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 beautiful A/C system works without electricity
A new terracotta device can turn hot air into a cool breeze, pushing temperatures inside a room from over 107 Fahrenheit down to 97. According to its creator—Monish Siripurapu, founder of the Indian architectural firm Ant Studio—it works using hundreds of terracotta cones, wind, water Read More...
Peer-to-peer renewable energy markets are the future
To overcome the inconsistencies of renewable energy, we must make sure our energy systems utilize energy more efficiently. And the best way to do that is through peer-to-peer energy markets. In such a market, multiple residential solar panel systems can be connected to move excess energy from one Read More...
Wind power is now cheaper than nuclear—the energy revolution is happening
In March I went to see Henrik Poulsen, the boss of Dong Energy, in Copenhagen. Never heard of him or his company? You are not alone, but the chances are he is keeping your lights Read More...
A solid pathway toward hydrogen storage
An inexpensive and useful layered superconductor compound also may be an efficient solid-state material for storing hydrogen. The Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Materials Network (EMN) consortium approach to accelerate material discovery and development is starting to pay Read More...
The future of transportation may be about sharing batteries, not vehicles
In the future, some transportation experts say, vehicles will no longer be individually owned. They envision a world of “fractional” ownership, in which autonomously driven taxis, operated by government or private entities, shuffle commuters around based on algorithmically optimized Read More...
Energy storage systems will provide a major boost to rooftop solar
For solar systems to truly be cost-effective for homeowners, having an energy storage system is key. Storage systems like the Tesla Powerwall allow homeowners to save any surplus of solar energy and use it at a later time like at night. As home storage systems continue to become more economical, Read More...
Solar energy just cleared a pricing target set for 2020
In Brief In 2011, the Department of Energy set a target of bringing the cost of solar energy down to six cents per kilowatt-hour by 2020, It's now been confirmed that goal has already been accomplished. The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that utility-grade solar panels have now reached Read More...
The entrepreneurs turning carbon dioxide into fuels
In an industrial greenhouse about 30km from Zurich, plump aubergines and juicy cherry tomatoes are ripening to perfection. Growing Mediterranean crops in Switzerland would traditionally be energy intensive but these vegetables are very nearly Read More...
This stretchable solar cell can go through wash cycles and still work
Researchers have developed an ultra-thin solar cell that is both efficient and water-resistant. The flexible solar cell can be bent, stretched and thrown in the wash and still function perfectly well. The new technology could pave the way for wearable photovoltaics that can be embedded in clothing Read More...
Quiet energy revolution underway in Japan as dozens of towns go off the grid
After the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan in 2011, cities in the north of the country had to completely redo their energy systems. But rather than rejoining with the country’s old utility model, the cities have shifted towards a decentralized, self-sustaining system of micro-grids Read More...