Energy & Green Tech news

Energy & Green Tech

Getting to zero emissions: A call for unified energy planning

As competition between gas and electric utilities heats up due to clean energy-promoting policies that emphasize replacing gas with electricity, state regulators need to overhaul their approach to regulation, argue scholars ...

Engineering

New cooling system works on gravity instead of electricity

Its abundance of sunlight and heavy investment in solar cell technology has positioned Saudi Arabia well in its transition to becoming a leading exporter of renewable energy. Indeed, solar energy currently makes up more than ...

Business

Study warns of $557 trillion in stranded assets by 2050 if fossil fuel investments continue

Continued investment in carbon-intensive industries will drastically increase the amount of "stranded assets" as the world moves to net-zero emissions, researchers warn.

Energy & Green Tech

Proof-of-concept study develops battery that would use Martian atmosphere as fuel during discharge

Mars presents a highly complex natural environment, characterized by a variety of gas components—95.32% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, 0.13% oxygen, and 0.08% carbon monoxide—as well as extreme temperature ...

Energy & Green Tech

Britain's last coal-fired power station closes

The UK's last coal-fired power station will officially close its doors on Monday, making Britain the first G7 country to end its reliance on the fossil fuel to produce electricity.

Energy & Green Tech

Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom

Taxi driver Surendra Parajuli's decision to buy an electric cab would have been unthinkable a decade ago, when chronic power cuts left Nepalis unable to light their homes at night.

Engineering

Which is ecologically better: Concrete or plastic pipes?

On behalf of the FBS (Federal Association of Concrete Sewer Systems), Fraunhofer UMSICHT prepared a life cycle assessment of the environmental impact of wastewater pipes made of (steel) concrete. This also functions as an ...

Energy & Green Tech

Solar panels soon may power and protect apple orchards

A small experimental apple orchard at Cornell's Hudson Valley Research Laboratory may soon be topped by solar panels, which would not only track the sun to capture energy, but provide a warm canopy on cooler spring days and ...

Energy & Green Tech

Answer to energy storage problem could be hydrogen

Hydrogen has the greatest potential among technologies for seasonal energy storage in the future, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

California approves 1st-in-US electric truck sales rule

California regulators approved new rules on Thursday that would force automakers to sell more electric work trucks and delivery vans, a first-of-its-kind rule aimed at helping the nation's most populous state clean up its ...

Engineering

Researchers find solar photovoltaics benefits outweigh costs

Over the past decade, the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays has fallen rapidly. But at the same time, the value of PV power has declined in areas that have installed significant PV generating capacity. Operators of ...

Energy & Green Tech

Wind turbine sounds do not harm health: study

The low-frequency, inaudible sounds made by wind power stations are not damaging to human health despite widespread fears that they cause unpleasant symptoms, research published in Finland on Monday said.

Energy & Green Tech

How to avoid cars clogging our cities during coronavirus recovery

As we re-open our economy and workers gradually return to workplaces, overall travel will increase. However, the need to maintain social distancing means public transport can't operate at usual capacity. And fears of crowded ...