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. Producing hydrogen is essential for some of the world's biggest industrial and agricultural needs, but it also comes with a steep environmental cost: Most hydrogen made today is generated through processes that release large amounts of CO2. This is due to a combination of high-heat requirements and direct emissions from the process. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-method-sustainable-hydrogen-side-benefit.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:29 EDT news707650081 Plug-in hybrids have enjoyed a surge in popularity, but a study published Thursday showed they are polluting far more than most buyers think because they rely on batteries less often than regulators expected. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-hybrids-polluting.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:30:43 EDT news707657264 One drawback of most solar cells made with efficiency-boosting perovskite is the presence of hazardous lead in the materials that turn sunlight into electricity. Next-generation solar cells made with the most promising lead-free replacement—nontoxic tin perovskite—have had their own major weakness: They don't hold up against the elements. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-raincoat-free-solar-cells-elements.html Engineering Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:20:06 EDT news707648941 A research team has developed a dual-molecule passivation technology that simultaneously improves the efficiency and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells. The research is published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The study was led by Dr. Sungjun Hong of the Photovoltaics Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), and was conducted in collaboration with professors Young Seok Park of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Kyung-Koo Lee of Kunsan National University. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-molecules-microscopic-gaps-perovskite-solar.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:00:06 EDT news707579086 To create large-scale grid energy storage that is more affordable, powerful and safe, researchers at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) decided to let a strong side reaction step into the limelight. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-salt-boost-power-grid-batteries.html Engineering Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:05 EDT news707561281 Two years ago, a new material was reported to have an unusually large lithium-ion conductivity. Now, Nagoya University researchers have uncovered why it works so well and attained its record-high room temperature conductivity among oxide-related solid electrolytes. The work has been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-potential-material-safer-li-ion.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:20:03 EDT news707475361 Researchers have created a 3D-printed electrode that could help make it easier and safer to store large amounts of renewable energy generated by wind and solar farms. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-nature-3d-large-scale-renewable.html Engineering Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:01 EDT news707475121 A new electrochemical process can rapidly strip dissolved carbon dioxide from ocean water while self-cleaning its own mineral buildup, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in Environmental Science & Technology. Because one step produces energy while another consumes it, the method could also help flex the load on the grid. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-ocean-carbon-capture-device-mineral.html Engineering Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:20:06 EDT news707397182 Refrigerators, air-conditioning systems and data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity, and cooling demand is constantly rising. A research team from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Tsukuba in Japan is presenting a new approach demonstrated by a prototype in which heat assumes the role formerly played by an electric motor. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-ultrathin-grade-cooling-electric-motor.html Engineering Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:00:10 EDT news707139961 Lithium-ion batteries power transportation and grid storage and enable our digital lives, but these ubiquitous batteries require frequent recharging and can fail over time. To make batteries more reliable and longer-lasting, researchers are exploring how to replace liquids inside batteries with a solid ceramic material that could improve their performance. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-solid-state-batteries-short-circuiting.html Engineering Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:20:03 EDT news707129281 Gold has been the safe choice for perovskite solar cells. We found a way to stop needing it. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-gold-standard-ultrathin-chromium-layer.html Electronics & Semiconductors Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:20:01 EDT news707043018 As the global push for cleaner energy intensifies, solid oxide fuel cells have emerged as a promising option. They turn hydrogen or other renewable fuels directly into electricity and heat without combustion, eliminating virtually all pollution and boosting efficiency to more than 60%. But a major downside has kept them out of everyday commercial use: They require extremely high temperatures to operate. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-forged-frozen-fuel-thermal-advances.html Engineering Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:40:09 EDT news707038741 Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) that use pure lithium (Li) for their negative electrodes are attracting significant attention because of their extremely high theoretical capacity. However, their practical applications are limited by low cycling stability and safety issues arising from dendrite formation, electrolyte breakdown and uneven solid-electrolyte interface formation. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-tri-layer-electrolyte-safety-lifespan.html Engineering Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:20:08 EDT news706960742 Fuel cells, devices that generate electricity by converting the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels via electrochemical reactions, are promising solutions for powering large electric vehicles, industrial sites and remote facilities. To drive the necessary reactions, solid oxide fuel cells rely on ceramic, heat-resistant electrolytes, solid materials that transport ions between two electrodes. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-aurivillius-materials-temperature-fuel-cells.html Electronics & Semiconductors Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:08 EDT news706866209 Evaporation, the process by which water becomes vapor and disperses into the environment, draws heat from its surroundings. This heat, also known as atmospheric thermal energy, is abundant but diffuse, making it difficult to convert into electricity. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-vertical-microrods-boost-electricity-generation.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:20:02 EDT news706793081 Concrete slowly absorbs small amounts of carbon dioxide from the air over its lifetime, a natural process sometimes proposed as a solution to the cement industry's heavy carbon footprint. But a new UCLA-led study finds that this passive absorption process is far too slow and too small in scale to meaningfully offset the emissions released when cement is made. