Energy & Green Tech news

Energy & Green Tech

Swiss nuclear plant shut down due to heat wave

The reactors at Europe's oldest nuclear plant were shut down Friday, its Swiss operator said, after the heat wave roasting Europe sent temperatures soaring in the river used for cooling.

Energy & Green Tech

Shifting data center power to off-peak hours could cut grid costs in the age of AI

The number of U.S. data centers is growing, largely to power artificial intelligence programs. That has led to concern about the environmental consequences of data centers—and their impact on the energy grid itself. What ...

Energy & Green Tech

Batteries and fuel cells would overhaul emissions from semis and other heavy vehicles

Although electrified versions of vans, buses and semis cost more upfront on average than their diesel-powered counterparts, the overall calculus behind adopting greener vehicles is currently in flux.

Engineering

Energy-saving membrane can separate crude oil at room temperature

An international research has developed a membrane technology that could significantly reduce the energy required for crude oil refining by replacing part of the century-old distillation process.

Energy & Green Tech

Pushing past lithium-ion performance limits

A growing demand for energy storage is pushing lithium-ion batteries to their limits, advancing next-generation technologies through innovative materials research.

Energy & Green Tech

Seaweed-based ingredient helps turn dirt into 3D-printed walls

An ingredient that gives ice cream a creamier texture could make natural earthen materials like clay and sand easier to 3D print into durable structures, according to new research led by scientists at the University of Colorado ...

Energy & Green Tech

E-learning helps regulators navigate a changing grid

It is the second day of a massive heat wave. Across the region, thermostats are cranked, air conditioners are laboring, and wind turbines have gone still. Without warning, a summer storm moves in, and the solar generation ...

Energy & Green Tech

How digital participation can aid the energy transition

The active involvement of citizens, stakeholders and municipalities is essential for the success of the energy transition. Digital participation platforms promise broader access to planning processes. However, a new study, ...

Engineering

Mechanical engineers' wood-based material could cut energy costs

University of Texas at Dallas researchers and their collaborators have developed and patented a wood-based material that can store and discharge heat to help make building temperatures more comfortable without using electricity. ...

Energy & Green Tech

The data center surge has a hidden source of carbon emissions

Data centers siphon huge amounts of energy to power artificial intelligence. But their environmental footprint starts to balloon even before the first server switches on due to the immense amount of carbon-intensive concrete ...

Engineering

Taking the heat out of industrial chemical separations

The modern world runs on chemicals and fuels that require a huge amount of energy to produce: Industrial chemical separation accounts for 10% to 15% of the world's total energy consumption. That's because most separations ...

Energy & Green Tech

Hydrogen-powered ground vehicles offer a route to cleaner airports

Hydrogen-powered vehicles used on ground operations could help slash carbon emissions and support airports to reach net-zero targets, new research suggests. The Newcastle University research shows that key airport stakeholders ...

Engineering

New research enables safe reuse of concrete

Recent research in Sweden and Finland shows how used concrete's lifespan can be extended another 50 to 100 years when incorporated into new construction. A team from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Tampere University ...

Energy & Green Tech

Discoveries in testing solid-fuel ramjets advance research

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory are developing the next generation of solid-fuel ramjet (SFRJ) propulsion, addressing one of the field's most persistent challenges: understanding and predicting what happens ...

Energy & Green Tech

Powering AI from space, at scale, with a passive tether design

Penn Engineers have developed a novel design for solar-powered data centers that will orbit Earth and could realistically scale to meet the growing demand for AI computing while reducing the environmental impact of data centers.