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.
How smart grid technology could help Puerto Rico
A week after Puerto Rico was struck by Hurricane Maria, nearly all of the U.S. territory’s residents are still without power. It will take years to recover from the disaster, but experts hope Puerto Rico’s future electrical grid will be more resilient in the face of the next powerful storm to Read More...
Water evaporation could be a promising source of renewable energy
Although it's still in its early stages, scientists believe that energy from evaporation is comparable to that of wind and solar power. In fact, they predict that if we were able to harvest evaporation energy from the existing lakes and reservoirs in the US — excluding the Great Lakes in the Read 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...