Podcasts about Varun Sivaram

Varun Sivaram, senior fellow for energy and climate and Director of the Climate Realism Initiative at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of the global environment and U.S. climate policies on the occasion of Earth Day 2025.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Varun Sivaram, Taming the Sun   Varun Sivaram, “We Need a Fresh Approach to Climate Policy. It's Time for Climate Realism," CFR.org   “The Moral Assumptions Embedded in Economic Models of Climate Change,” The Economist For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/climate-change-realism-earth-day-2025-varun-sivaram

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Supreme Court hears arguments over the Joe Biden administration's imminent banning of TikTok; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation prompts questions on the future of U.S.-Canada trade relations; and Europe's eastern states confront energy issues after Ukraine stops the flow of Russian gas through its territory.   Mentioned on the Podcast   Amanda Coletta, “‘Hot Mess': Trudeau's Turmoil Draws Trump's Taunts,” Washington Post   Robert Kagan, “Trump Is Facing a Catastrophic Defeat in Ukraine,” The Atlantic   Adam Segal and Zoë Moore, “What's Next for TikTok: Ban, Sell, or Presidential Reprieve?” CFR.org   Varun Sivaram, “Five Climate Realism Insights on California's Wildfires,” CFR.org   Trisha Thadani and Will Oremus, “Meta Embraces Fact-Checking Program That X Users Say Is Like ‘Whack-a-Mole',” Washington Post For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The World Next Week at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/hegseth-faces-senate-hearing-scotus-hears-tiktok-case-canada-weighs-future-leadership-and-more

What is the status for the energy industry's efforts to reach their net zero goals, low carbon technology advancement and scale-up in renewables? Do we have the framework needed for the industry to enable this. Is the energy transformation happening fast enough? This podcast is recorded live at the ONS Conference 2024.The conversation is moderated by Lynn Loo, CEO at the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, Varun Sivaram, Author and Senior Fellow for Energy Energy and Climate, Council on Foreign Relations, Ann Mettler, Vice President, Breakthrough Energy Europe and Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alice Hill, the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at CFR, and Varun Sivaram, a senior fellow for energy and climate at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the United States has done and should do to confront a changing climate. This episode is the second in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.   Mentioned on the Episode    Alice C. Hill, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19   Varun Sivaram, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet   The U.S. Election and Foreign Policy, CFR.org For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/climate-challenge-alice-hill-and-varun-sivaram-election-2024-episode-2 

In this episode, we look at two different sectors – the solar industry and the offshore wind industry. Both technologies are set to play important roles in decarbonizing the US' and the world's power supply. Allegra Dawes hosts this episode with MJ Shiao, the Vice President of Supply chain and Manufacturing for the American Clean Power Association; Scott Moskowitz, the Director of Strategy and Market Intelligence at QCells; Atin Jain, Senior Associate, BloombergNEF; and Varun Sivaram, the Group Senior Vice President for Strategy and Innovation at Orsted. 

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In 2006, venture capitalists poured billions into clean energy technologies during Cleantech 1.0, only to lose half of the investments over the next five years.  The climate tech investing space has since rebounded and become one of the most popular investment sectors, and new incentives show an exciting opportunity for extended growth over the next few years.Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures, where she is passionate about the climate tech, consumer, and infrastructure sectors. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider's 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. Meera previously worked at Morgan Stanley's Multicultural Innovation Lab, Morgan Stanley's tech investment banking group, and as a principal at Obvious Ventures. In this episode, Catherine and Meera talk about the trajectory of Meera's career, her thoughts on upcoming market shifts in 2023 and 2024, how consumer shifts are affecting businesses, the climate tech investing space, and much more.Topics include:- Her untraditional upbringing and its effect on her career- The importance of a strong support system- Thoughts on the economy and market for the next 12-24 months- Upcoming IPO market shifts- How consumer shifts are offering new opportunities for businesses- The climate tech investing space- Building an all-star cap table- And more…Meera Clark is a principal at Redpoint Ventures. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Venture Capital, Business Insider's 55 Rising-Star VCs of 2021, and Venture Forward Women. After graduating from Stanford, Meera accelerated her career at Morgan Stanley's Multicultural Innovation Lab and within its tech investment banking group. She later became a principal at Obvious Ventures, where she worked on 12 of the company's 30 investments from its $272 million third fund, sourcing four investments and serving as a board observer for three others. She also serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the Annual Summit of All Raise.Resources Mentioned:The Grid, by Gretchen Bakke: https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Fraying-Between-Americans-Energy-ebook/dp/B01DM9Q6CQ Taming the Sun, by Varun Sivaram: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Sun-Innovations-Harness-Energy-ebook/dp/B08BT1SM11 The World for Sale, by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy: https://www.amazon.com/World-Sale-Traders-Barter-Resources-ebook/dp/B08TMTG4CT The New Map, by Daniel Yergin: https://www.amazon.com/New-Map-Energy-Climate-Nations-ebook/dp/B084GDG8DG MCJ Collective: https://www.mcjcollective.com/ 

