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As a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Irvine and the director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center and the Advanced Power and Energy program, Jack Brouwer brings an impressive amount of information to today's episode, discussing stationary fuel cell technology, which is a form of zero pollutant emission energy that can complement solar and wind power. He also discusses the value of renewably-produced hydrogen and the potential for introducing 100 percent renewable energy into society, as well as the challenges presented by this technology.

Currently, the biggest competitors of fuel cell technology are gas turbines and reciprocating engines, both of which are very cost-effective, but also less efficient and significant contributors to poor air quality. Brouwer explains what needs to be done in order to lower the cost of fuel cell technology and thereby make it a more feasible form of energy use, the science behind different forms of electricity, how fuel cell technology has developed over the years, and what he sees as the most important aspects of future adoption and implementation of fuel cell technology.

Tune in, and visit www.nfcrc.uci.edu for more information or reach out to Brouwer directly by emailing him at [email protected].

For the first ever episode of Elementary, we look at the number one element. No, literally, hydrogen is number one on the periodic table... The simplest element there is, hydrogen is also the most abundant.

In this episode we meet our presenters for the first time, as well as discovering hydrogen's possible use as a clean fuel, how it powers the Sun, and how it has a darker side.

There's also the first game of "Science Fact or Science Fiction?"

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

As policymakers and oil majors sharpen their focus on hydrogen, Energy Intelligence experts Lauren Craft and Ronan Kavanagh discuss its different varieties and the role it could play in the energy transition.

Hosted by: Ronan Kavanagh, Deputy Editor EI New Energy and Lauren Craft, Editor EI New Energy  

Anna is a materials scientist, engineer and science communicator. She graduated from the Oxford Department of materials in 2013 with a first, then went on to research at UCL for both her PhD and for post-doctorate research. In 2017 she was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and in 2018 won the Silver Medal from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. She is a keen science communicator who regularly speaks at both comedy clubs and science festivals about materials, has written regular pieces in both the guardian and materials world and hosts her own podcast Handmade.