Energy & Green Tech

New ocean mapping technology helps ships cut fuel use and CO₂ emissions

A UNSW academic's innovative research uses ocean currents to optimize shipping routes and reduce the environmental impact of sea transport.

13/06/2025 17:04

Optimal design could unlock the potential of bladeless wind turbines

Insights from a new study could help unlock the full potential of a developing form of smaller-scale wind power generation, researchers say.

13/06/2025 16:22

Advanced steelmaking technologies could substantially reduce carbon emissions

The long-term aspirational goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change is to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, and thereby reduce the frequency and severity of floods, droughts, wildfires, and other extreme weather events. Achieving that goal will require a massive reduction in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions across all economic sectors. A major roadblock, however, could be the industrial sector, which accounts for roughly 25% of global energy- and process-related CO2 emissions—particularly within the iron and steel sector, industry's largest emitter of CO2.

12/06/2025 23:26

Trump moves to block California electric cars program

US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed resolutions blocking California's landmark efforts to phase out gas-powered cars in favor of electric vehicles, a move the state immediately contested in court.

12/06/2025 21:54

Energy Star, on the Trump's target list, has a long history of helping consumers' wallets and the planet

Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

12/06/2025 21:46

Turning carbon dioxide into fuel just got easier, thanks to acid bubbles

A team of researchers at Rice University have discovered a surprisingly simple method for vastly improving the stability of electrochemical devices that convert carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals, and it involves nothing more than sending the CO2 through an acid bubbler.

12/06/2025 21:00

A reversal in US climate policy will send renewables investors packing—and Australia can reap the benefits

President Donald Trump is trying to unravel the signature climate policy of his predecessor Joe Biden, the Inflation Reduction Act, as part of a sweeping bid to dismantle the United States' climate ambition.

12/06/2025 19:19

Zinc–iodine battery delivers double performance of lithium-ion batteries

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a new dry electrode for aqueous batteries which delivers cathodes with more than double the performance of iodine and lithium-ion batteries.

12/06/2025 19:14

Fog harvester gets upgrade for improved water collection

A third of the world's population struggles with water scarcity. In many of these areas, fog holds water that could provide a lifeline—if only it could be captured.

12/06/2025 19:12

High-performance water electrolysis without platinum brings hydrogen economy closer

Hydrogen is gaining attention as a clean energy source that emits no carbon. Among various methods, water electrolysis, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, is recognized as an eco-friendly hydrogen production method.

11/06/2025 23:07

Novel crystal strategy yields brighter, longer-lasting all-inorganic perovskite LEDs

Perovskite has broad application prospects in solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and detectors due to its high luminescent efficiency and low cost. However, electrons and holes in traditional perovskite materials often struggle to effectively recombine and emit light. As a result, the strongly space-confined method is commonly employed to improve luminescence efficiency. Furthermore, how to enhance the brightness of LEDs and extend their lifespan has become a top research priority in this field.

11/06/2025 21:39

How your air conditioner can help the power grid, rather than overloading it

As summer arrives, people are turning on air conditioners in most of the U.S. But if you're like me, you always feel a little guilty about that. Past generations managed without air conditioning—do I really need it? And how bad is it to use all this electricity for cooling in a warming world?

11/06/2025 20:00

From plastic waste to clean hydrogen: A scalable solar-powered solution

A team of Korean scientists has developed an innovative green technology that transforms plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel using only sunlight and water.

11/06/2025 16:40

Window-sized device taps the air for safe drinking water

Today, 2.2 billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water. In the United States, more than 46 million people experience water insecurity, living with either no running water or water that is unsafe to drink. The increasing need for drinking water is stretching traditional resources such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

11/06/2025 12:00

Europe's industrial policy worsens the crises it claims to solve, say researchers

The European Union's industrial strategy, centered on Single Market Resilience, Strategic Autonomy, and Competitive Sustainability, is riddled with contradictions that risk exacerbating the very crises it seeks to address.

