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. 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 For centuries, useful metals have been developed by starting with one core element and adding small amounts of other elements. Steel, for example, is composed primarily of iron; carbon is added in varied amounts to produce different grades of steel. Bronze is made up of copper and tin. These mixtures are known as alloys. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-class-metals-africa-energy-economy.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:20:03 EDT news705842388 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 The development of traction batteries for electric vehicles is becoming increasingly complex. Electrical performance, thermal behavior and mechanical safety interact closely and require integrated solutions. At the same time, uniform design standards have been lacking. This creates disadvantages. In the event of an accident, it makes it more difficult for emergency responders to safely handle damaged or burning batteries, and recycling is also much more complicated because of inconsistent designs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-oil-cooling-ev-batteries-safer.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:00:04 EDT news705830221 The world's rapid shift to solar power is creating a massive new waste problem, with up to 402 million tonnes (443 million tons) of discarded solar panels projected to accumulate globally by 2060, according to new research involving Adelaide University. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-photovoltaic-billion-industry.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:00:01 EDT news705821307 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 As the world searches for sources of low-emission energy, researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) have uncovered a potential clean energy game-changer beneath Western Australia's red soil. The new study has revealed a way to generate naturally occurring hydrogen that ECU experts say could help power Australia's future—and create a major export industry. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-green-hydrogen-goldmine-discovery-hidden.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:40:08 EDT news705746161 Smartwatches, phones and even some drones rely on lightweight, rechargeable energy storage systems. Once those devices wear out, many end up as electronic waste. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have developed a compact supercapacitor that can be quickly disassembled into reusable components. They used the devices to power a glider's propeller and then took apart one supercapacitor and sequentially reused parts in two new ones that performed as well as the original device. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-energy-storage-device-recycled.html Electronics & Semiconductors Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:40:06 EDT news705745561 Cement is one of the most in-demand building materials of our time. Every year, around 4 billion tonnes are produced. Cement production is energy-intensive, and greenhouse gases are emitted during the process—particularly during the thermal decomposition of limestone, the most important natural raw material for cement. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-cement-atmosphere.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:13:37 EDT news705741200 A major review of current mitigation strategies to prevent bird and bat collisions with wind turbines concludes that future wildlife-safe wind energy will depend on smarter, combined approaches that balance biodiversity protection with renewable energy production. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-farms-smarter-site-specific-strategies.html Engineering Wed, 12 Aug 2026 07:40:01 EDT news705735917 Chinese scientists have developed a method that could facilitate the large-scale production of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. The method employs a multidentate anchoring molecule-assisted co-deposition strategy to improve the fabrication of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) through blade coating—a technique that applies a thin film to a substrate with a blade and is suitable for large-scale manufacturing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-blade-coating-strategy-advances-scalable.html Engineering Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:40:02 EDT news705680821 Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are increasingly popular alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. Sodium (Na) is much more abundant in Earth's crust than lithium, creating an opportunity for lower costs. In addition, SIBs offer enhanced safety and low-temperature performance. Indeed, SIBs are already being commercialized for applications ranging from portable electronics to electric vehicles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-scandium-durability-sodium-ion-battery.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:00:09 EDT news705678661 The electric grid has never mattered more—or faced more pressure. As transportation, buildings and industry electrify, ever more of modern life runs through the same network of wires. At the same time, the grid is being reshaped from both ends. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-vision-reality-neural-solver-power.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:40:03 EDT news705677101 A McGill University study recommends that cold-climate cities increase their electric bus fleets and expand charging capacity so vehicles can be charged slowly, a process that draws less power from the grid than fast charging. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-electric-buses-cold-climates-optimizing.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:40:09 EDT news705664562 A nuclear plant in northern France shut down three reactors after a swarm of jellyfish clogged pumps used to cool the units, energy group EDF said Tuesday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-jellyfish-shutdown-reactors-french-nuclear.