Energy & Green Tech

Intelligent sensors cut energy use by enabling more efficient decision-making

Your home's thermostat relies on a sensor to determine when to switch the heat or air conditioning on or off. These wireless sensors are at the core of the so-called "Internet of Things," enabling smart devices to collect and share data.

02/06/2025 18:28

DERConnect test bed helps shape future of energy management

Finding the optimal balance between energy generation and energy use is proving critical as California aims for a power grid that is 100% powered by renewable energy sources by 2045.

02/06/2025 18:03

Recycling contaminated soil from Fukushima: Japan's dilemma

To reduce radiation across Japan's northern Fukushima region after the 2011 nuclear disaster, authorities scraped a layer of contaminated soil from swaths of land.

01/06/2025 13:30

India, a major user of coal power, is making large gains in clean energy adoption. Here is how

One of the most carbon-polluting countries, India is also making huge efforts to harness the power of the sun, wind and other clean energy sources.

01/06/2025 13:22

Green technology uses corn stover to produce high-value bioderivatives and generate savings

In a study published in the Biofuel Research Journal, researchers affiliated with the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR) in Brazil evaluated the efficiency and environmental impact of using corn stover with a technique that uses pure water as the only solvent for extracting bioderivatives.

30/05/2025 21:02

Next-generation materials offer integrated solutions to water treatment challenges

The water we use every day is purified in wastewater treatment plants and discharged into rivers, and in recent years, the reuse of treated water for domestic and industrial use has been expanding to solve the water shortage problem.

30/05/2025 20:58

New research method provides deeper insights into the cost of power outages

When a series of snowstorms rocked Texas in February 2021, widespread power outages knocked out electricity service for more than 10 million people, some for more than three days. The state suffered economic losses estimated to be as high as $130 billion.

30/05/2025 18:20

Certification standards under scrutiny as Australia sets sights on green hydrogen export

In a study, Monash engineers have looked at how well Australia's main electricity market supports truly green hydrogen. The work is published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

30/05/2025 16:00

Court backs California Coastal Commission in fight over offshore oil operation

Just days after a Texas oil firm shocked California environmentalists and regulators by announcing the resumption of offshore oil production along the Santa Barbara County coast, a court has ordered the company to cease further construction or repairs until it obtains official approvals.

30/05/2025 14:09

Goods delivered by nuclear power? UN agency chief meets Greek shipowners to discuss the idea

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, met with Greek shipowners on Thursday to discuss the potential use of nuclear power in future global goods transportation.

29/05/2025 22:38

EV battery recycling key to easing future lithium supply constraints, modeling study shows

Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries are crucial for the transition to electric vehicles, and global demand for lithium is set to grow rapidly over the next 25 years. A new analysis from the University of California, Davis, published May 29 in Nature Sustainability, looks at how new mining operations and battery recycling could meet that demand. Recycling could play a big role in easing supply constraints, the researchers found.

29/05/2025 22:01

Geopolymer technology turns recycled glass and construction waste into a durable and green construction material

With global population growth accelerating urban expansion, construction activity has reached unprecedented levels—placing immense pressure on both natural resources as well as the environment. A cornerstone of modern-day infrastructure, Ordinary Portland Cement remains the most effective and commonly used soil solidifier despite contributing substantially to global carbon emissions.

29/05/2025 21:51

Solar power system installations impact less than 1% of agricultural land in Arkansas

Large-scale solar power arrays occupy about 0.2% of agricultural land in Arkansas, according to an analysis by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

29/05/2025 21:50

Razor-thin solution makes fuel cells cheaper and more environmentally friendly

Fuel cells that run on hydrogen are efficient and emit water vapor instead of exhaust. But so far, the technology is still expensive and therefore not competitive with the electric motor alternative.

29/05/2025 17:06

Virtual models enable real-time decision making for next-generation nuclear reactors

Digital twins are a virtual copy of a real-world system. They are a transformative tool that can assist scientists across numerous disciplines. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have created a digital twin technology that could make nuclear reactors more efficient, reliable and safe. This technology uses advanced computer models and artificial intelligence (AI) to predict how reactors will behave, helping operators make decisions in real time.

29/05/2025 16:15

Ultra-thin protective coating boosts cadmium telluride solar cell performance by 13%

An NYU Tandon-led research team has developed a novel technique to significantly enhance the performance of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells. Unlike conventional silicon panels that use thick layers of silicon, these solar cells use a simpler, less expensive approach—depositing an ultra-thin layer of cadmium and tellurium compounds onto glass.