10/06/2025 23:15

Fire-ready? Report finds many US power utilities unprepared for wildfire risk

Evidence suggests that several of the catastrophic wildfires that struck Los Angeles earlier this year may have been sparked by electric utility infrastructure. As utilities prepare for record infrastructure demand driven by electrification, data centers, and renewables, the cost of inaction in the face of rising wildfire risk is mounting.

10/06/2025 23:02

Physics-informed neural network significantly boosts battery diagnostics

Resilient energy systems depend on reliable batteries. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries powering our world must endure the steady strain of time, charge cycles, and environmental conditions that gradually wear them out through degradation.

10/06/2025 22:46

9 myths about electric vehicles have taken hold. A new study shows how many people fall for them

More people believe misinformation about electric vehicles than disagree with it and even EV owners tend to believe the myths, our new research shows.

10/06/2025 20:30

How the 'Big Beautiful Bill' positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

When it comes to energy policy, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act"—the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill that House Republicans passed in May 2025—risks raising Americans' energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

10/06/2025 19:54

Offshore hydrogen production affects the North Sea: Study offers strategies for environmentally friendly expansion

Green hydrogen is a key part of the energy transition. In the coming years, it'll be made in wind farms in the German Bight. With recent technology, this process creates waste heat and brine, which are both dumped into the sea.

10/06/2025 19:12

CO-TENG: An origami-inspired self-powering sensor for smart wearables

Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, has evolved from a primarily ceremonial and decorative practice to an important tool in science and technology. With its applications ranging from solar panels in space to self-assembling robots, origami has revolutionized the design of modern engineering solutions.

10/06/2025 19:03

New tech gives second life to plastic farm waste

In a study published in the journal Recycling, the research team analyzed the thermal, physical and mechanical properties of various plastic waste materials to determine the optimal temperature to process them using a groundbreaking, cost-efficient melting machine developed by partner company Ritchie Technology (Rtec).

10/06/2025 18:50

UK pumps £14 bn into nuclear plant on path to net zero

The UK government Tuesday said it will invest billions of pounds in the new Sizewell C nuclear power plant as it strives to meet net zero and energy security targets.

10/06/2025 18:40

Researchers fight cyber threats at aging US hydropower system

Washington generates more hydroelectricity than any other state, so it is fitting that research to protect the critical infrastructure responsible for generating this power is happening right here in the Tri-Cities, at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

10/06/2025 18:22

Sunny Greece struggles with solar energy overload

In a field in central Greece that once grew clover and corn, maintenance worker Nikos Zigomitros deftly drives a tractor between rows of solar panels, trimming weeds under a blazing sun.

10/06/2025 11:43

Carbon capture method mines cement ingredients from the air

University of Michigan chemist Charles McCrory and his research group, along with Jesús Velázquez's lab at the University of California, Davis and Anastassia Alexandrova's lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, have developed a method to capture carbon dioxide and turn it into metal oxalates, which then can be used as precursors for cement production.

09/06/2025 23:01

Bubbles are key to new surface coating method for lightweight magnesium alloys

A team led by a researcher from Tokyo Metropolitan University has devised a new way of coating magnesium alloys to improve their corrosion resistance. Instead of costly, unwieldy, and slower coating techniques under vacuum, they used liquid-based chemical conversion coating with the addition of cavitation bubbles.

09/06/2025 22:27

Study sheds light on solar farm impacts to property values

As solar energy becomes more affordable and widespread, farmland has emerged as a prime location for large-scale solar development. But with this expansion comes a persistent question: Do nearby property values suffer when solar farms move in?

09/06/2025 22:00

Solid-state batteries are big news at the moment: What are they and why are people so excited?

Bog-standard batteries consist of electrochemical cells sandwiched together.

09/06/2025 21:41

New metal design for solid-state batteries enables operation at lower pressures

Lithium-ion batteries power everything from electric cars to laptops to leaf blowers. Despite their widespread adoption, lithium-ion batteries carry limited amounts of energy, and rare overheating can lead to safety concerns. Consequently, for decades, researchers have sought a more reliable battery.

09/06/2025 20:08