Energy & Green Tech news

Engineering

Volcanic rock formula cuts cement emissions by two-thirds

Researchers have developed a volcanic rock formula that cuts carbon emissions by 67%, potentially offering an affordable alternative to increasingly scarce cement additives.

Energy & Green Tech

Polymer electrolyte lets the ions flow for solid-state batteries

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have uncovered a path to design superionic polymer electrolytes for solid-state batteries and other energy applications that could help ensure a future ...

Engineering

Safer sodium battery eliminates thermal runaway with a heat-triggered polymer barrier

Some batteries have been known to catch fire or explode at high temperatures or when under stress. This safety concern has pushed researchers to experiment with different ways to design safer batteries that can ideally still ...

Hardware

Prototype chip could boost efficiency of power management in data centers

In an effort to meet the rising energy demands of data centers, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new chip design that could improve how graphics processing units (GPUs) convert and manage ...

Engineering

Solar-powered device disinfects drinking water in under an hour

For many people living in developed nations, towns and cities take care of ensuring that residents' water is clean and safe. Municipalities have advanced filters and UV light disinfection technologies at their disposal. Some ...

Energy & Green Tech

How electric cars could help tropical cities run on solar

In tropical cities, afternoon thunderstorms can plunge entire neighborhoods into brief moments of darkness. When civil engineer Markus Schläpfer moved to Singapore a decade ago, he recognized these thunderstorms as an emerging ...

Business

Researchers expose fossil fuel companies' communications facade

Fossil fuel companies say that they want to be on the front lines of renewable energy, with advertisements, social media, and even their own shareholder corporate reports espousing their commitment to green energy and combating ...

Energy & Green Tech

How electric vehicles could back up the power system

Electric vehicles (EVs) could do more for our environment than simply replace gasoline. Published in Joule, a new assessment of EV charging strategies suggests that EVs could serve as a vast network of mobile batteries, storing ...

Energy & Green Tech

China trials 'energy-saving' underwater data centers

Power-hungry data centers run hot, so one Chinese company is planning to submerge a pod of servers in the sea off Shanghai with hopes of solving computing's energy woes.

Energy & Green Tech

Cobalt exsolution technique boosts solid oxide fuel cell performance

Fuel cells are an efficient, clean alternative to traditional fossil-fuel-based energy systems. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are especially attractive due to their ability to use multiple fuels, high efficiency and reversibility. ...

Energy & Green Tech

Concrete 'battery' now packs 10 times the power

Concrete already builds our world, and now it's one step closer to powering it, too. Made by combining cement, water, ultra-fine carbon black (with nanoscale particles), and electrolytes, electron-conducting carbon concrete ...

Energy & Green Tech

Quantum computing can make HVAC systems smarter and greener

Residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems constitute a significant proportion of energy usage in buildings, necessitating energy management optimization. In this context, occupancy-aware HVAC control ...

Energy & Green Tech

Power-outage exercises strengthen resilience of US military bases

In recent years, power outages caused by extreme weather or substation attacks have exposed the vulnerability of the electric grid. For the nation's military bases, which are served by the grid, being ready for outages is ...

Engineering

Battery cathode recycling achieved with single-step process

A new battery recycling method developed by Illinois Grainger engineers removes scarce, expensive metals from old battery cathodes and coats them onto new cathodes in a single step. The result is significantly more affordable, ...

Business

Dynamic database addresses vanadium supply flow

Scientists at PSI have created a dynamic database for vanadium, an important raw material. This metal has enormous potential for the energy transition. Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) can store electricity for longer ...