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-concrete-natural-absorption-offset-emissions.html Engineering Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:40:04 EDT news706805348 Organic solar modules score points for their flexibility, transparency, and a particularly good environmental footprint. Wavelength-dependent transparency, in particular, is a major strength of organic photovoltaics. Researchers at the University of Freiburg and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have now succeeded in building 14.5 by 14.5- centimeter organic PV modules with an average transparency of 43.2% and an efficiency of up to 9.26%. To achieve this, they used a combination of sputtering and slot-die coating—both processes that are industrially proven and highly scalable to large module areas. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-scalable-semitransparent-pv-modules-windows.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:00:05 EDT news706803601 Persistent heat waves and below-average rainfall in spring and summer 2026 are causing drought conditions, falling groundwater levels and low river levels, including in the Rhine in Germany and elsewhere across Europe. At the same time, producing important raw materials such as green hydrogen and methanol requires considerable quantities of water. If renewable fuels are increasingly produced in regions with abundant sun and wind, the question arises as to where this water can come from. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-green-methanol-thin-air-captured.html Engineering Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:20:05 EDT news706791602 Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) power electric vehicles and most existing electronics, ranging from laptops to smartphones, tablets, smart appliances and wearable devices. These batteries charge and discharge by moving lithium ions between two electrodes, known as the anode and cathode. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-cartilage-lithium-battery-coating-cushions.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:40:06 EDT news706527054 With airlines and consumers increasingly concerned about carbon, nitrogen and hydrocarbon emissions, biofuels have emerged as a green alternative. Among these, those made from coconut oil are particularly attractive because they have fatty acid chain lengths similar to the hydrocarbon chain lengths required for jet fuel, suggesting they could make effective fuels with minimal processing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-coconut-blend-fuel-jet-difference.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:00:04 EDT news706444141 University of South Florida engineers have developed an innovative laser-based technology that is helping nuclear power plants solve a complex maintenance challenge affecting a critical reactor safety system. After four years of research, design, and testing, the custom system has been successfully tested at two Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear plants. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-laser-de-icing-nuclear-power.html Engineering Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:20:05 EDT news706377962 A research team led by Sarah S. Park from the Department of Chemistry (KAIST) has developed a new electrode material that sequentially stores zinc ions (Zn²⁺) and protons in aqueous batteries. The material is based on a two-dimensional conductive metal-organic framework (MOF), a structure in which metals and organic molecules are connected to form microscopic pores. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-troublesome-protons-energy-storage-resource.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:00:06 EDT news706369201 The rapid growth of data centers is adding enormous new demands to power grids already under pressure to connect renewable energy, retire fossil-fuel plants and electrify transportation and buildings. A recent paper published in Nature Communications proposes a different way to manage that strain: Instead of allowing developers to choose sites and then wait years in an "interconnection queue" while utilities determine whether the grid can handle them, grid planners would identify suitable locations in advance and require large data centers to operate within agreed limits. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-room-centers-derailing-energy-transition.html Engineering Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:40:04 EDT news706274799 While soaring demand for lithium-ion batteries pushes prices higher, Flinders University experts are making headway in developing a safe, more sustainable aqueous zinc-iodine rechargeable battery. In their latest study, published in Angewandte Chemie, the Flinders research team designed an aqueous zinc-ion battery (AZIB) that can be charged and discharged over 60,000 cycles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-polymer-cage-zinc-iodine-battery.html Engineering Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:20:04 EDT news706270202 A team of researchers from Adelaide University's School of Chemical Engineering has identified a new way to create an important chemical for energy storage using urea. Hydrazine, the chemical in question, is widely used in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals and rocket fuels, as well as emerging energy systems and electric vehicle batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-urine-ev-batteries-electricity-urea.html Engineering Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:40:05 EDT news706185481 Recovering valuable metals from electronic waste, mining streams and industrial waste typically requires large quantities of chemical reagents. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new molecule that could replace much of that chemistry with electricity—a fundamental advance that could potentially make metal recovery cleaner, simpler and more energy-efficient. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-built-chemical-reagents-gold-recovery.html Electronics & Semiconductors Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:20:05 EDT news705933841 Photovoltaic panels generate electricity, solar thermal collectors provide heat, while cooling is usually supplied by air conditioning systems that themselves consume electricity. As a result, buildings require different technologies competing for the limited space available on roofs and facades. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-hybrid-energy-roof-electricity-cooling.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:20:03 EDT news705924121 The moment a nuclear reactor begins operation, a complex chain of events is initiated within the fuel: Heavy atoms split into fission products, knocking other atoms out of place and creating defects that can change how the fuel swells, transfers heat and reacts chemically over time. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-hidden-pore-networks-nuclear-fuel.html Engineering Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:20:09 EDT news705841267 Magnesium supplements are gaining popularity to treat conditions such as insomnia, migraines and constipation. Most magnesium salts are extracted from rocks by crushing and heating them, which requires a lot of energy. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have developed bismuth electrodes that selectively pull magnesium ions from seawater, another abundant source of the element. They say their electrochemical approach could be more sustainable and less expensive than current methods. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-electrochemical-method-seawater-source-magnesium.html Engineering Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:03 EDT news705753901 AI data centers get a bad rap, not least because of concerns that they drive climate change by consuming massive amounts of electricity. But one potentially larger impact of AI on global carbon emissions may be that it's helping the fossil fuel industry become more productive. That's the main finding of a paper published in the journal npj Climate Action that looked at how boosting productivity across both clean and dirty energy sources affects net CO2 emissions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-ai-boost-carbon-emissions.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:40:06 EDT news705755250