A coalition of companies organized by the U.S. government is promising to purchase low-carbon versions of commodities from “hard to abate” heavy industries. This sort of policy is called an advanced market commitment, which the U.S. has used in the past to accelerate the development of new technologies. With guaranteed revenue from the government, manufacturers are able to take risks to create products that they might not have otherwise. In the leadup to COP26 last year, John Kerry, U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, announced the First Movers Coalition (FMC) in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. It now involves 65 companies—including Delta, Maersk, and Rio Tinto—that will buy or supply a percentage of low-carbon products by 2030. India, Norway and eight other countries have signed on, too. The coalition has also committed to purchase carbon removal, adding to the wave of similar pledges like the $1 billion Frontier Fund. So how will the FMC work? In this episode, Shayle talks to FMC's brainchild, Varun Sivaram. Varun is managing director and senior advisor for clean energy and innovation in Kerry's office. They cover topics like: Why advanced market commitments are not silver bullets The FMC's ability to make companies keep their commitments  How the FMC is developing standards for low-carbon products How much progress coalition members have made toward their targets  How the Inflation Reduction Act and the FMC support each other The FMC's ability to endure changes of administration When we can stop calling these sectors “hard to abate”  Recommended Resources: Bloomberg: Companies Commit to Buying Super-Green Cement in Corporate Climate Club Columbia University: To Bring Emissions-Slashing Technologies to Market, the United States Needs Targeted Demand-Pull Innovation Policies Harvard University: Using Advance Market Commitments for Public Purpose Technology Development Catalyst: Growing the carbon dioxide removal market Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Catalyst is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more. Catalyst is supported by CohnReznick Capital, a trusted source for renewable energy investment banking servicing the US sustainability sector. Visit cohnreznickcapital.com to learn more.

Washington Post Live anchor and co-author of The Early 202 Leigh Ann Caldwell speaks with Will Hurd, former Republican congressman, Jennifer Gerbi, ARPA-E acting director, and Varun Sivaram, senior advisor to the U.S. climate envoy, about the rewards and challenges of being part of the federal workforce. Conversations recorded on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022.

The Inflation Reduction Act has been aptly labeled a “climate bill,” but in many ways it's an “American competitiveness bill.”Building and deploying clean energy technology within the U.S. is a major focus of the $450 billion spending package, with the potential for exporting those solutions around the globe. This new investment comes amid concerns that the US has been falling behind other nations (most notably China) in global energy innovation race.On this episode of Political Climate, we discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act — signed into law this week by President Biden — is poised to change the U.S. innovation landscape. With new support for laboratory research and real world project demonstrations, building out supply chains and more, we may be entering a new era for American competitiveness.Varun Sivaram, senior advisor to U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and his managing director for clean energy, innovation, and competitiveness joins the podcast, as well as Nick Montoni, senior innovation policy advisor for the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way."Arsenal of Clean Energy" is made possible by Third Way, a center-left think tank championing modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US policy, including the economy, national security and climate change. Learn more at thirdway.org Recommended reading:Energizing America: A Roadmap to Launch a National EnergyThird Way: Making DOE's New Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations a SuccessThird Way: How to Unleash the LPO's True PotentialListen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.

