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Improved “Solar Thermochemical” process captures 40% of the sun’s heat to produce Green Hydrogen

November 29, 2023 by Jennifer Chu

The U.S. Department of Energy has set a goal to make green hydrogen domestically at $1 per kilogram by 2030. Current costs range from $3 to $8 and none of it is being done at scale. Getting the cost of green hydrogen down is a serious concern for policymakers and industry alike. Most efforts are through electrolysis, which used electricity to split the water that delivers the hydrogen production. Jennifer Chu at MIT describes research there on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Hydrogen, Innovations Tagged With: CSP, efficiency, electrolysis, green, hydrogen, innovation, solar, STCH, thermochemical, US

Making Fuel Cells cheap enough for mainstream use: can Cobalt nanoparticles replace Platinum as catalysts?

November 22, 2023 by Tsun-Kong Sham and Ali Feizabadi

Fuel cells could be a game-changer in decarbonisation. They efficiently convert chemical energy into electricity with only water and heat as byproducts. One of the most promising types is the PEMFC (polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell) because of its applications in transportation, as well as stationary power sources. But it can’t go mainstream until the costs come down, specifically the platinum catalysts. Platinum is scarce and expensive. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables Tagged With: catalysts, cobalt, decarbonisation, EVs, fuelcells, palladium, PEM, platinum, transport

Using Generative AI to speed up and improve the Wind Turbine blade design process

November 8, 2023 by Justin Daugherty

Justin Daugherty at NREL describes research there on using generative AI to accelerate and improve the wind turbine blade design process. To keep up with the pace of change in the market (not just customer demands, but policy regulations and technological innovations), the current method uses simplified low-fidelity modelling because it’s quicker to turn around. But it is also less accurate. Researchers are exploring deep-learning models using … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables Tagged With: AI, blades, design, innovation, modelling, NeuralNetworks, turbines, wind

Simple superconducting diode can dramatically cut energy use in transistors, data centres

November 1, 2023 by Elizabeth Thomson

Some estimates say data centres could be consuming up to 20% of all power globally in ten years. That’s largely because the billions of transistors have to be cooled. Elizabeth Thomson at MIT describes breakthrough research that has made a superconducting diode that’s twice as efficient as the standard, therefore generating and wasting far less heat. What’s surprising is that some straightforward physics of materials was utilised, in contrast to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Energy efficiency, Innovations Tagged With: computing, cooling, DataCentres, diode, efficiency, innovation, physics, research, superconducting, transistors

What can today’s Energy Revolution learn from the previous Industrial and Information Revolutions?

October 18, 2023 by Yuki Numata, Laurens Speelman and Marissa Gantman

What can the Industrial Revolution and the more recent Information Revolution teach us about the Energy Revolution we are going through now, ask Yuki Numata, Laurens Speelman and Marissa Gantman at RMI. Importantly, the same questions that were ignored or dismissed in those past transitions will help us shape our energy transition to make it better, faster, less wasteful and polluting, as well as more equitable. The authors reveal a 4-part … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Policies Tagged With: business, coal, efficiency, Energy, externalities, Government, industrial, information, innovation, markets, regulations, revolution, steam

IRENA’s Innovation Week 2023: Renewable solutions to decarbonise end-use sectors

October 12, 2023 by Arasan Aruliah

At the end of September IRENA held a four-day event “Innovation Week 2023: Renewable solutions to decarbonise end-use sectors” in Bonn, Germany. A wide range of speakers discussed tangible solutions to decarbonise energy intensive sectors such as transportation, buildings and industry, informed by first-hand project experiences and supported by insights from IRENA’s in-depth analyses. Topics included direct and indirect electrification, green … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations Tagged With: batteries, buildings, chemicals, Digitalisation, direct, electrification, EVs, hydrogen, indirect, industry, innovation, SectorCoupling, steel, storage, transport

Concrete supercapacitor: works like a battery, much cheaper, easy to make

September 27, 2023 by David Chandler

Capacitors work like batteries. They store and discharge electricity. David Chandler at MIT explains how researchers there have designed a supercapacitor from concrete and carbon black, two cheap and common materials. The beauty of the idea is that they can be incorporated into building foundations, thus installing a battery virtually for free. A concrete capacitor cube 3.5m wide can store 10kwh, enough for a household. Similarly, concrete … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Storage Tagged With: batteries, buildings, capacitor, carbonblack, charging, concrete, electricity, EVs, roads, storage, supercapacitor

Space-Based Solar Power: getting closer as SpaceX and Blue Origin bring down the cost of heavy-lift launches?

