https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/energy-green-tech-news/ en-us The latest news on energy sciences and green technology, energy technology, energy renovation, alternative energy, and green energy. Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975. Management looked at it, decided film was doing fine, and put the technology in a drawer. By the time they took it seriously, other companies had taken the market. Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Solar is winning on every metric. According to an international coalition led from the University of Twente, that's exactly why the research behind it is in trouble. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-climate.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news696241923 Metal-organic frameworks, better known as MOFs, are among the most intensely studied materials for addressing major environmental challenges. Their highly ordered, ultra-porous architecture enables applications ranging from CO2 capture and air or water purification to catalysis and hydrogen production. It is therefore no surprise that MOFs have drawn global attention in recent years, notably with their recognition by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, as they play an increasingly central role in the development of sustainable technologies. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-green-materials-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:40:07 EDT news696182461 Acrylic acid is essential for everyday products—from paints and coatings to absorbent polymers—yet almost all of it is currently made from propylene, a petrochemical. As global biodiesel production rises, so does the supply of low-value glycerol by-products, creating an opportunity for cleaner, renewable chemical manufacturing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-boost-sustainable-acrylic-acid-production.html Engineering Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:20:05 EDT news696181681 Perovskite solar cells, PSCs, have emerged as one of the most promising renewable energy technologies of the past decade. Besides their remarkable power conversion rates, perovskites are lightweight in nature and can be manufactured through low-cost solution processing methods. Thus, they offer greater versatility for applications that go beyond rooftop solar cell installations, such as integration into building windows, vehicle surfaces, and portable electronics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-universal-standards-perovskite-solar-cells.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news696166381 Smartphones, electric vehicles and many portable devices rely on batteries. Their energy storage capacity, lifetime and safety will strongly shape the future of electrification. Among the most promising next-generation technologies are solid-state batteries. These batteries would allow smartphones to run for several days instead of requiring daily charging and give electric vehicles greater driving ranges than today's limits. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solid-state-batteries-short-circuit.html Engineering Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news696165001 On a bright morning, graduate student Jeremy Klotz and professor Shree Nayar walked through upper Manhattan with a tall tripod and a camera that takes 360-degree images. Their route took them to bike docking stations, which use solar energy to power their kiosks, docking mechanisms, wireless communication, and even E-bike recharging in recent installations. At each docking station, the researchers raised the camera above the panel, snapped a spherical picture, and sent it to Klotz's laptop. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-panel.html Engineering Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:40:11 EDT news696093721 A technique that improves the performance and stability of next-generation solar cells—without adding any chemicals or coatings—has been demonstrated by researchers from Korea University and the University of Surrey. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-simple-solar-cell-tweak-perovskites.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:05 EDT news696070381 The Expanse supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences has played an important role in helping researchers design the next generation of batteries that could make large-scale energy storage cheaper and more sustainable. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-cheaper-longer-batteries-closer-sodium.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:20:03 EDT news696009001 With the rapid expansion of the global solar energy industry, the number of solar panels has surged in recent years. However, pollutants accumulating on panel surfaces can significantly reduce energy conversion efficiency while traditional cleaning methods are highly water-intensive. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-liquid-droplet-mops-solar-panels.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:20:05 EDT news696003061 A pilot study of a new method for treating sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant efficiently created renewable natural gas while reducing the cost of the treatment. The work, reported in the Chemical Engineering Journal, could help communities sustainably clean up waste while getting renewable natural gas for their energy needs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-wastewater-sludge-treatment-boosts-renewable.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:40:06 EDT news695986124 A research team has introduced a new concept device termed the Gas Capture and Electricity Generator (GCEG), which produces electrical power as greenhouse gases are adsorbed from the atmosphere. This innovation goes beyond conventional approaches that merely capture greenhouse gases, transforming them into a usable energy resource. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-gas-battery-pollution-electricity-air.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:20:08 EDT news695923382 The stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz in the past few weeks has choked off roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply, triggering the worst global energy crisis since the 1970s. Beyond the immediate shock, the disruption has underscored how tightly the global economy remains tethered to fossil hydrocarbons—and how urgently alternatives are needed. One of the most promising routes for diversifying fuel production from crude oil is using renewable electricity for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into high-value products such as ethylene that today come almost exclusively from petroleum refining. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-biowaste-coatings-crustacean-shells-boost.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:00:11 EDT news695922121 While sustainable solar energy can potentially meet our global power needs, it has one major flaw. When sunlight disappears, solar panels stop generating electricity. The problem is that while they do an excellent job of converting light into power, they are not so good at storing the energy they collect. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-wood-solar-power-sun.html Energy & Green Tech Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:00:01 EDT news695305452 Fusion power plants are sites at which electricity could be generated via a process known as nuclear fusion, which entails the merging of two atomic nuclei into a single heavier nucleus. This process is known to generate very high amounts of energy, such as the energy required to light up the sun and other stars, yet its potential for the production of electricity has yet to be demonstrated. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-fusion-power-competitive-renewables.html Business Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news695467315 Solar cells, devices that convert sunlight into electricity, are now widely used in many countries. While most existing solar cells are based on silicon, energy engineers have been working on other devices made of so-called perovskites. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-perovskite-solar-cells-certified-efficiency.html Engineering Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:00:04 EDT news695564953 Every year, power plants and factories release billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. Methods exist to capture that CO₂ using chemical solutions and, separately, to convert pure CO₂ into useful fuels and chemicals. But doing both steps at once, in a cost-efficient and scalable way, has been difficult. