While the concept of DER may not evoke the image of flames, combustion is often a vital component of an efficient DER system. We will discuss the role that combustion plays in several types of DER systems, and the research that is needed to integrate combustion systems into DER, with the goal of developing DER systems that are as good or better than central power plants in terms of efficiency, emissions, and cost of power generation. David Littlejohn is a staff scientist in the Combustion Group in the AET Department of EETD. He has worked at LBNL since he received his PhD from the UC Berkeley Chemistry Department in 1980. His research interests are in the understanding of the formation of gas phase pollutants and their control (either by preventing their formation or destroying them before they are released), and the development of innovative methods to measure pollutant species. Carlo Castaldini is a consultant to the Electrical Power Research Institute and has collaborated with the Combustion Group in EETD for a number of years. He is also a graduate of UC Berkeley and was a co-researcher with Dr Robert Cheng during his graduate program. For more information about this seminar, please contact: JoAnne Lambert 510.486.4835, or send e-mail to JMLambert@lbl.gov