September 20, 2023 by Matteo Ceriotti

“Space-based solar power” (SBSP) sounds great in theory: giant solar farms in space collect unobstructed sunlight 24/7 and beam it to Earth stations, all using technology that already exists. It isn’t getting off the ground (pun intended!) primarily because of the cost of launching thousands of tonnes into space, plus assembly and maintenance. The attraction is that, if it can happen affordably, it could provide a hundred times the energy the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables Tagged With: assembly, BlueOrigin, costs, emissions, ESA, launch, maintenance, pollution, SBSP, solar, space, SpaceX

Clean Energy Innovation: investment continued to rise despite a turbulent 2022

June 29, 2023 by Simon Bennett

In a turbulent year, financially and geopolitically, investment in energy innovation still rose. Public spending on energy R&D grew by 10% in 2022 (estimated at $44bn), with 80% devoted to clean energy. Listed energy-related companies saw a similar rise. And early-stage venture capital investment reached a new high of $6.7bn. But risks remain, explains Simon Bennett at the IEA who summarises the innovation chapter in their latest “World … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations Tagged With: automotive, CCS, Energy, finance, geopolitics, hydrogen, IEA, investment, private, public, renewables, Russia

Farming Algae for Carbon Capture: new research cuts “fouling.” Scale-up in 3 years?

June 21, 2023 by David Chandler

Natural marine algae already account for 50% of global CO2 removal. Farming it at scale in artificial tanks or tubes would take up a fraction of the land footprint of terrestrial plants. And algae can grow up to 50 times more quickly than land-based plants. It could be a game-changer that brings carbon capture costs down and make it a commercial reality. Here, David Chandler at MIT explains how new research there can make farming algae much more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Carbon Capture, Energy, Innovations Tagged With: algae, biofuel, CCS, CCUS, CDR, CO2, decarbonisation, farming, innovation, marine

Ammonia from water microdroplets: lab demonstrates cheap, low-tech production

June 14, 2023 by Adam Hadhazy

Very early stage research has discovered a new way of making ammonia cheaply, on a small scale (or large, if you want!), and with no harmful emissions, explains Adam Hadhazy writing for Stanford University. The process uses a cocktail of water, nitrogen gas, and a solid catalyst sprayed through a simple, low-tech instrument to make the ammonia. In contrast, the existing industry-standard Haber-Bosch process is energy intensive, large scale, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Hydrogen, Innovations Tagged With: ammonia, CO2, droplets, Energy, fertilisers, HaberBosch, hydrogen, innovation, nitrogen, water

“Flow Batteries” for grid-scale storage: modelling cheaper alternatives to Vanadium

June 7, 2023 by Nancy Stauffer

Flow batteries are a promising new technology for grid storage. Rather than the standard batteries that store charge in a solid material, they use a solution to store that charge, making large-scale long-duration electricity storage much easier. Vanadium electrolytes have been the preferred choice so far, but affordable supplies are limited and a cheaper alternative will be needed for global scale-up, explains Nancy Stauffer at MIT who describes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Storage Tagged With: batteries, costs, degradation, electrolytes, FlowBatteries, grids, iron, LCOE, lifetime, manganese, modelling, organic, research, Vanadium

Perovskite: abundant, cheap, printable solar cells demonstrated, ready to generate power

May 31, 2023 by David Beynon

Laboratories around the world are racing to make printable perovskite solar cells, produced in abundance and so thin they can be wrapped around almost anything. It’s a huge advantage over the typical silicon cell that is relatively big and fragile. And perovskite is much less expensive to produce. David Beynon at Swansea University describes research there that has demonstrated how a roll of plastic film can be loaded into a printing press to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables Tagged With: cells, chemistry, costs, efficiency, film, innovation, perovskite, printed, silicon, slotdie, solar, thin

