

Tech Tour Day Three: Finnish French Toast, Medical Miracles, Green Racing And A Mineral Wonderland

From Suomi, it was on to Michigan Tech’s Minerals and Materials Engineering building for a visit with Yun Hang Hu, who’s only trying to save the world in several ways — among them, converting greenhouse gases into useful material, and markedly improving the performance of solar photovoltaic panels.

Read more at CBS Detroit, by Matt Roush.

Enabling Innovation in Appropriate Technology by Joshua Pearce

Enabling Innovation
Enabling Innovation

Associate Professor Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) coauthored an article, “A New Model for Enabling Innovation in Appropriate Technology for Sustainable Development,” in Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy 8(2), pp. 42-53, 2012.

From Tech Today.

A new model for enabling innovation in appropriate technology for sustainable development

In the “Internet Age” more than one billion people continue to live in impoverished conditions inferior to those of the Minoan Civilization…

Read the full article at Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy

Pearce Publishes on Snowfall and Photovoltaics

Associate Professor Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) coauthored an article, “Prediction of Energy Effects on Photovoltaic Systems Due to Snowfall Events,” in the 2012 38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC).

From Tech Today.

Prediction of energy effects on photovoltaic systems due to snowfall events

The accurate prediction of yields from photovoltaic systems (PV) is critical for their proper operation and financing, and in northern latitudes the effects of snowfall on yield can become significant.

Read more at IEEE Xplore.

Solar power said viable in snowy regions

“Sometimes snow actually helps solar cells,” Michigan Technical University researcher Joshua Pearce said, referring to the albedo effect, when sunlight reflects off snow.

Read more at UPI.com.

Pearce on Renewable Energy Forum Panel

Proposal 3
Proposal 3

The campus community is invited to an educational forum on Proposal 3, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, October 25, in Forestry G002. The November ballot initiative, if approved would require electric utilities to provide at least 25 percent of their annual retail electricity sales to be from renewable energy sources by 2025 (25×25).

The forum will feature the panel: Associate Dean Leonard Bohmann , Associate Professor Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) Professor Ezra Bar-Ziv (ME-EM), who will discuss wind power, solar power and biomass electricity, followed by Q&A session.

Public Forum on Proposal 3: Michigan’s Renewable Energy Ballot Initiative

Read more at Tech Today.