28/05/2025 23:15

Critical minerals don't belong in landfills. Microwave tech offers a cleaner way to reclaim them from e-waste

When the computer or phone you're using right now blinks its last blink and you drop it off for recycling, do you know what happens?

28/05/2025 20:10

Composite material keeps solar panels cool, boosting longevity by more than 200%

A team of international researchers led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia has developed a new composite material made of acrylate that enhances the performance of solar cells. Adhering the composite material to solar cells deployed in Saudi Arabia for weeks significantly raised the power output and longevity while reducing the electricity consumed by the cells. The study can be read in Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports.

28/05/2025 19:23

Electric buses don't like the cold, study finds

In 2021, Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) in Ithaca received a grant to procure seven all-electric buses and began a pilot program that didn't go as they'd hoped. In addition to issues with the manufacturers, the buses struggled in Ithaca's hilly terrain and were unreliable, with reduced range, in cold weather.

28/05/2025 18:42

An energy-efficient, high-precision measurement system using waveform similarity

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed an energy-efficient and high-precision measurement system leveraging the inherent similarity between waveforms generated by the same type of signal source.

28/05/2025 13:37

Ban fossil fuel heating systems? A way out of the war of beliefs

In several industrialized countries, governments are backing away from controversial building energy legislation that sought to ban oil and gas heating and replace them with fossil-free systems.

27/05/2025 23:41

Smart measures to reduce your electricity bill

Would you adjust your electricity consumption if you received a notification on your mobile phone telling you when electricity was going to be most expensive the following day? Research shows that good information can influence our energy consumption.

27/05/2025 23:15

Next-generation EV batteries: Scientists solve high-nickel cathode challenge, reducing residual lithium

Researchers have resolved a long-standing challenge in high-Ni cathode materials, a key component of next-generation electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The team successfully reidentified the location of residual Li compounds, which have long been considered a chronic issue in high-Ni cathodes, and proposed a new material design strategy to significantly minimize residual lithium content.

27/05/2025 20:24

Researchers design cryogenic hydrogen storage and delivery system for next-generation aircraft

Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have designed a liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system that could help make zero-emission aviation a reality. Their work outlines a scalable, integrated system that addresses several engineering challenges at once by enabling hydrogen to be used as a clean fuel and also as a built-in cooling medium for critical power systems aboard electric-powered aircraft.

27/05/2025 18:54

Global race for future battery technologies: Europe and the US are trailing Asia

Next-generation battery technologies play an important role in the energy and mobility transition. A research team from the Universities of Münster (Germany) and Cambridge (United Kingdom) and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production (Fraunhofer FFB), Münster, has analyzed global competition in this field by comparing patents and innovation strategies across various regions, focusing on next-generation battery technologies for electric vehicles.

27/05/2025 18:48

Prototype sodium-air fuel cell could power electric planes and trains

Batteries are nearing their limits in terms of how much power they can store for a given weight. That's a serious obstacle for energy innovation and the search for new ways to power airplanes, trains, and ships. Now, researchers at MIT and elsewhere have come up with a solution that could help electrify these transportation systems.

27/05/2025 18:00

Nuclear option: Indonesia seeks to grow energy, cut emissions

Indonesia is hoping going nuclear can help it meet soaring energy demand while taming emissions, but faces serious challenges to its goal of the first small modular reactor by 2032.

27/05/2025 11:20

Novel elastic alloy achieves 20x temperature change and 90% Carnot efficiency in solid-state heat pumping

Researchers at the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a novel elastic alloy called Ti78Nb22, which achieves remarkable efficiency for solid-state heat pumping and exhibits a reversible temperature change (ΔT) ability that is 20 times greater than that of conventional metals when stretched or compressed, offering a promising green alternative to traditional vapor-compression heating and cooling technologies.

26/05/2025 22:40

Proposed wave energy park could generate power while shielding Portuguese coastline

A study by researchers from the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) analyzes the potential and feasibility of a wave energy converter park off the coast of Esposende, Portugal, with the dual aim of producing electricity from renewable sources and promoting coastal protection by mitigating local sea waves.

26/05/2025 21:11

Engineered interface layer extends life and enhances safety of next-generation lithium-metal batteries

A research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled a novel surface processing technique that prolongs the lifespan of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) while reducing explosion risk.

26/05/2025 17:25