Energy
Transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy is key to tackling climate change. Here you can find the latest good news related to our clean energy transition, covering wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, and more.
This electric vehicle battery achieves a longer range with shorter charging times
A big priority for the electric vehicle industry is improving battery technology to boost the range of these cars. A couple of months ago we shared a story about a start-up that is creating longer-range batteries without environmentally-taxing precious metals. Now, the Korea Institute of Science Read More...
Microgrids are restoring power to rural Australians after the bushfires
For years, the Optimist Daily has been a vocal advocate of microgrids for their ability to provide a reliable, low-cost source of clean energy to local areas. On top of that, microgrids are optimal because they don’t rely on a national grid and can function separately even if a national grid Read More...
Novel generator produces electricity by using moisture in the air
Harvesting renewable energy offers the promise of a cleaner and greener planet, but solar and wind technologies tend to rely on specific environmental conditions that restrict where they can be deployed and limit their potential for continuous energy production. An experimental new device, however, Read More...
Even Cadillac is unveiling an all-electric car
For generations, Cadillac has been a symbol of luxury in the automobile industry. Now, luxury is going green with the unveiling of its first all-electric vehicle. The electric crossover will debut at the National Auto Dealer Association in April. The vehicle runs using Cadillac’s BEV3 platform Read More...
The largest oil refinery on the East Coast is closing for good
It’s official! On Thursday, a federal judge finally confirmed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan of Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), the company that ran the benzene-polluting mega refinery that closed after bursting into flames last June. The plan includes the sale of PES’s 1,300-acre Read More...
Canada to start building its largest solar farm ever this year
A recent $500 million investment from Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) will begin one of Canada’s most ambitious renewable energy projects to date. With the investment, the province of Alberta will start building 1.5 million solar panels along the southern borders of Canada Read More...
Producing clean energy from rain could soon be possible
After many attempts, scientists may have finally figured out how to generate electricity using rain. What they have created is a generator that uses what is called a field-effect transistor-style structure that produces a surprisingly high voltage from water drops—a single drop can create Read More...
These semi-transparent solar cells could make greenhouse self-sufficient
Greenhouses and solar panels both need to be placed in areas with a lot of sunlight – so why not combine the two? Semi-transparent solar cells could potentially be built into the glass roof panels of greenhouses, capturing light at wavelengths that plants don’t use anyway. Now, researchers at Read More...
Reverse solar panel could generate power at night
One of the current problems we face with solar panels is that they don’t generate electricity if the bright sun isn’t shining directly at them. This problem becomes evident when it’s night time. During the night, solar panels are simply in a standstill, and buildings have to rely on the Read More...
New discovery could lead to huge drop in solar power costs
A new breakthrough from scientists at Washington State University could soon cause the price of solar power to plunge well below the US Department of Energy’s 2030 cost targets for renewable energy way ahead of schedule. What the scientists have discovered is a new way to produce cadmium Read More...