The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University will host GE Energy’s Roger Schonewald for the department’s Fowler Distinguished Lecture Series.

Schonewald is manager of Technology External Programs for GE Energy. His talk, “Wind Energy Today: Opportunities and Challenges for the Future,” is scheduled for Wednesday (Oct. 21) at 4:10 p.m. in Room 106 of the Richardson Building on campus.

Abstract
Over the past four years, the U.S. has been at the forefront of renewable energy, and that’s particularly true of wind energy. The U.S. wind industry hit its highest watermark to date in 2008, when more than 8.5 gigawatts (GW) of wind power were installed — enough to power approximately 7 million homes. Wind energy is clean energy, and in the U.S. wind power avoids the emissions of 28 million tons of carbon dioxide from traditional power plants annually — equal to taking six million cars off the road.

While there are many factors that have led to this U.S. success story, a key one is technology advancement. The innovative work of researchers combined with engineering development and validation has led to significant improvements in wind turbine reliability, energy capture, grid integration and reductions in wind turbine cost — all factors that directly impact the decision a customer makes when considering purchasing wind turbines. The promise of even greater capabilities from tomorrow’s wind turbines will be realized based upon the engineering and research activities taking place now.

As we look to the future, there are significant opportunities for continued growth in wind power generation that will benefit the U.S., both environmentally and economically. A 2008 report issued by the U.S. Department of Energy examines a scenario that could lead, by 2030, to 20 percent of the electrical power generation in the U.S. coming from wind. However, such growth is not certain.

There are challenges and issues in areas such as public policy, siting, and transmission that must be overcome. Taken from the perspective of GE Energy, the leading producer of wind turbines in the U.S., this lecture will explore the wind energy industry today, the challenges and opportunities for the future, and the role of technology.

Biography
Roger Schonewald is manager of Technology External Programs with GE Energy. He is responsible for GE Energy’s advanced technology developments that are performed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy in product areas including wind turbines and gas turbines. Through these programs, GE Energy is developing the innovative technologies needed to meet the power generation challenges facing the United States. Schonewald is also responsible for GE Energy’s Strategic Alliance program with universities.

Schonewald holds master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.

Schonewald’s 30-year career has been in engineering and technology with General Electric. He spent 13 years with GE’s aircraft engines business in Lynn, Mass., in a variety of positions ranging from design engineer to manager of an engineering team. He spent 10 years with GE’s Power Systems business (now GE Energy) in Schenectady, N.Y., with roles including systems manager on the development of a new generation of gas turbine (H System™). He has been located at GE Energy’s Greenville, S.C., facility since 2003.

About the Fowler Distinguished Lecture Series
The Fowler Distinguished Lecture Series was co-founded by Joe R. Fowler and Don W. Fowler.

Don Fowler ’66 serves on the President’s Council of Advisors at Texas A&M University and previously served on the Chancellor’s Century Council. His business, Fowler Energy Co., provides a variety of energy cost-reduction services to large users of electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater. Don is a registered professional engineer as well as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is also a member of the National Energy Services Association, the Gulf Coast Power Association, the Natural Gas and Electric Society of North Texas, the Natural Gas Society of the Permian Basin, the Houston Energy Association and the Electricity Consumers Resource Council. He holds several U.S. and foreign patents related to offshore and onshore transportation of compressed natural gas.

Joe Fowler ’68 is both a former member and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Development and Advisory Board, and he chaired the Department’s first capital campaign. Joe is president and co-founder of Stress Engineering Services, Inc., an engineering consulting firm that provides design, analysis and testing services to a variety of industries. A registered professional engineer, Joe is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a member of the Society of Experimental Mechanics, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and is a past-president of ABET, Inc. (formerly the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology).

Submitted by Pam Hoestenbach, phoestenbach@tamu.edu

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