Can investors win by betting on early-stage innovations in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as energy, transportation, agriculture and heavy industry?  The answer doesn't matter only to venture capitalists. If you believe that we need fundamental science and engineering innovation to climb our way out of the climate crisis, it's an important question. Plenty of reasonable observers say the answer is no. Case in point: The 2016 MIT report Venture Capital and Cleantech: The Wrong Model for Clean Energy Innovation by Ben Gaddy and Varun Sivaram. But things have changed since “Cleantech 1.0,” the first wave of investment in the sector that resulted in a lot of bankruptcies -- but also some big hits like Tesla, Sunrun, and Nest. Capital is flowing back into the sector at stunning rates, as venture investors all turn their attention to climatetech. So do the arguments against deeptech climate venture capital hold up today? To explore this question, Shayle turns to Ramez Naam, another veteran of Cleantech 1.0. Ramez and Shayle go point by point, covering questions such as: Does climatetech take too much capital to scale? Is the time to commercialization too long? Is the exit landscape still relatively unattractive? Will this new climatetech boom lead to another bust? Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Catalyst is supported by Atmos Financial. Atmos offers FDIC-insured checking and savings accounts that only invest in climate-positive assets like renewables, green construction, and regenerative agriculture. Modern banking for climate-conscious people. Get an account in minutes at joinatmos.com.

In the 2nd episode of Planet A's third season, Dan Jørgensen talks with David Livingston and Varun Sivaram.Livingston and Sivaram serve as Senior Advisers to President Biden's Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry. Thus, they play a key role in fulfilling President Joe Biden's climate policy on the world stage.In this episode, Livingston and Sivaram discuss the US priorities and expectations for COP26. They argue that COP26 can act as an accelerator for more ambitious climate targets, while they are keenly aware that the window of opportunity to stem climate change is closing.Thus, the US is not merely pursuing climate action at the COP, but at a wide range of international fora such as the G20, the Major Economies Forum and at President Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate.They also discuss the question of finance by the developed countries and the goal of jointly mobilizing $100 billion dollars a year by 2020 which is key to a successful COP26.Beyond COP26, Livingston and Sivaram argue, two things are imperative to limit global warming. Deployment of renewable energy and other existing sustainable technologies will only provide 50 percent of the needed emission reductions. The remaining 50 percent will have to come from technologies that are not yet developed or matured.Accordingly, innovation in long-term energy storage, heavy industry, shipping, aviation and agriculture will be essential to tackle the climate crisis. To promote innovation, the Biden administration is encouraging companies to make pledges that will promote demand for sustainable products such as green concrete or hydrogen.

Last October, the IEA declared that solar power is “the new King of Electricity.” But as it currently produces only 2% of the global electricity, the newly crowned energy royalty has a long way to go before it will reach full dominance. In Taming the Sun, Dr. Varun Sivaram outlines the financial, technological, and systemic innovations that could allow solar power to provide a third of our energy in thirty years and truly claim the mantle of “Electricity King.” Dr. Sivaram began our discussion by outlining the transformations in solar power that will make it the world’s primary energy source. He hopes that financial markets will make more capital available to fund both small-scale and large-scale solar projects. Solar technology itself also must make a qualitative leap, as incremental improvements in efficiency are replaced by entirely new ways of “taming the Sun.” Perhaps most importantly, energy systems must be revolutionized so solar energy can power transportation, manufacturing, and electric grids at large. These innovations will help solar power overcome the complex challenges that it still faces, Dr. Sivaram argued. Solar panels can produce energy in unpredictable patterns, and only during certain hours of the day -- a phenomenon known as “the problem of intermittency.” Because grids that rely on solar power will have a large surplus of energy during periods of peak production, solar panels produce electricity when demand is at its lowest. That means solar producers of electricity sell energy at relatively low prices in a pattern known as Solar Value Deflation. Solving these issues could require storing electricity for future use using new battery technologies and hydrogen fuel cells, controlling energy demand so more electricity-consuming activity occurs during peak hours, and expanding the size of the grid to ensure that there is demand for solar electricity whenever it is produced. Dr. Sivaram is particularly excited about a more speculative model for solar power from Taming the Sun: modular microgrids. He imagines distinct regional microgrids across the country that are linked through High-Voltage Direct Current power lines. Each locality or city would primarily use its own grid, but could “import” or “export” electricity to neighboring grids when solar panels are over- or under-producing. Each microgrid could separate from the national system, so dysfunction in one part of the grid could be easily contained. Dr. Sivaram added that technology that aggregates electricity being produced by individual solar panel owners and distributes it to where it’s needed could be instrumental in such a system. Innovation of all types, however, is useless until it is applied to major power grids. India is one major electricity market with high potential for solar consumption, which makes it a source of hope for Dr. Sivaram. As India hurtles through stages of development, its energy demands will grow dramatically, and Dr. Sivaram is confident that current enthusiasm about renewables will continue. If he’s right, India will avoid becoming the world’s biggest emitter and move to the forefront of solar power. Though reform is urgently needed in India’s distribution utility systems, solar panel construction is cheaper in India than anywhere else, which is a promising sign for proponents of solar power there. Global energy markets are at a crossroads, and Dr. Sivaram is leading the effort to put the world on the path away from fossil fuels and towards solar power. But he says that if the world is going to truly tame the sun, “we need new scientific solutions and we need public policymakers who understand what needs to be done.” For anyone interested in cutting-edge scientific solutions and the ideas that will shape the next generation of solar policymakers, this week’s discussion is a must-listen.

