Fuel For Thought

Imagine if cars could run on water! If water is full of hydrogen, and hydrogen is known as a fuel, why don’t we just use water in our cars instead of petrol? We all have seen videos of water-fuelled cars somewhere in the world, but apparently a government killed the inventor. Will we run a car on water one day? How? How much water will we need? Beer better? Is this the solution to our future? Come join Salvador as he tries try to answer tough questions and explain the latest research on novel materials to produce hydrogen from water in the quest for renewable energy alternatives.

We see solar cells everywhere, but just how effective are they? Petra’s lab develop solar cells using new materials that are very efficient at absorbing light. One material they use is 200 times thinner than a human hair but which will absorb over 90% of sunlight! The energy pay-back time is very low and they can be made cheaply. What are the catching points? Can we make them stable enough to last 20 years? Join Petra to discuss the huge changes that have recently taken place in solar cell technology.

In the UK over 24% of electricity comes from renewable resources. But this is not enough! Moving towards 100% renewables is a supreme challenge. Join Dr Alf Hill as he reflects on society's relationship with energy and examines some of the challenges that we face to achieve a decarbonised energy system. This talk will build on Dr Hill’s experiences in the oil and gas and nuclear industries as well as his current research into energy storage technologies and energy efficient and flexible chemical processes.