Energy & Green Tech news

Engineering

New research unlocks potential of electrochemical separation for water treatment and resource extraction

A team of Vanderbilt researchers has developed novel technology called electrochemical ion pumping (EIP) that could revolutionize the treatment of water and resource extraction.

Engineering

Engineers develop solar-powered lithium extraction from brine

A team of engineers at Nanjing University, working with a pair of colleagues from the University of California, Berkeley, has developed a new way to extract lithium from briny water.

Energy & Green Tech

Where leading countries stand in the transition to renewable heating, road transport and electricity

The sluggish rate of progress made in the energy transition is putting the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 at risk. On the positive side, with early warning indicators guiding timely and targeted ...

Business

High costs slow widespread use of heat pumps in UK, study shows

The high cost of installing heat pumps for home heating could slow down people widely adopting the technology and leave government targets missed, research suggests. There has been a little to no reduction in the average ...

Engineering

Soda production process eliminates CO₂ emissions

Fraunhofer researchers and their partners have developed an innovative and eco-friendly method of producing soda, essential for a wide range of industries, in the Green Soda project. The process is based on bipolar electrodialysis ...

Energy & Green Tech

China drives record growth in renewable energy jobs: report

A record 2.5 million jobs were created in the renewable energy sector in 2023, most of them in China, the International Renewable Energy Agency and International Labor Organization said on Tuesday.

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

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 ...

Energy & Green Tech

Researcher wants to ensure AI doesn't ruin the environment

Artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the world as we know it. It's been used for everything from health-care monitoring to writing speeches. But the technology's impact on the environment is becoming a serious concern.

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.

Energy & Green Tech

Solar power from 'the dark side' unlocked by a new formula

Most of today's solar panels capture sunlight and convert it to electricity only from the side facing the sky. If the dark underside of a solar panel could also convert sunlight reflected off the ground, even more electricity ...

Energy & Green Tech

House size a factor in tackling global climate emergency

New research led by the University of St Andrews reveals that in order to achieve ambitious global climate change targets, energy policy must factor in that average space per person is increasing in homes.

Energy & Green Tech

A new smart-facade lift for older buildings

Can a smart new facade improve air quality in older buildings, cut energy demands on heating and cooling systems, and perhaps mitigate carbon emissions to some extent? A detailed answer might lie in research published in ...

Engineering

Engineer discovers mighty power in small solar energy invention

Today's commonly used silicon solar cells are heavy and bulky, and take up a lot of space to produce power. Newer models, made from soft materials that are flexible and versatile, are cheaper to produce but also much less ...

Energy & Green Tech

London street bans petrol, diesel cars

Petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from a street in central London in an innovative attempt to reduce pollution, local authorities said.

Energy & Green Tech

A flaky option boosts organic solar cells

An inexpensive material, made from tungsten disulfide flakes just a few atoms thick, has helped to improve the performance of organic solar cells1. The discovery by KAUST researchers could be an important step toward bringing ...

Energy & Green Tech

Russian nuclear-powered giant icebreaker completes test run

Russia's nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika, touted as the strongest of its kind and a symbol of Moscow's ambition to tap the Arctic's commercial potential, returned to Saint Petersburg on Saturday after a two-day test run.

Engineering

Taking the carbon out of construction with engineered wood

To meet the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change—keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius and ideally capping it at 1.5 C—humanity will ultimately need to achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse ...

Energy & Green Tech

Ferrari plans electric car debut only 'after 2025'

Italian sports car maker Ferrari is likely to launch its first fully electric model only after 2025, its boss said on Thursday, blaming insufficient battery technology for the wait.

Energy & Green Tech

First commercial electric plane takes flight in Canada

The world's first fully electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight on Tuesday, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and offering hope that airlines may one day end their polluting emissions.

Engineering

Punching holes in opaque solar cells turns them transparent

Researchers in Korea have found an effective and inexpensive strategy to transform solar cells from opaque to transparent. Existing transparent solar cells tend to have a reddish hue and lower efficiency, but by punching ...