Energy & Green Tech news

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 ...

Energy & Green Tech

Study sheds light on the paths leading to the degradation of layered Li-rich oxide cathodes

In recent years, researchers have been trying to develop increasingly advanced battery technologies that can store more energy, recharge faster, discharge slower, and have longer lifespans. To achieve this, many have been ...

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

Can renewable energy really replace fossil fuels?

As global temperatures and energy demand rise simultaneously, the search for sustainable fuel sources is more urgent than ever. But how can renewable energy possibly scale up to replace the vast quantities of oil and gas ...

Energy & Green Tech

On the road to nontoxic and stable perovskite solar cells

Halide perovskite materials show high efficiency for solar energy technologies, but this comes at a cost: The best perovskite materials incorporate toxic lead, which poses a hazard to the environment. Replacing lead with ...

Energy & Green Tech

Moisture-sucking gels give solar panels the chills

A cooling system developed at KAUST has improved the efficiency of a prototype solar panel up to 20 percent and requires no external energy source to operate.

Electronics & Semiconductors

Simple method for measuring the state of lithium-ion batteries

Rechargeable batteries are at the heart of many new technologies involving, for example, the increased use of renewable energies. More specifically, they are employed to power electric vehicles, cell phones, and laptops. ...

Energy & Green Tech

Scientists rewire photosynthesis to fuel our future

Hydrogen is an essential commodity with over 60 million tons produced globally every year. However over 95 percent of it is made by steam reformation of fossil fuels, a process that is energy intensive and produces carbon ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

Wirelessly charging electric cars as they drive

Stanford engineers have taken a big step toward making it practical for electric cars to recharge as they speed along futuristic highways built to "refuel" vehicles wirelessly.

Electronics & Semiconductors

Supercapacitor promises storage, high power and fast charging

A new supercapacitor based on manganese oxide could combine the storage capacity of batteries with the high power and fast charging of other supercapacitors, according to researchers at Penn State and two universities in ...

Energy & Green Tech

Energy of the future: Photosynthetic hydrogen from bacteria

The transition from fossil fuels to a renewable energy supply is one of the most important global challenges of the 21st century. In order to achieve the internationally-agreed target of limiting global warming to a maximum ...

Energy & Green Tech

Hydrogen and nanomaterials may transform energy industry

Hydrogen as a zero-carbon energy carrier has the potential to fundamentally transform the global energy landscape—but the production must benefit the environment, according to experts at Rice University's Baker Institute ...