Arthur H. Rosenfeld: Energy efficiency 'guru' all set to call it a day

Often hailed as the godfather of energy efficiency, Dr. Arthur H. Rosenfeld has been enlightening the masses with his reflections, sermons and some concrete realizations of certain renewable energy related notions. How could you forget the genesis of compact fluorescent lamps? It is the outcome of his concentrated efforts at the Center for Building Science (founded himself) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. More to his credit are the Rosenfeld’s Effect and the Rosenfeld’s Law.

arthur h

Career and exploits:

After earning a PhD in Physics from the University of Chicago, Rosenfeld served at the University of California, Berkeley for 19 years. Later, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, he developed DOE-2, a computer program that builds energy analysis and design. Next, he came up with the famous Rosenfeld Law stating that one dollar of GDP production requires one percent less energy than it used to in 1845.

the rosenfeld effect

Since he is serving as a Commissioner to the California Energy Commission i.e. 1973, all of California’s low electricity per capita growth has been accredited to his name and the phenomena has been dubbed as the Rosenfeld effect. He will step down from his position on Jan.13 along with his team.

Honors:

The list of honors includes the Szilard Award for Physics in the Public Interest in 1986, Carnot Award for Energy Efficiency from the U.S. Department of Energy in 1993 and the Enrico Fermi Award in 2005.

Art is admired the world over. He's a very distinguished physicist who recognized that the energy problem is huge. Art was my example of someone who said, 'I have to stop staying on the sidelines, and get involved.'

In an interview with the Mercury News, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu expressed how he admires Art (nickname). And this appreciation is nothing less than an honor in itself.