Explore Energy is a cross-campus effort of the Precourt Institute for Energy.

Research Projects

2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017

2026 Projects:

  • 24/7 Carbon-free Electrified Bus Fleet
  • Modeling Interconnection Challenges and the Impacts of Data Centers
  • Safe Reinforcement Learning for Real-Time Battery Dispatch in Electrified Fleet Depots
  • Building Design-linked Cost Models for Reverse Osmosis Systems in WaterTAP
  • Transforming Stanford's Campus into a Flexible Energy Community with AI
  • Where Dendrites Begin: Spatial and Temporal Solid Electrolyte Interphase Evolution as a Mechanism for Non-Uniform Lithium Plating
  • Transmission X-ray Microscopy of Failure in Additively Manufactured Metallic Alloys
  • Bridging Theory and Application in Electrolyte-Based Water Sorption for Atmospheric Water Harvesting
  • ML-Guided Discovery of Electrolyte Additives for High-Performance Zinc Aqueous Batteries
  • 4D Computer Vision to Enable Sustainable MMAM
  • Modeling Write-Endurance Constraints of KV-Cache Memory in Large Language Model Inference
  • Electron Kinetics in Low-Temperature Xenon Plasmas using Data Assimilation
  • SpectraQuery: An AI Platform for Next-Generation Battery Discovery
  • Unlocking Next-Generation Solid-State Battery Chemistries for High-Energy Storage
  • Improved Characterization of Aircraft Emissions for Climate Change Mitigation
  • Separating Rare Earth Elements from Mixed-Metal Feedstocks Using Tunable Ion-Selective Polymer Membranes
  • The Impacts of Dynamic Line Ratings on Transition Costs and Generation Planning in California

2025 projects included:

  •  Investigating policymaking frameworks for carbon capture and storage in California by examining public-private partnerships from municipal waste sectors and international CCS cluster models to outline how public sector guarantees, private sector innovation, and flexible contractual structures could enable deployment of 100 MtCO2 storage by 2045.
  • Modeling varying electric vehicle penetrations and Vehicle-to-Grid technology on the IEEE 34-bus feeder using California EV driver charging data, revealing that home-based V2G reduces voltage violations by 11% despite creating instabilities at some nodes and highlighting the importance of interactions between charging behavior, feeder topology, and voltage regulation.
  • Testing three carbon paper cathode variants in electrochemical ammonia removal cells to optimize energy consumption, finding that an Ag-Cu nanoalloy cathode uses the least energy at 11.5 kWh/kg-NH3 while removing the most ammonia and demonstrating that cathode design is critical for competing with conventional nitrification/denitrification processes.
  • Creating mathematical models using MATLAB and COMSOL to simulate lithium diffusion into silicon anode particles and understand how binder materials affect diffusion at the particle scale, providing valuable insights into which materials show promise for handling the 300% volume increase during charging and discharging in lithium-silicon batteries.
  • Investigating the potential of Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to improve the accuracy of plasma-surface interaction models by varying simulation parameters (e.g. lattice size) and reaction assumptions (e.g. gas pressure, activation energies) to fine-tune a model that best emulates experimental behaviors.
  • Investigating the spatial and time-dependent evolution of the solid electrolyte interphase during active lithium metal anode cycling through electrochemical tests, optical cell imaging, and electron microscopy, revealing that SEI composition heterogeneity creates gradients in lithium ion transport that promote uneven plating and stripping in dendrites.

2024 projects included:

  • Applying linear regression analysis to emissions and generation data to develop an open-source codebase that tracks trends in average and marginal emissions factors for renewable energy interventions.
  • Comparing PPRG and Yale public polling data to investigate how wording variations like "climate change" vs. "global warming" influence survey results and inform more effective climate communication strategies.
  • Examining how question wording and answer choices affect climate change survey results and building a website comparing survey questions across organizations to improve accuracy for policymakers.
  • Building Monte Carlo simulations to model plasma particle behavior and explore plasma-activated water as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers for decarbonizing agriculture.
  • Designing computational models to study stochastic heating behavior in Hall thruster plasma particles, revealing higher-than-expected energy gains to improve space propulsion efficiency.
  • Building ArcGIS Story Maps and data dashboards analyzing subsurface Carbon Capture and Sequestration storage locations in California to promote transparency and support the state's 2045 carbon neutrality goal.
  • Using machine learning and geospatial algorithms to optimize and rank subsurface energy storage sites based on proximity to infrastructure, seismic activity, and CO₂ intensity for equitable CCUS deployment in California.
  • Testing UV-inhibiting bacteriophages and sustainable polymers to develop environmentally-friendly sunscreens that reduce UV damage while enhancing moisturizing formulations as alternatives to conventional products.
  • Optimizing the encapsulation process for hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells by testing temperature, pressure, and time conditions to improve stability and create a viable low-cost alternative to silicon cells.
  • Enhancing the charging optimization model for Stanford's Marguerite Shuttle electric fleet, developing automated scheduling that reduces emissions by 64.2% and creating a database to track charger reliability for sustainable transit.
  • Simulating marine growth impacts on Floating Offshore Wind Turbine mooring systems using OpenFAST and MoorDyn to analyze biofouling effects under various conditions and inform more resilient mooring system design.
  • Designing an isolated, transportable microgrid generating 100% clean solar energy with water purification and food production capabilities using machine learning to optimize energy loads and greenhouse efficiency for addressing energy poverty.
  • Constructing bio-"bottle"-voltaic devices comparing isolated chloroplasts versus whole algal cells to enhance biophotovoltaic efficiency as a sustainable, resource-efficient renewable energy technology inspired by kleptoplasty.
  • Analyzing four carbon dioxide removal technologies (Enhanced Rock Weathering, BiCRS, BECCS, and Direct Air Capture) to develop a decision-making tool comparing techno-economic performance for carbon offset strategy selection.