India has a historic opportunity to power its industrialization with clean energy -- and its energy choices will make or break the world's fight against climate change, says clean energy executive, physicist and author Varun Sivaram. Bringing on-the-ground experience as CTO of India's largest renewable energy company, Sivaram proposes a plan for India to achieve three herculean feats, all at the same time -- and reimagine its economy with renewable energy at its heart.

India has a historic opportunity to power its industrialization with clean energy -- and its energy choices will make or break the world's fight against climate change, says clean energy executive, physicist and author Varun Sivaram. Bringing on-the-ground experience as CTO of India's largest renewable energy company, Sivaram proposes a plan for India to achieve three herculean feats, all at the same time -- and reimagine its economy with renewable energy at its heart.

India has a historic opportunity to power its industrialization with clean energy -- and its energy choices will make or break the world's fight against climate change, says clean energy executive, physicist and author Varun Sivaram. Bringing on-the-ground experience as CTO of India's largest renewable energy company, Sivaram proposes a plan for India to achieve three herculean feats, all at the same time -- and reimagine its economy with renewable energy at its heart.

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Varun Sivaram, a visiting senior fellow at Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy. Sivaram is an expert on all things energy and recently spent two years working in India on solar energy. Sivaram and Raimi discuss the evolution of India’s power grid, including its rapid expansion of energy access and its historical dependence on coal; the rise of solar, wind, and storage; and the challenges that lie ahead. References and recommendations: "Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet" by Varun Sivaram; https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/taming-sun "The Next Phase of India's Renewable Energy Transition" by Varun Sivaram; https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-next-phase-of-indias-renewable-energy-transition/ "Short-Circuiting Policy" by Leah C. Stokes; https://www.leahstokes.com/book "Columbia Energy Exchange" podcast; https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/podcast/columbia-energy-exchange "Our Daily Planet" newsletter; https://www.ourdailyplanet.com/ "After Coal: Stories of Survival in Appalachia and Wales" by Tom Hansell; https://aftercoal.com/book/

Breakthrough has long argued that fighting climate change is mainly a matter of making clean energy cheap, and — thanks in large part to federal deployment subsidies — this is precisely what we've done for solar and onshore wind technologies. But since experts agree that they aren’t enough to fully decarbonize today's electric power grids, we need to focus subsidies on emerging sources of firm generation like advanced nuclear, while also investing in the energy storage and transmission infrastructure we need to support more solar and wind. The next few years mark a potential inflection point in the evolution of America's electric system. Smart action now will enable faster, cheaper decarbonization in the future. Today’s episode is a webinar recording that discusses the merits of this strategy. It’s a conversation moderated by Grist’s Zoya Teirstein, featuring our own Alex Trembath, Leah Stokes from UC Santa Barbara, and Varun Sivaram from Columbia University. For the accompanying visuals, check out our YouTube channel.

