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. To mitigate climate change and limit global warming to within 1.5°C, scaling up global renewable energy capacity is an important goal. However, the transition to clean energy faces significant resource constraints. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-life-cleaner-biodiesel-pathways-feedstocks.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 29 Aug 2026 08:00:10 EDT news707112693 As the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, the disposal of spent EV batteries is emerging as a major social and environmental challenge. Wastewater generated during conventional battery recycling processes can contain high concentrations of heavy metals, posing risks of soil and groundwater contamination. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-key-recycling-spent-ev-batteries.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:20:05 EDT news707141761 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 A new study challenges one of the most deeply rooted assumptions in civil engineering: that using recycled materials in structural concrete inevitably means sacrificing strength. Researchers from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, in collaboration with the University of Surrey, have demonstrated that recycled aggregates can be incorporated into concrete without compromising performance—provided certain technical limits are respected. The findings are published in the journal Construction and Building Materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-recycled-aggregates-concrete-strength.html Engineering Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:00:01 EDT news707138349 Dutch students on Friday celebrated a successful trial in Kenya of what they say is the world's first solar-powered ambulance, hoping to bring vital medical care to remote regions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-game-changer-solar-ambulance-kenya.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:11:33 EDT news707137874 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 The Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland, which was shut down multiple times over the past two months because of summer heat waves, is fully operational again, Swiss energy company Axpo said Friday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-swiss-nuclear-fully-online.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:40:04 EDT news707127805 A study by the University of Bayreuth examines the material requirements of wind energy expansion in Germany and identifies ways in which resource consumption can be reduced in the future. The study focuses on the material flows associated with wind turbines and on how materials can be saved through resource-efficient repowering and the reuse of existing infrastructure. The findings were published in the journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-potential-material-requirements-energy-expansion.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:40:05 EDT news707034247 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 In nuclear power plants, primary coolant piping systems are designed to maintain the structural integrity of the nuclear reactor under normal operating conditions. A pipe rupture that can result in a loss-of-coolant accident is a key consideration in this design and an important safety concern. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-probabilistic-analysis-nuclear-safety.html Engineering Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:07 EDT news707060944 The war in Iran has strangled one of the world's most important oil-producing regions and trade routes, and gas prices have soared. UC Santa Barbara's Paasha Mahdavi, associate professor of political science and affiliated faculty at the Bren School, argues that the current conflict provides a unique opportunity to transition toward renewable energy. He sat down to discuss how circumstances have aligned, why countries are digging in their heels and what solutions are actually working. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-war-iran-transition-fossil-fuels.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:00:09 EDT news706954017 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 The U.S. Army announced Wednesday that it plans to add nuclear microreactors at five military bases from New York to Texas as a reliable source of energy independent of the commercial electric grid. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-army-2b-nuclear-microreactors-bases.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 27 Aug 2026 04:04:48 EDT news707022265 Researchers from Korea have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-guided optimization framework that dramatically reduces the computational effort needed to optimize solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) operation. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-ai-framework-optimize-solid-oxide.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:20:05 EDT news706979299 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 Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells achieve significantly higher efficiencies than silicon solar cells on their own. One particularly attractive method is co-evaporation of the perovskite precursor molecules on top of the silicon subcell. Scientists at HZB have analyzed film growth on the nanoscale at BESSY II and found a new way to improve the quality of the perovskite layer: Adding a thin seed layer of cesium chloride between the two subcells promotes uniform perovskite growth and suppresses the formation of undesired lead iodide at the interface. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-cesium-chloride-seed-layer-vacuum.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:00:12 EDT news706874521 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 The U.S. is ready to build more nuclear reactors, but a dwindling network of research reactors capable of testing new nuclear fuels for commercial use presents a major bottleneck. With a long record of success in innovation and fuel experimentation, the Department of Energy's (DOE) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is one of the few research reactors equipped to clear the backlog and support accelerated fuel development and qualification. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-high-flux-reactor-nuclear-fuels.html Engineering Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:40:03 EDT news706890661 Researchers at AIST, in collaboration with Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd., Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and Kyoto University, have developed a technology that transitions microbial communities in fermentation-industry wastewater treatment plants from nitrogen-removal to nitrogen-recovery types. The work is published in the journal Water Research. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-disposal-reuse-oxygen-ammonia-recovery.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:20:03 EDT news706874593 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 Developing safer solid-state batteries requires replacing flammable organic liquid electrolytes with solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) that can conduct ions well, remain stable and have suitable mechanical properties. As interest in SSEs has grown, so has the volume of research in the field. However, the reported data remain scattered across the literature and vary widely in format and completeness, making systematic comparisons and the direct use of literature data for machine learning difficult. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-digbat-ai-ready-digital-platform.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:40:02 EDT news706859890 Wind farms have received criticism in recent years for their potential to harm wildlife, a notable issue in western North America, where some farms are located near populations of protected bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-turbine-tactics-biologists-successfully-golden.html Engineering Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:20:01 EDT news706855862 In partnership with A.J. Tuck Company, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new manufacturing approach that could simplify production of critical components for advanced nuclear reactors and other energy and defense applications. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-hybrid-nuclear-bottlenecks.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:00:07 EDT news706851542 Hydrogen gas (H₂) is widely regarded as a promising clean energy source. By weight, it stores nearly three times more energy than gasoline, and its use does not directly release carbon dioxide (CO₂). Yet most H₂ is still produced from fossil fuels through CO₂-intensive processes. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-baker-yeast-green-hydrogen-alcohols.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 25 Aug 2026 06:58:12 EDT news706859873 Cement is one of the most consumed materials globally, second only to water. However, the world's enormous appetite for cement also has an environmental cost: Its production generates more than a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, nearly 8% of total global emissions. Now, researchers at Stanford University are developing an electrically powered plasma-heating method to produce cement without burning fossil fuels. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-electrified-plasma-carbon-route-cement.html Engineering Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:00:10 EDT news706777049 For decades, nuclear fusion has been the physicist's dream: abundant, carbon-free power drawn from the same reaction that keeps the sun burning. Now it might be shifting from scientific ambition to industrial reality. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-humanity-mimic-stars.html Business Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:20:01 EDT news706794303 A technology that boosts condensation heat transfer performance by up to 5.5 times that of conventional copper surfaces has been developed by helping water droplets form more readily and detach more quickly. It is expected to improve the energy efficiency of power plants and desalination facilities and enhance the cooling performance of electronic devices. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-copper-tubes-gain-condensation-boost.html Engineering Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:00:05 EDT news706806842 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 Can electric vehicles charge quickly without sacrificing battery longevity? A KAIST research team has identified a potential solution using a three-dimensional digital twin—a virtual model that recreates the internal microstructure of a real battery electrode. In their work published in the journal InfoMat, the team found that fast-charging performance and degradation behavior are influenced not only by the amounts of materials and pore space within the electrode, but also by how they are distributed. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-mechanical-route-faster-longer-ev.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:20:07 EDT news706803001