2023 projects included:

  • Designing a Fixture for Precise, Local Electrochemistry on Strained Thin-Film Membranes
  • A GIS-based Multicriteria Decision Analysis Tool for Siting Utility-Scale Solar in the Navajo Nation
  • Energy Security in China and Taiwan
  • Using Pressure to Design Better Materials for Energy Applications
  • State estimation techniques of plasma chemistry for semiconductor manufacturing
  • Mitigation of Climate Change Driven Evaporation and Water Temperature Responses Using Aluminum Reflectors
  • Creating Data Stories for a Sustainable Future: From Personal to Global
  • Effect of Optical and Thermal Properties of Heterolayer Stacks on the Performance of Flash-Annealed Ferroelectric Memories for Energy-Efficient Computing
  • Screening for Geological Storage Sites for CCS
  • Public Opinion on Climate Change

2022 projects included:

2021 projects included:

  • Understanding the ecosystem of U.S. public opinion polls that have questions related to global warming/climate change
  • Build out an energy usage program for high school students to better understand how students interact with data science techniques and implement an energy change program
  • Pathways to Carbon Neutrality project looking at ways to effectively achieve net-zero carbon emissions in California
  • Investigating collecting environmental literacy
  • Developing roadmaps to 100% renewable energy profiles for 140 countries worldwide
  • Case study of nations that have implemented carbon tax policies and analyze the effects of those policies
  • Understand the mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement in structural steel in order to aid the transformation of existing gas infrastructure to hydrogen-compatible systems
  • Creating an online youth education program that teaches middle school-aged students how to visualize and interpret their household energy consumption data and drive behavior change to decrease electricity usage

2020 projects included:

  • Analyzing the potential for heat capture from Stanford's own SESI and its cooling system
  • Collective Environmental Literacy
  • Improving drying methods of chili peppers in order to reduce energy required for storage
  • Developing a low-cost, energy-efficient greenhouse in India for alternately growing and drying chilis
  • Quantifying methane emissions from residential natural gas-fired appliances
  • Examining the current and projected future energy demand among all energy sectors for dozens of cities worldwide
  • Valuing America’s Natural Resources Using the Contingent Valuation Methodology
  • Long-term predictions of renewable energy integration in the grid, using the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model
  • Uncertainty characterization of high bioenergy deployment scenarios in GCAM, one of the major integrated assessment models
  • Modeling the integration of renewable energy and storage
  • Valuation model for battery electric vehicle batteries for a second-life stationary storage applications
  • ​Apply advanced diagnostics and uncertainty methods to popular integrated assessment models
  • Bringing methane pyrolysis, a low emissions hydrogen production method, from a technical to a market stage
  • Direct conversion of methane to methanol through photocatalysis

2019 projects included:

  • Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic testing of nano-structured materials for hydrogen production through photocatalysis
  • Optimizing the electric grid and adapting it to the rise of electric vehicles and photovoltaic panels
  • Developing polymers as solid electrolytes in lithium-metal batteries
  • Developing organic stretchable batteries for energy storage applications ranging from wearable electronics to implantable devices
  • Probing material conductivity with software defined radio
  • Examining trends in Rural Income Generating Activities (RIGAs) in India post electrification
  • Driving into a Clean Energy Future with Electric Buses
  • Developing a Low-Cost Greenhouse for Emerging Economies
  • Developing Data-Driven Models for the Thermal Dynamics of Livestock Barns in California Dairy Farms
  • Understanding Pro-Environmental Behavior Preferences
  • Examining consumer energy usage behavior change through youth education
  • Examining bimetallic heterogeneous catalysts for propane combustion
  • Developing an automated quality metric for inductive components used in wireless charging
  • Developing duty cycles for grid-scale applications of lithium-ion batteries

2018 projects included:

  • Examining Digestibility of Phosphoethanolamine Cellulose for Cellulosic Ethanol
  • Low Cost, Clean Energy Produce Dryer for Use in Rural Indian Farming Communities
  • Synthesis of Colloidal Silver Nanoparticles and Their Catalytic Potential in the Conversion of Propylene to Propylene Oxide
  • Designing the Know Your Energy Numbers Program
  • Watching the Flag: Training a Neural Network to Predict Wind Speeds
  • Global Warming Survey Methodology
  • Unlocking Google’s Street-level Visual Data
  • Detecting Natural Gas Leaks in Bay Area Homes and Quantifying Leakage From Natural Gas Water Heaters
  • Fabricating Stretchable Batteries Using Ion-Conducting Elastomers (ICE)
  • Limiting Voltage Violations in an Electrical Network with Distributed Energy Resources

2017 projects included:

  • Mobile Game Design for Youth Energy Behavior Change
  • A Post-Mortem Investigation of Degradation Mechanisms in Li-Ion Battery Fast Charging
  • The Role of Emotional Affect in Energy Decision-Making: A Comparison of Neural and Social Networks
  • Feasibility Studies on Direct Use of Coproduced Fluids in the Los Angeles Basin
  • Using Colloidal Bimetallic Synthesis to Improve Platinum-Based Catalysts for Propene Combustion
  • Mapping American Attitudes on Climate Change
  • Metal-Interlayer Contacts for Carrier-Selective Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells
  • Roadmaps to Convert U.S. Cities to Wind, Water, and Sunlight (WWS) for All Purposes
  • Development of Acid Gas Removal Energy Predictor in OPGEE
  • Ionically Conductive Mixed-Matrix Membranes Synthesized Via In-Situ Polymerization