Graphical abstract. Credit: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02753 The global move toward more sustainable, green energy has increased power reserves and the demand for energy storage devices. Unfortunately, some materials for these devices can be expensive and environmentally problematic. Producing alternative energy storage devices from things that are usually thrown away could […]
Energy & Green Tech
Making batteries takes lots of lithium: Almost half of it could come from Pennsylvania wastewater
Map of study area showing the Marcellus shale extent, well locations using in decline curve analysis (DCA), PW samples used in this study, and previous USGS sample locations. Credit: Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58887-x Most batteries used in technology like smartwatches and electric cars are made with lithium that travels across the world before even […]
First transatlantic sustainable aviation fuel flight saved 95 metric tons of CO₂, results show
Graphical abstract. Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05781 Findings from the Virgin Atlantic-led Flight100 project, which involved a consortium of experts from Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BP, and others, show that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is safe to use with existing infrastructure and can deliver significant reductions in CO2 […]
How Duluth, Minnesota, is preparing for the EV future
An electric vehicle charger stands ready in Duluth, Minnesota. Credit: Lora Wedge, Ecolibrium3 Nearly 33 million electric vehicles (EVs) nationwide—that is the number of vehicles the United States should be prepared to support through a national charging network by the year 2030, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimated in a recent study. […]
Manganese sprinkled with iridium reduces need for rare metal without altering rate of green hydrogen production
Scanning electon microscope image of the sunthesized iridium oxide (D) and scanning translission electron microscope images of the iridium (bright spots) dispersed on manganese oxide electrodeposided on a corrosion-resistant platinum-coated titanium mesh (E,F,G). Credit: RIKEN As the world is transitioning from a fossil fuel-based energy economy, many are betting on hydrogen to become the dominant […]
Tackling climate change with social science
Behavioural scientist Danie Nillson is helping to empower Australians to make more informed choices. Credit: CSIRO Tackling the climate challenge is requiring everyone to change the way we think about our homes, our lifestyles, and our investments. Australians are embracing the energy transition, with rooftop solar now contributing 11.2% of Australia’s electricity supply. We recently […]
Scientists determine disorder improves lithium-ion battery life
The improved structural stability almost doubled the battery’s capacity retention after 200 charging/discharging cycles. Credit: Roy Borghouts Fotografie What determines the cycle life of batteries? And, more importantly, how can we extend it? An international research team led by TU Delft has discovered that local disorder in the oxide cathode material increases the number of […]
Lab’s AI work results in increased revenue, decreased land requirements for wind power industry
Nationwide modeling of wind power innovation impact potential. Credit: Nature Energy (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01516-8 The wind industry could benefit from the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to design and deploy wind plants, according to an article in Nature Energy written by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The researchers […]
A low-energy process for high-performance solar cells could simplify the manufacturing process
Graphical abstract. Credit: Joule (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2024.04.002 Finding reliable, eco-friendly power sources is crucial as our world grapples with increasing energy needs and the urgent call to combat climate change. Solar energy offers one solution, with scientists devising ever more efficient materials for capturing sunlight. Perovskite solar cells have emerged as a promising alternative to […]
Chemists present roadmap to a carbon-neutral refinery by 2050
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Would it be possible to build a refinery that is completely fossil-free, and thereby significantly contributing to a carbon-neutral society by as early as 2050? According to two chemists from Utrecht University it is. In a Nature article, they present a roadmap in which oil refineries could be reinvented to be […]
Researchers identify cause of electron-hole separation in thin-film solar cells to increase solar cell efficiency
Sample preparations and FIB etched samples. (A) Sample preparation procedures of the flexible CZTSSe device and FIB-etched samples. Credit: Carbon Energy (2024). DOI: 10.1002/cey2.434 A team of researchers have collaborated to characterize electron-hole separation in the light-absorbing layer of kesterite thin-film solar cells. This study is expected to improve the efficiency of solar cells and […]
US’s largest public utility ignores warnings in moving forward with new natural gas plant
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The nation’s largest public utility is moving ahead with a plan for a new natural gas plant in Tennessee despite warnings that its environmental review of the project doesn’t comply with federal law. The Tennessee Valley Authority announced in April that it would replace the aging coal-burning Kingston Fossil Plant with […]