In today’s episode, we cover:Varun’s wide-ranging background in academia, startups and public policyHis career as a technologist beginning with Cleantech 1.0How he moved from science to public policyHow cooperation across sectors is critical to solve climate change.The need for aggressive increases in federal funding for energy innovationThe lessons of Cleantech 1.0How the missteps of VC cleantech investing offers insight into future funding models for climate companiesHow the complexities of climate change make it different from the Manhattan Project and the Apollo ProgramVarun’s three-prong prescription for addressing climate changeHow climate change in the U.S. should be couched and framed in terms of global competitivenessHow funding needs to be robust enough to demonstrate new technologiesHow coordination between R&D and deployment needs to be the cornerstone of energy innovation policyVarun’s view that VC is not the right model for the new wave of climate innovation technologiesHow climate change priorities and challenges are distributed and regionalHow the influx of Silicon Valley talent into climate tech can be challenged by lack of domain knowledgeHow a “sector-switching” fellowship could help cross-pollinate talent across industries to address climate changeThe importance of India’s energy transitionLinks to topics discussed in this episode:Bio at Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA: https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/dr-varun-sivaram“Taming The Sun”: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/taming-sunNano Solar: http://www.nanosolar.com/Perovskite Solar Cells: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perovskite_solar_cellAAAS Fellowship: https://www.aaas.org/fellowships

TRAILAR is a young company using the sun’s energy to make trucks greener. It was a fledgling idea in 2017. Now, three years later, the company’s product is installed on about 1,000 trucks – helping them save on emissions and CO2. TRAILAR is a young company that harnesses solar power to make trucks greener. In 2017, two DHL colleagues had an idea for an innovative product that could help trucks tap into the sun’s energy to save fuel and CO2. The idea became reality, and the startup is now a subsidiary of DHL. By 2019, the system was already installed on more than 1,000 vehicles worldwide. In this episode of the podcast, learn about the founders’ revolutionary idea, the story of the startup, and how trucks are becoming more eco-friendly with the help of TRAILAR’s solar mats. Reporter: Kristen Lehmann Host: Deborah Friedman Editor-in-Chief: Markus Wohsmann Production: Tobias Buchwald, Stefan Felten Marketing and digital promotion: Daniel Montua Living Logistics is produced by the Central Editorial Team and the Digital Communications Team within the Communication, Sustainability & Brand department at Deutsche Post DHL Group in Bonn, Germany. Jobs & Careers at Deutsche Post and DHL: https://www.dpdhl.com/career Links: TRAILAR website https://www.trailar.co.uk/ International Energy Agency https://bit.ly/2FRtWJX The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) https://bit.ly/2tgSjy9 10 tips on saving energy from Energysage https://bit.ly/2FRxpIF Literature: Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings - 10th Edition: Save Money, Save the Earth, Jennifer Thorne Amann, Alex Wilson and Katie Ackerly https://amzn.to/2QScuLJ Our Renewable Future, Richard Heinberg and David Fridley https://amzn.to/387x2G4 Taming the Sun, Varun Sivaram https://amzn.to/2QRlscg

This edition of Open Field features Varun Sivaram, a scientist and technologist who has advised both the Governor of New York and Mayor of Los Angeles on energy policy. He is author of the book “Taming the Sun”, which looks at the potential of solar power.  Meeting in California earlier this year, Eamon and Varun discuss new technologies for solar power, how to make solar affordable, why India is becoming a world leader in the field, and whether there is unrealistic optimism about climate change.

Varun Sivaram is really excited about the potential of solar energy. Every hour, more sunlight hits the Earth in the form of energy than the world uses in a whole year, so the abundance alone is hugely significant. And yet, like others within the energy sector, the solar industry has been slow to invest in innovation: “My dad is in the semiconductor industry,” Varun tells us, “and I've seen how fast they innovate and how much money companies plow back into R&D as a proportion of their revenues. It's over 10%, in comparison to less than 1% for the solar industry.” To increase solar’s share of the energy mix, then, the industry must re-double its enthusiasm for innovation, which will ultimately help its long-term success. Varun is one of the world's foremost advocates for solar innovation. He’s a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the new book Taming the Sun. Varun is also a pleasure to chat with – he’s an informed, charismatic communicator who can explain minute technicalities while keeping the larger context in plain view. If you’re curious about the future of solar or just want to listen to a pragmatic thinker, you’ll love this episode. You can also read his thoughts on what solar can learn from nuclear in his Breakthrough Journal essay, here. Follow Varun on Twitter @vsiv.