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:00:03 EDT news705664309 A study of Bradfield City's First Building green roof confirms that combining native rooftop gardens with solar panels reduces urban heat, increases renewable energy generation and supports local biodiversity. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-biosolar-roof-standard-climate-resilient.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:20:08 EDT news705661802 Australia's growing mountain of solar panel waste could become far more valuable, with University of Newcastle researchers taking a major step toward making solar panel recycling economically sustainable. The team has successfully scaled up a process that recovers valuable silver from end-of-life solar panels, demonstrating almost 100% silver recovery during the world's first continuous pilot-scale flotation trial for solar-panel recycling. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-flotation-recovers-silver-solar-panel.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:40:05 EDT news705658641 One of the most promising technologies is perovskite solar cells. They are highly efficient at converting sunlight into electricity, can be manufactured as thin and flexible devices, and require less energy and lower production costs than conventional silicon modules. However, their commercial adoption has long been limited by a fundamental challenge—insufficient long-term stability when exposed to moisture, heat and oxygen. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-neutral-salt-layer-perovskite-solar.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:20:01 EDT news705657121 Most batteries spend more than 70% of their lifetime at rest. Yet few studies have examined calendar aging, which is how a battery degrades when it is neither charging nor being used. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-aim-battery-aging-idle.html Engineering Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:40:05 EDT news705601261 A new study by University of Mannheim researchers Gunther Glenk, Philip Holler and Stefan Reichelstein examines how the assessment of carbon emissions affects incentives for producing electrolytic hydrogen. They found that even stringent accounting rules generally provide sufficient investment incentives. However, they do not necessarily guarantee low-carbon hydrogen. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-carbon-accounting-hydrogen-investment-emissions.html Business Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:20:02 EDT news705595802 In the last decade, scientists have shown that fusion energy can work as a physical process. Next question: Can it work economically? A study co-authored by MIT professors Dennis Whyte and Andrew W. Lo proposes a framework for understanding what's needed to make fusion energy commercially viable in the marketplace. The method considers the physical inputs needed to sustain controlled fusion energy production, as well as the cost of building power plants that can compete in energy markets. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-economic-realities-fusion-power-framework.html Business Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:00:04 EDT news705595681 Cornell researchers are using artificial intelligence to speed the search for better battery materials while using a creative approach to chemistry to expand the design space for electrolytes, unlocking new possibilities for safer, higher-performing energy storage. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-ai-electrolyte-paths-batteries.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:00:09 EDT news705577981 Residents of Moerdijk, a small Dutch port village that survived World War II bombing and subsequent flooding, are facing a new existential challenge: the threat of being bulldozed in the name of clean energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-energy-transition-threatens-dutch-village.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 10 Aug 2026 03:10:03 EDT news705548422 European energy operators are braced for next week's solar eclipse, which is expected to cause a temporary dip in power generation, and have taken steps to keep electricity flowing to businesses and consumers, an industry body said Friday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-europe-readies-solar-eclipse-dip.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 08 Aug 2026 08:40:03 EDT news705380978 Keele scientists have developed a new kind of electrolyzer that produces both hydrogen and the base materials for sustainable plastic production, opening avenues for a range of applications in green technology and sustainable development. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-electrolyzer-enables-hydrogen-sustainable-plastics.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 08 Aug 2026 07:40:04 EDT news705309924 Amazon confirmed Friday that it is financing a massive private gas power plant in Texas that could become the single-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-amazon-massive-private-gas-centers.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 08 Aug 2026 07:00:05 EDT news705380546 On paper, a megawatt-hour is just a megawatt-hour; it will charge your phone or run your dishwasher the same way, regardless of the source. However, its value to, or impact on, the environment is not fixed. It depends almost entirely on what power plant it replaces. A new wind turbine only helps the climate and local air quality to the extent that it pushes a more polluting plant offline. If instead it is just competing with another clean energy source, the environmental benefit effectively disappears. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-power-emissions-equally-impact.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news705311041 Researchers have developed a process for converting carbon dioxide and industrial waste into green hydrogen, reporting in a new study that turning trash into valuable mineral products could usher in a more efficient way to produce clean fuel. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-chemists-industrial-renewable-resource.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:40:03 EDT news705249181