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-triples-capture-ditches-silver-zinc.html Engineering Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news695650141 A transparent radiative cooling film technology that dissipates heat directly to the outside without consuming electricity has been developed to reduce vehicle overheating during summer. The technology was validated through real-vehicle experiments conducted under diverse conditions—including different countries, seasons, and both parking and driving scenarios—and demonstrated the ability to lower cabin temperatures by up to 6.1°C and reduce cooling energy consumption by more than 20%. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-transparent-cooling-car-cabin-temperature.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news695647989 Expectations are rising for all-solid-state batteries—the "dream battery" with low fire risk—not only for electric vehicles but also for various fields such as robotics and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). A research team at KAIST has presented a new design principle that simultaneously overcomes the limitations of solid electrolytes, which were previously vulnerable to air exposure and suffered from low performance. This technology is gaining significant attention as it can enhance both battery safety and charging speeds, demonstrating the feasibility of commercializing next-generation all-solid-state batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-oxygen-anchoring-air-stable-solid.html Engineering Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:20:01 EDT news695563663 Wind and solar power have grown faster than almost anyone predicted, but projecting their future expansion remains surprisingly difficult. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed what they call a computational "time machine"—a model that outperforms existing projection methods by using AI techniques to analyze historical growth patterns across countries. Their central projection shows that onshore wind is likely to supply around 25% of global electricity by 2050, with solar reaching about 20%. This is consistent with the 2°C target, but falls short of what is required for 1.5°C. The work appears in Nature Energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-machine-solar-power-track-2c.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:00:13 EDT news695317321 Converting methane, the primary component of natural gas, into higher alkanes and hydrogen, could be highly advantageous. Alkanes, such as propane and butane, are easier to transport than methane and are used in a wider range of industries. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is a promising clean fuel used to power electrochemical devices that can generate continuous power, known as fuel cells. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-phase-vo-methane-propane-hydrogen.html Engineering Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:40:02 EDT news695304794 University of Queensland geochemist Dr. Amelia Corzo-Remigio said powerful X-rays confirmed crops in the Brassicaceae family had strong "phytomining" potential because of the mechanisms they evolved to extract traces of the metal thallium from polluted soil. The findings are published in the journal Metallomics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-kale-cabbage-broccoli-toxic-soil.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news695305122 A breakthrough in interface engineering clears the path for sustainable, high-power hydrogen energy. As the world races toward a hydrogen-based society, the quest for a truly green fuel cell has faced a persistent material hurdle. Most modern fuel cells rely on fluorine-based membranes to conduct protons. While effective, these materials are environmentally taxing and expensive to produce. Now, a research team at Kumamoto University's Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials (IINa) has achieved a major milestone in sustainable energy, developing a graphene oxide fuel cell that shatters previous performance records for nanosheet-based electrolytes. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-interface-tweak-triples-graphene-oxide.html Engineering Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:00:05 EDT news694968406 Researchers have developed a volcanic rock formula that cuts carbon emissions by 67%, potentially offering an affordable alternative to increasingly scarce cement additives. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-volcanic-formula-cement-emissions-thirds.html Engineering Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:10:01 EDT news694957125 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 power. The technology demonstrates a more efficient way to perform a critical task in electronics: converting high voltages into lower levels required by computing hardware. In lab tests, a prototype chip performed the type of voltage conversion used in modern data centers with high efficiency. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-prototype-chip-boost-efficiency-power.html Hardware Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:00:02 EDT news694882441 UNSW researchers have redesigned hydrogen fuel cells to solve a critical flaw, bringing clean energy for aviation, heavy transport and beyond closer to reality. Hydrogen fuel cells, using locally produced green hydrogen as the only fuel, have long been viewed as the ultimate clean energy source, but their commercialization has been difficult. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-hydrogen-fuel-cell-key-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:40:03 EDT news694871424 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 perform reliably and efficiently. Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are considered a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries, but still face safety risks, especially at high capacities. But now, a team of researchers in China has designed a new type of electrolyte for NIBs that may eliminate these risks, allowing for stable performance across a wide temperature range. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-safer-sodium-battery-thermal-runaway.html Engineering Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:04 EDT news694867883 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 households have additional filters as well. In many places in the Global South, however, these technologies are not widely available. These areas, such as parts of Africa and South America, do have one advantage when it comes to water filtration—sunlight. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-powered-device-disinfects-hour.html Engineering Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:00:06 EDT news694795201 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 engineering challenge. For cities that hope to run on solar energy, these short periods without strong sunlight could destabilize urban power grids and undermine reliability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-electric-cars-tropical-cities-solar.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:05 EDT news694686121 Researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium and Yachay Tech University in Ecuador have come to a surprising conclusion: wind and solar energy, often criticized for their lack of predictability and dependence on the weather, could make Ecuador's power supply substantially more reliable. Their findings are published in Nature Water in a paper titled "Variable renewables fortify Ecuador's power system against recurrences of drought-driven energy crises." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-ecuador-power-crisis.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:02 EDT news694712821 While mixing materials typically leads to instability, there exists a phenomenon known as high entropy, where increasing compositional complexity can actually enhance stability. KAIST researchers have leveraged this principle to enable faster proton transport and more efficient reactions within electrochemical cells, developing a technology that significantly improves hydrogen production efficiency. This breakthrough is expected to reduce hydrogen costs and accelerate the transition to clean energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-high-entropy-hydrogen-production.html Engineering Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news694694242