This episode features an interview with MIT Press author Varun Sivaram about his new book Taming the Sun. Varun Sivaram is the Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations. He teaches “Clean Energy Innovation” at Georgetown University, is a Fellow at Columbia University's Center for Global Energy Policy, and serves on Stanford University's energy and environment boards. He has advised both the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of New York on energy and was formerly a consultant at McKinsey & Co. He holds a PhD in condensed matter physics from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. PV Magazine called him “The Hamilton of the Solar Industry,” Forbes named him one of its 30 under 30, and Grist selected him as one of the top 50 leaders in sustainability.

Climate change—that “tragedy of the horizon”—is already here. From relentless wildfires to hurricanes to droughts, 2017's slew of extreme weather events highlighted the existential threat facing us in the coming decades. But as bleak as the reality of climate change is, innovative solutions to mitigate its effects and support a transition to clean energy are also being developed and deployed on an increasing scale—particularly so since the Paris Climate Agreement. These include everything from advanced technologies such as solar photovoltaics and electric vehicles to the urban design policies necessary to make them effective. What are the most exciting solutions being implemented, and what other breakthrough technologies are needed to power the clean energy revolution? What must we do to stand a chance against climate change? Varun Sivaram's book Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet will be available for purchase and signing from The Book Cellar following the program. SPEAKERS: Anand Shah, Senior Advisor, Albright Stonebridge Group; Senior Vice President, Ola; Varun Sivaram, Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology, Council on Foreign Relations; , Senior Fellow, Global Cities. Moderated by .

This week, Thomas Byrne, CEO of CleanCapital, sits down with Varun Sivaram, a thought leader in the clean energy space. He’s We discuss his exceptional new book, Taming the Sun, which outlines the current clean energy landscape, and the advances that we need to make to unleash it. It's a thought-provoking book, and we encourage all listeners to grab a copy. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Experts Only is made possible by CleanCapital. Learn more: http://www.cleancapital.com Follow on Twitter: @CleanCapital_ Learn more about Varun (@VSIV): Science & Technology Fellow @CFR_org; Prof @GeorgetownSFS; Fellow @ColumbiaUEnergy. Order the @MITPress book, #TamingTheSun via http://amzn.to/2Aaal2E

Energy is a hot topic and a critical issue in politics, business, and society at large. And it doesn't look like this will be changing any time soon.  On the forefront of this discussion is clean energy, and, particularly, the rise of solar-powered technology. To get a better understanding of why this is the case and what that means for our world, we held a conversation on The Future of Solar Technology with climate and energy expert Varun Sivaram. Varun authored the recent book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet. In a live conversation moderated by David Livingston — who serves as the Deputy Director of Climate and Advanced Energy at The Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center — Varun offers insights on the innovations that are powering our world and the role America is playing in harnessing clean technology.

Solar energy, once a niche application for a limited market, has become the cheapest and fastest-growing power source on earth. What’s more, its potential is nearly limitless—every hour the sun beams down more energy than the world uses in a year. But in his new book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Save the Planet (MIT Press, 2018), Dr. Varun Sivaram, Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations and CGEP Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, warns that the world is not yet equipped to harness erratic sunshine to meet most of its energy needs. And if solar’s current surge peters out, prospects for replacing fossil fuels and averting catastrophic climate change will dim.  Innovation can brighten those prospects, Dr. Sivaram argues. Financial innovation is already enticing deep-pocketed investors to fund solar projects around the world, from the sunniest deserts to the poorest villages. Technological innovation could replace today’s solar panels with coatings as cheap as paint and employ artificial photosynthesis to store intermittent sunshine as convenient fuels. Systemic innovation could add flexibility to the world’s power grids and other energy systems so they can dependably channel the sun’s unreliable energy. Unleashing all this innovation will require visionary public policy: funding researchers developing next-generation solar technologies, refashioning energy systems and economic markets, and putting together a diverse clean energy portfolio. To discuss the state of solar energy and his new book, which Bloomberg has called "the first important policy book of 2018," the Center on Global Energy Policy hosted a talk with Dr. Sivaram. Following Dr. Sivaram's presentation, CGEP Founding Director, Jason Bordoff moderated the discussion.

