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.
New, cheaper battery will boost energy storage in developing countries
Clean renewable energy requires power storage in batteries. The lithium-ion battery is the most efficient one. The technology is also expensive which limits their impact in developing countries. An innovation by a US energy company might change that. NantEnergy is developing a zinc-air battery that Read More...
This startup lets villagers create mini power grids for their neighbors
In a remote village Bangladeshi village called Shikarpur, until recently, few people had electricity. But a new system is beginning to connect the village’s handful of solar-powered homes with neighbors who can’t afford to own panels Read More...
How Dandelion is making geothermal heating affordable
Millions of US citizens still use oil and natural gas to heat their homes during the winter. Many would like to switch to geothermal, a cleaner and ultimately cheaper system that leverages the natural temperature of the Read More...
These 10 American cities are almost entirely powered by renewable energy
More than 80 cities in the US are moving in the direction of 100 percent clean energy use. Out of those 80, a small but growing handful are already sourcing 70 percent or more of their energy needs from solar, wind, geothermal and the like. Check out this showcase of the 10 American cities Read More...
Fuel from thin air: the catch to a startup's sunny claims
Over the past few years, a number of scientists have made the seemingly outrageous claim that they could make fuel from thin air. The most recent announcement comes from Cornell University startup Dimensional Read More...
Making roads using solar panels may not be such a good idea after all
Placing solar panels beneath roads has become a popular idea over the last few years, with countries like China, France, and the US all developing so-called solar roads. But is it actually as good of an idea it sounds? The results say the costs of installing solar roads outweigh the Read More...
New battery gobbles up carbon dioxide
A new type of battery developed by researchers at MIT could be made partly from carbon dioxide captured from power plants. Rather than attempting to convert carbon dioxide into specialized chemicals using metal catalysts, which is currently highly challenging, this battery could continuously Read More...
Solar power showed off its resiliency during Hurricane Florence
Hurricane Florence, the wettest tropical cyclone on record, left a trail of destruction within the Carolinas. This is obviously terrible news, but there is one positive we can take from this: most rooftop solar panel systems stayed intact and kept producing power after the storm, signifying that Read More...
Could hydrogen power be the answer for rural schools in Africa?
Like many schools in rural South Africa, Poelano Secondary School was often without electricity. Now the school has much needed access to electricity thanks to a fuel cell that converts water into hydrogen power. As more rural schools in Africa look for sustainable ways to generate power, hydrogen Read More...
Community Microgrids for Disaster Resilience: A follow-up to “True Grid”
By Kristy Jansen California is suffering through a brutal fire season, Europe has faced a nasty heatwave all summer, and Japan recently experienced its worst typhoon in 25 years. 2017 was the costliest year for natural disasters in U.S. history with losses exceeding $1 billion, at a total Read More...