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. 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 Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste—such as drink bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams—using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting it into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals. The results are reported in the journal Joule. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-reactor-battery-acid-plastic.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:00:01 EDT news694425241 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 climate change. However, research out of Northeastern University says otherwise. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-expose-fossil-fuel-companies-communications.html Business Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:30:01 EDT news694678826 Rice University scientists and collaborators have created a new type of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor that comes closer than ever to a "perfect" crystal. The findings, reported in the journal Nature Synthesis, could open new possibilities for solar cells and other optoelectronic devices. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-symmetrical-2d-perovskite-boost-tandem.html Electronics & Semiconductors Sat, 04 Apr 2026 07:20:02 EDT news694505521 A research team has developed a next-generation platinum-based catalyst that improves both activity and durability in hydrogen fuel cells. The study is published in Advanced Materials. The team was led by Professor Sang Uck Lee of the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, with Ph.D. candidate Jun Ho Seok as a co-first author and Dr. Sung Chan Cho, in collaboration with Professor Kwangyeol Lee's team at Korea University and Dr. Sung Jong Yoo's team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-fuel-cell-barriers-platinum-catalyst.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news694431421 A Japanese water plant is harnessing the natural process of osmosis to generate renewable energy that could one day become a common power source. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-energy-japanese-harness-power-osmosis.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:45:09 EDT news694410270 As the demand for more reliable power systems grows in the renewable energy sector, the race is on to develop batteries that cost less but have a longer lifespan. While zinc-based batteries are safer and more cost-effective than lithium-ion batteries, a major obstacle to their use in large-scale, grid storage is their shorter lifespan. They fail sooner because they develop tiny, tree-shaped metal structures on the anode called dendrites, which cause the battery to short-circuit. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-gold-coating-zinc-batteries.html Engineering Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:40:03 EDT news694354561 In a study focused on New York City, MIT researchers have shown that existing sensors and mobile data can be used to generate a near real-time, high-resolution picture of auto emissions, which could be used to develop local transportation and decarbonization policies. The paper, "Ubiquitous Data-driven Framework for Traffic Emission Estimation and Policy Evaluation," is published in Nature Sustainability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-traffic-emissions-block-real.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:03 EDT news694348321 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 excess energy and feeding it back into the grid when demand surges. This approach could ease grid strain, cut emissions, and create revenue—but only if gradually paired with timely grid upgrades. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-electric-vehicles-power.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:00:01 EDT news694252984 In an industrial park in Zhangjiagang, a small city on China's east coast, a large humming and hissing machine feeds on piles of used clothes and sorts them. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-machine-faster-humans-boost.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:08:56 EDT news694310894 Every day, more than 44,000 flights overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) take off and land nationwide, coordinated by people working out of airport traffic control towers (ATCTs). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-analysis-air-traffic-towers-grid.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news694258468 As the electric vehicle and energy storage system (ESS) markets experience rapid growth, the development of next-generation batteries capable of surpassing the energy density limitations of existing lithium-ion batteries is drawing significant attention. Among these, the lithium-air battery is considered a technology with the potential to dramatically increase electric vehicle range, as it can theoretically achieve an energy density more than 10 times that of lithium-ion batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-lithium-air-batteries-barriers-newly.html Engineering Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:03 EDT news694266662 A study by the EHU-University of the Basque Country shows how biomass can be used as an alternative in commercial batteries, thus making them more sustainable. The research is published in the Journal of Power Sources. Dr. Nekane Nieto of the EHU's Materials and Solid-State Group has proven that batteries made from biomass materials not only store sufficient energy, but can also withstand up to 1,000 charge and discharge cycles. This discovery paves the way for more environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional batteries, which are more expensive and pollute more. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-rechargeable-batteries-sunflower-seed-shells.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news694257841 Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have unveiled a tool to combat climate change, fossil-fuel dependency, skyrocketing home-heating bills, and gentrification all at once—a simple fabric treated with a special photothermal dye that, when placed on outside walls, can help keep a home 8.64ºF warmer over the course of a day. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-photothermal-fabric-panels-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:40:05 EDT news694249949 Recent disruptions to oil supply in the Middle East have sent energy prices soaring, reminding countries how vulnerable they remain to imported fossil fuels. At the same time, global electricity demand is expected to almost triple by 2050. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-underwater-turbines-gaining-global-potential.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:00:02 EDT news694183283 As a response to the global demand for clean energy transition, tandem solar cells are recognized as a crucial next-generation technology that will significantly improve solar power efficiency. Scholars from Lingnan University's Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies (WJYSIS) and their collaborators have innovatively developed a novel interfacial structure that substantially reduces energy loss and successfully overcomes the current limitations of perovskite solar cells in voltage, further improving the efficiency of converting sunlight into electricity. Their findings are published in Nature Communications. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-interfacial-highly-efficient-stable-tandem.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:50:02 EDT news694187123 Quebec's winters are notoriously long, cold and energy intensive. And even though Hydro-Québec provides abundant, relatively inexpensive electricity, waste and efficiency remain serious concerns. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-quebec-residential-energy-demographics-age.