More and faster: Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Billions of people are using different kinds of energy each day and 2023 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy sources—ones that don’t emit planet-warming pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane—according to a report published Wednesday by Ember, a think tank based in London. For the first time, 30% of electricity […]
Q&A: Economist says EVs can help drive US to carbon-neutral power grid
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Vehicle standards recently announced by the Environmental Protection Agency establish stringent new goals for manufacturers to slash greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution, pushing the industry to accelerate a transition to electric vehicles. The ruling aims to help achieve the administration’s goal to reduce U.S. emissions 50%–52% below 2005 […]
Streamlined life-cycle assessments of natural gas systems can inform near-term energy transition
Garvin Heath works on life cycle assessment data for a greenhouse gas emissions study at NREL’s Strategic Energy Analysis Center. Credit: Dennis Schroeder, NREL The natural gas industry is one of the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters in the United States, and significant amounts of natural gas are used for electricity, heating, and industrial and […]
A second life for discarded lithium-ion cells
Jörg Moser (left) and Christian Ellersdorfer from the Vehicle Safety Institute at TU Graz. Credit: source: Lunghammer – TU Graz In 2030, around 1.2 million lithium-ion batteries of electric cars, buses and construction machinery will be decommissioned worldwide because they will reach the end of their planned service life, their warranty will expire or the […]
Strengthening Swiss hydropower with science
Zurich’s Platzspitz weir at the confluence of the Limmat and Sihl rivers. Credit: Canton of Zurich Researchers at ETH Zurich led by Robert Boes are developing specific solutions to optimize electricity production from Swiss hydropower plants. This will ensure that hydropower remains the backbone of Switzerland’s electricity supply in the future. “Although Swiss hydropower is […]
New process brings commercialization of CO₂ utilization technology to produce formic acid one step closer
A depiction of the pilot-scale demonstration process in operation. It consists of a reaction section, separation section, recycling, and vacuum systems, enabling stable continuous operation and enhancing commercialization potential. Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology CCU (carbon capture and utilization), which captures CO2 and converts it into useful compounds, is crucial for rapidly transitioning […]
Opinion: Nuclear power makes no sense for Australia—but it’s a useful diversion from real climate action
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Opposition leader Peter Dutton argues Australia needs nuclear power to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. But nuclear power is not feasible for Australia. It is too slow, too expensive and inappropriate for our energy needs. As a result, plans to build nuclear power plants, big or small, are completely unrealistic. […]
Bill awaiting DeSantis’ OK would end years of renewable energy policies
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A bill sitting on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk would end the state’s support of renewable and clean energy and keep Florida reliant on fossil fuels, critics say. If signed, the law would reverse 16 years of state policy, finishing the work started by former Gov. Rick Scott and undoing Gov. Charlie […]
Electric vehicles will start to cut emissions and improve air quality in our cities—but only once they’re common
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions—and air pollution—from transport. Is this view correct? Yes—but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the recent boom in EV purchases, they’re still a tiny minority of the cars on the road. We would get more immediate benefit by focusing on electrifying […]
Charting a cost-efficient path to a renewable energy grid for Australia
NEM interconnected with WEM, along with interconnectors between different regions of NEM with transmission line forward capacities in GW. The SA–NSW interconnector is under construction and included in our model. The capacity for multiple interconnectors connecting the same regions is aggregated to reflect simplified individual interconnections. The indicated regions are SA, QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, […]
Tidal energy is coming to Alaska. But how much?
Alaska’s Cook Inlet, that gorgeous blue waterway seen here, contains huge amounts of untapped tidal energy. But little was known about how much economic value this powerful inlet could bring to Alaska—until now. Credit: Christopher Pike, NREL Much of Alaska is empty—of humans, at least. Vast tundra and forest separate cities and villages, dividing the […]
Heat wave swells Asia’s appetite for air-conditioning
A record-breaking heat wave is broiling parts of Asia, helping drive surging demand for cooling options, including air-conditioning. A record-breaking heat wave is broiling parts of Asia, helping drive surging demand for cooling options, including air-conditioning. AC exhaust units are a common feature of urban landscapes in many parts of Asia, clinging like limpets to […]
Cost-effective, high-capacity and cyclable lithium-ion battery cathodes
Lithium-super-rich iron oxides for cost-effective, high-capacity, and cyclable cathodes. Credit: Science Graphics. Co. Charge-recharge cycling of lithium-super-rich iron oxide, a cost-effective and high-capacity cathode for new-generation lithium-ion batteries, can be greatly improved by doping with readily available mineral elements. The energy capacity and charge-recharge cycling (cyclability) of lithium-iron-oxide, a cost-effective cathode material for rechargeable lithium-ion […]