The INSTITUTE for ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Science and Technology for an Efficient Energy Future

John Bowers
Director, IEE
bowers@iee.ucsb.edu
1

Who Are We?

A multi-disciplinary, cross-campus Institute

50 faculty, 180 graduate and post-doctoral students

Researching technologies for efficient energy use, generation and

storage

6 Solution Groups

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Lighting
Lighting consumes 22% of all US electricity.
Widespread adoption of LED lighting can reduce lighting energy use by
46% by 2030.

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Lighting
Accomplishments:

Shuji Nakamura received 2014 Nobel Prize for inventing the blue LED

Discovered why LED efficiency droops at high current levels

Developed laser diode lighting: more efficient than LED lighting for high
brightness applications
(e.g. streetlamps, car headlights)

Head:
Steve DenBaars
denbaars@engineering.ucsb.edu

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Electronics & Photonics

Over 10% of all US electricity is lost through power conversion
inefficiencies.

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Electronics & Photonics

Accomplishment:

Developed GaN technology that can eliminate over 50% of the losses
sustained during power conversion
Being commercialized by startup Transphorm

Umesh Mishra
mishra@ece.ucsb.edu
Head:
John Bowers
bowers@ece.ucsb.edu

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Electronics & Photonics

The power required for IO is often 40%of the total
The chip IO capacity (<10 Tb/s) is often a severe constraint.
Solution: 2.5 and 3D stacking
Photonics can reduce the IO power by 80%
Photonics can increase the capacity to 10 Tb/s per pin

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Electronics & Photonics

Accomplishment:

Heterogeneous integration of photonics and electronics

Photonics on 200 mm and 300 mm wafers
Transferred to Intel, Hewlett Packard, Aurrion
High Q (100 Million) and integrated sensors for power lines, oil/gas
(temperature, current, LIDAR (automotive)

DFB/EAM/PD Array

Integrated LIDAR (automotive)

Gyroscopes/magnetic field sensor

8x50 Gb/s=400 Gb/s

John Bowers
bowers@ece.ucsb.edu
Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Buildings
Buildings consume 72% of all US electricity.
Existing building control systems are manually operated and produce too
many data points for an operator to effectively manage.

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Buildings
Accomplishment:

Developed algorithms to quickly analyze large volumes of sensor

feedback and identify key pressure points to optimize building
efficiency
Being deployed by startup Ecorithm

Head:
Igor Mezic
mezic@engineering.ucsb.edu

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Computing
Data centers consume 1.5% of global energy.
Data is predicted to increase 1000x by 2025, but computing efficiency is
only expected to increase by 25x.

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Computing
Accomplishments:

Developed a barely alive server state, with the potential to reduce

energy use by 2025% when servers are on standby

Developed memory system designs that extend the lifetime of highefficiency resistive memory devices by 490%
Using resistive memory will reduce data center energy use by 15-25%

Head:
Fred Chong
chong@cs.ucsb.edu

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Energy Production & Storage

Renewables offer opportunities to diversify power generation and capture
waste heat.
More efficient energy storage is a critical challenge.

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Energy Production & Storage

Accomplishments:

Developed a new class of nanostructured materials that efficiently

convert waste heat directly into electricity

Developed a new class of organic molecules for cheap, flexible,

transparent and lightweight solar cells, setting a new efficiency record

Developing a hybrid battery / capacitor: for higher power, faster

charging times, and longer lifetime than lithium ion batteries

Head:
Gui Bazan
bazan@chem.ucsb.edu

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Economics & Policy

Integration of new technologies into the marketplace requires an
understanding of not just technical, but also environmental and resource
issues.

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Economics & Policy

Accomplishments:

Helped to author major UN studies assessing the sustainability of:

1) low-carbon energy technologies and
2) energy efficiency technologies

Developing an online tool enabling companies to evaluate the life-cycle

impacts of chemicals at an early stage of product development

Head:
Sangwon Suh
suh@bren.ucsb.edu

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

Industry Partners Program

Benefits:

Concierge campus visits to meet with faculty and explore research

Opportunities to engage in energy-related research projects

Personalized campus recruitment events

Quarterly reports of energy-related technologies available for licensing

Invitations to UCSB events

and more

Contact:
Jen McJannet
jen@iee.ucsb.edu

Science & Engineering for an Efficient Energy Future

John Bowers
bowers@iee.ucsb.edu

The INSTITUTE for ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Science and Technology for an Efficient Energy Future

18