Prospective Analysis of Emerging Technologies for Industrial Decarbonization

Date: 

Monday, March 29, 2021 - 3:30pm to 4:30pm

Location: 

Via Zoom

Speaker: 

Eric Masanet: Mellichamp Chair in Sustainability Science for Emerging Technologies at UC Santa Barbara

Abstract
Decarbonization of the industrial sector is critical for meeting global climate change mitigation ambitions,
but is proving difficult due to the complexities and costs of transforming traditional manufacturing
processes. This seminar will first review mitigation scenario results, which map out decarbonization
technology pathways for the global manufacturing sector and underscore the urgency of emerging
technology deployment. Next, the importance of new manufacturing system modeling methods will be
discussed, which integrate engineering analysis, life-cycle assessment, energy systems modeling, and
economic analysis for more robust emerging technology research and deployment decisions. To illustrate
the utility of such integrated approaches, recent case studies on additive manufacturing processes applied to
lightweight aircraft components and industrial tooling will be presented. These examples shed light on
which applications might yield the greatest sustainability benefits, as well as which technical and cost
challenges must be overcome to more fully realize these benefits to accelerate the industrial decarbonization
agenda.

Bio
Eric Masanet is the inaugural Mellichamp Chair in Sustainability Science for Emerging Technologies at UC
Santa Barbara. His research develops energy and materials systems models to identify technology and
policy pathways for decarbonizing industrial systems. Prior to joining UCSB, he was Associate Professor of
Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University (2012-2019). From 2015-2017, while on leave from
Northwestern, he led the Energy Demand Technology Unit at the International Energy Agency in Paris,
where he oversaw energy analyses of the global industrial, transport, and buildings sectors. He is currently a
Lead Author of Chapter 5 (Demand) for Working Group III of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report and a
member of the Research Advisory Board at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
(ACEEE). He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley, with an emphasis in sustainable
manufacturing.

Event Type: 

Seminar