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:50:03 EDT news694183353 A joint research team from the Helmut Schmidt University/ University of the Bundeswehr in Hamburg and the Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon has developed and presented an innovative metal hydride compressor system. For the first time, hydrogen takes on a dual function: it serves not only as the medium to be compressed but also simultaneously as a heat transfer agent. The results were recently published in the journal Communications Engineering and have been patented in advance. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-hydrogen-coolant-gas-metal-hydride.html Engineering Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:20:05 EDT news694185542 In Japan, alongside rapid population aging, the number of older adults living alone is increasing. New research has revealed that rapid demographic changes—population aging together with the increase in single-person households—pose structural risks for both decarbonization and energy sufficiency. Addressing this challenge will require the redesign of cross-sectoral policies extending beyond climate and energy policies alone, encompassing housing, urban, and social policy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-aging-societies-people-decarbonization-worsen.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:40:04 EDT news694175280 A new way of making sustainable aviation fuel that could cut the reliance on used cooking oil as a feedstock has been developed by a team of engineers led by the University of Sheffield. The new technique captures CO2 from the air, combines it with hydrogen, and then heats it using concentrated solar energy to produce the fuel. For their study published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers used comprehensive computer modeling and simulation to understand how and where this first-of-a-kind technology could function at an industrial scale. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-solar-energy-key-sustainable-aviation.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:20:03 EDT news694177852 A month into war with Iran, the U.S. government has opened its strategic oil reserve and temporarily lifted sanctions against Russian (and Iranian) oil and gas to combat rising fuel prices and calm financial markets. Even if the conflict ended today, energy experts estimate a ripple effect could last months or even years. Could a fossil fuel crunch catalyze a global pivot toward greener, more sustainable, energy practices? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-qa-oil-prices-political-uncertainty.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:24:01 EDT news694174791 New types of semiconductor devices that respond to light could be possible using materials called perovskites, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The work, published in Advanced Materials, shows that halide perovskite crystals reversibly change shape when exposed to light. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-perovskite-crystal-lattice-devices.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:20:06 EDT news694166401 Solar cells, devices that can convert sunlight into electricity, are among the most promising solutions to source energy without contributing to air pollution. While most commercially available solar cells are based on silicon, energy researchers have been exploring the potential of other materials that could be more affordable and might yield better power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-molecular-additive-boosts-silicon-perovskite.html Engineering Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:30:01 EDT news694094756 A research team from Taiwan has developed a novel hybrid air-conditioning system integrating shallow geothermal energy and a desiccant wheel. Field tests confirm it significantly reduces energy consumption by up to 34.3% in hot and humid climates, offering a promising solution for net-zero buildings. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-hybrid-desiccant-shallow-geothermal-cooling.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:20:09 EDT news694101065 Researchers at the University of Sharjah have demonstrated that concrete can be reinforced using polymer plates instead of steel bars, with the new material showing superior strength, ductility, and energy dissipation. The details of their findings, published in the journal Construction and Building Materials, could pave the way for more sustainable and environmentally friendly construction materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-eco-friendly-plastic-plates-steel.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:20:04 EDT news694091762 Alkaline industrial wastewaters from steel or cement production are ideally suited to bind and sequester carbon dioxide (CO₂) chemically, safely, and for the long term. This is the result of a study conducted by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. Until now, this wastewater has been disposed of into rivers without using its CO2-sequestration capacity. In the future, it could neutralize millions of tons of CO₂—offering an attractive and implementable option to mitigate climate change. The study was recently published in the journal Environment, Science & Technology Letters. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-alkaline-steel-cement-wastewater-capture.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:40:05 EDT news694087682 The world cannot have enough of the third element on the periodic table. From smartphones and laptops to state-of-the-art EVs, all are powered by lithium batteries. The demand for metal is only going to rise, and projected values suggest nearly a triple increase in demand by 2030. The traditional process of lithium mining is both water and energy-hungry. One such step is the dissolution of lithium salts from other competing minerals during the separation process. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-hygroscopic-salts-lithium-moisture-air.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:40:04 EDT news694085480 Aside from oil, rare earth elements may be the most buzzworthy thing coming out of the ground these days. Headlines trumpet news about new partnerships to produce rare earths, warn of potential shortages and analyze steps to curb China's role in rare earth markets. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-rare-earth-elements.html Energy & Green Tech Sun, 29 Mar 2026 14:30:03 EDT news693482668 A new battery design that could significantly extend the range of electric vehicles and the lifespan of portable electronics has been developed by researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI). In a study published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, researchers introduce a novel lithium-ion battery anode that delivers some of the highest energy storage capacities reported for silicon–carbon nanotube systems, while maintaining stability over hundreds of charge cycles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-lithium-ion-battery-power-longer.html Energy & Green Tech Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:20 EDT news693754399 Perovskite solar cells are among the most promising technologies for making solar power cheaper and more efficient. Working with partners from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton), and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the team uncovered the microscopic mechanisms behind the deterioration of the material through temperature swings and developed a strategy to prevent it. Their approach focuses on stabilizing the fragile crystal structure with specially designed molecular "anchors." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-molecular-anchors-key-weather-resistant.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news693826593