The quest for cheap, sustainable energy seems to lead inexorably to the sun. We spoke with CFR expert and Georgetown professor Varun Sivaram about his new book Taming The Sun and the future of solar. The post Why Solar Power Is Going to Hit a Wall appeared first on Octavian Report.

Nothing can stop solar's growth trajectory -- except maybe solar itself.This week, we have a deep discussion on the future of solar photovoltaics. Solar is exploding around the world, but have we grappled with the technology and market limitations that could stop the next order of magnitude in growth for PV?On this week's episode of The Interchange, Shayle Kann sits down with Varun Sivaram, author of the new book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet.Shayle and Varun examine every angle of the solar transition. They consider numerous possible futures, good and bad, for the technology. "If we do not take the right actions and urgently in innovation today, I warn that in the medium term we might run into a penetration ceiling for solar. And by the time that happens, it might have been too late to start investing in these long-term innovations that only pay off after you've invested for a little while," explains Varun.Varun Sivaram is the Philip D. Reed Fellow for Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.This podcast is brought to you by Fiveworx, a turnkey customer engagement platform for utilities. Find out more about how Fiveworx can help your customer engagement program succeed -- and get you beyond the meter.Subscribe to The Interchange podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

What is the future of renewable energy under Donald Trump? Are recent gains made by solar and wind in jeopardy? Or is the momentum these industries have gained over the past eight years made them borderline unstoppable. This week on the Trump on Earth podcast we talk with a man who's literally writing the book on this topic. Varun Sivaram has been following following energy policy as the Phillip D. Reed fellow for Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations.  He is the author of the forthcoming book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Save the Planet (MIT University Press, February 2018).

Recently I talked to Varun Sivaram, Douglas Dillon Fellow and Acting Director of the Program The post #2. Varun Sivaram: Stay the Course on CAFE & Reap the Benefits appeared first on Transport Energy Strategies.

Enjoy this free episode of The Interchange from GTM Squared. If you like what you hear, make sure to become a member: http://www.greentechmedia.com/squared We’re more than a decade on from the beginning of the cleantech gold rush -- and a lot of venture capital firms failed to strike it rich. In this week's show, we tally the boom and bust in cleantech VC, and look at how it compares with other sectors. We're joined by Varun Sivaram, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Ben Gaddy, the director of technology development at the Clean Energy Trust. The two recently teamed up with another colleague, Frank O’Sullivan from the MIT Sloan School of Management, to log the performance of venture investments in clean energy and materials from 2006 to 2011. They then compare it to the medical field and software. They found that the failure rate in cleantech was much higher (and the returns were much lower) than these other fields. Their conclusion: venture capital is not the right model for revolutionizing the energy industry. So if that’s true, what should take its place? We debate.

Varun Sivaram, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that when it comes to clean energy, the physicists and engineers need to learn how to entice investors. He joins Tom Keene and Michael McKee on Bloomberg Surveillance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Varun Sivaram, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that when it comes to clean energy, the physicists and engineers need to learn how to entice investors. He joins Tom Keene and Michael McKee on Bloomberg Surveillance.

The Center on Global Energy Policy hosted a presentation and discussion on The Future of Solar Energy, a study published by the MIT Energy Initiative. The study examines the technical, economic and policy dimensions of solar energy today and makes policy recommendation aimed at supporting the efficient and effective deployment of solar energy over the long-term. Francis O'Sullivan, Director of Research and Analysis at the MIT Energy Initiative, and Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management, presented the study and its key findings. Dr. Varun Sivaram,Douglas Dillon Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, and strategic advisor to the Office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), then offered a reaction. Their reamrks were followed by a moderated conversation with CGEP Inaugural Fellow David Sandalow.  

This week, we present a special episode from our new podcast series, called "The Interchange." The Interchange is a brand-new podcast available to GTM Squared subscribers. For one month, we’re giving away the show for free. Visit gtmsquared.com to find out more about our premium content. Solar costs are on a strong downward trajectory. But competitiveness is a moving target. High levels of PV on the grid forces wholesale prices downward, potentially making the technology less competitive over time. At the same time, subsidies for the industry will likely continue to fade away. So what will it take for solar to become resistant to these forces? In the first episode of The Interchange, Stephen Lacey and Shayle Kann talk with solar expert Varun Sivaram, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, about the technology and rate design improvements needed to keep PV growth strong.