Tuesday, February 5, 2019

According to the International Energy Agency, the global fleet of electric vehicles grew 54% in 2017 and will skyrocket from 3 million to 125 million by 2030. From sustainable policy initiatives, to the decreasing price of batteries, to the development of EV charging infrastructure in some areas, various factors may help catalyze this trend. However, many remain skeptical of the long-term affordability and feasibility of EVs. On this panel, three experts with experience in EV charging infrastructure and finance, market analytics and energy efficiency, and oil and gas will discuss the future of electric vehicles and the transportation sector.

Panel sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin Student Chapter of ASHRAE

Buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in the United States. In the growing age of ‘smart’ technologies and sustainable design, how do these influence energy usage in commercial buildings? This panel will assess current design and technology-based solutions for their energy saving capabilities in existing and new commercial buildings and project the future of the industry. Discussion will also touch on the following questions: What does ‘smart building’ look like now, and in the future? What are barriers to adoption and challenges to implement tech-based solutions? How will standards and certifications (e.g., AEGB, ASHRAE, LEED, WELL, Living Building) evolve to make way for these changes?

The most recent IPCC report suggests that immediate action is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize the impacts of climate change. What remains unclear is the path towards achieving this goal. Can the electric grid be comprised of 100% renewable energy sources or will other clean energy sources be needed for this transition? This panel will discuss which energy technologies are vital for this transition as the penetration of intermittent renewables continues to increase. The panel will also discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with rapidly scaling up new emerging technologies such as battery storage, small modular reactors and carbon capture and storage.

To maintain competitiveness in international markets, the chemical industry must continuously seek to promote sustainability while reducing costs, especially to improve public brand perception in light of growing concern over the environmental impact of plastics. In meeting this sustainability challenge, feedstock and process energy sourcing has become increasingly important with the advent of cheap shale gas drilling and advances in other non-traditional feedstocks such as biomass and CO2. This panel seeks to address how these emerging feedstock and process energy technologies compare in cradle-to-grave environmental footprint and overall economic viability with regards to governmental policy.

The United States has seen resurgence in petroleum production, mainly driven by improved hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling techniques for natural gas production from shale formations. Application of these technologies enabled natural gas to be economically produced from shale and other unconventional formations and contributed to the United States becoming the world’s largest natural gas producer in 2009. However, the rapid expansion of tight oil and shale gas extraction using high-volume hydraulic fracturing has raised concerns about its potential environmental and health impacts. These concerns include potential direct impacts to groundwater and surface water quality, water supplies, and air quality. In addition, some have raised concerns about potential long-term and indirect impacts from reliance on fossil fuels and resulting greenhouse gas emissions and influence on broader energy economics. This panel will examine the broader view of developing unconventional oil and gas. Can the success in the US be replicated elsewhere in the world? What is the most likely course of future shale gas? What are the externalities related to shale gas that we can be further managed to minimize its impacts?