“Exascale” computing algorithms can deliver new Wind Turbine designs and on-site power-maximising strategies

May 17, 2023 by Brooke Van Zandt

Advances in exascale computing algorithms and models for multiscale atmospheric flows are leading to new wind turbine designs and on-site power-maximising strategies previously not possible, explains Brooke Van Zandt at NREL. The models can contain and process two billion grid points, simulating the air flow around turbines in a large wind farm with unprecedented accuracy. Van Zandt describes how the new tools are being used to deal with highly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables Tagged With: algorithms, computing, derating, design, exascale, farm, modelling, turbines, turbulence, wake, wind

“Rebound Effect”: cheap LEDs mean more lights everywhere. But brighter homes, offices and public spaces are worth having

May 15, 2023 by Lucas Davis

LEDs are 90% more efficient than modern incandescent bulbs. Their rapid uptake has resulted in measurable cuts in energy demand and emissions. But their plummeting cost over the last ten years is also causing a “rebound effect” where people are using more and more LEDs, not least for outdoor lighting. Lucas Davis at the Haas School of Business believes we must embrace it, even if it’s counter to maximising energy savings. More and brighter … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Energy efficiency, Innovations Tagged With: buildings, consumption, demand, efficiency, incandescents, LEDs, lighting, lumens, ReboundEffect

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Most read this week

  • Sodium-ion batteries ready for commercialisation: for grids, homes, even compact EVs by Carlos Ruiz | posted on September 11, 2023
  • Though the price shocks hurt, Renewables installed between 2021-23 saved Europe €100bn by Joe Myers | posted on September 18, 2023
  • 10 Carbon Capture methods compared: costs, scalability, permanence, cleanness by Ella Adlen | posted on November 11, 2019
  • Improved “Solar Thermochemical” process captures 40% of the sun’s heat to produce Green Hydrogen by Jennifer Chu | posted on November 29, 2023
  • Investing billions in new cross-border Electricity Transmission capacity can cover its costs within a few years by George Dimopoulos | posted on November 27, 2023
  • Italy: 71 GWh of additional Grid Storage required by 2030 says Terna by Sara Stefanini | posted on November 28, 2023
  • Micro-nuclear reactors: up to 20MW, portable, safer by Christina Nunez | posted on April 22, 2021
  • Understanding the new EU ETS (Part 2): Buildings, Road Transport, Fuels. And how the revenues will be spent by Simon Göss | posted on February 6, 2023
  • Middle East & Africa to export Hydrogen to Europe? Better to make green Iron & Steel and export that by Soroush Basirat | posted on November 23, 2023
  • How to manage price risk as the EU shifts from Russian Gas to Renewables by Kong Chyong | posted on December 1, 2023
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  • Carbon Footprints for every product: the need for sector-specific, comprehensive granular data and accounting by Nicole Labutong | posted on November 30, 2023
  • What does cutting-edge Smart Metering look like as Grids become increasingly complex? by Gridspertise | posted on November 23, 2023
  • Farming Algae for Carbon Capture: new research cuts “fouling.” Scale-up in 3 years? by David Chandler | posted on June 21, 2023
  • Why we need a European Central Carbon Bank within the EU ETS framework by Robert Jeszke | posted on November 20, 2023
  • CBAM is now active. A guide to what companies must do to comply by Simon Göss | posted on October 27, 2023
  • Can Aluminium-air batteries outperform Li-ion for EVs? by Helena Uhde | posted on September 8, 2021
  • EU Energy Outlook to 2060: how will power prices and revenues develop for wind, solar, gas, hydrogen + more by Alex Schmitt | posted on December 6, 2022
  • Clean energy is driving job growth, but skills shortages are a major barrier by IEA | posted on November 24, 2023
  • EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework: new rules to turn greenwashing into genuine removals by Simon Göss | posted on May 16, 2023

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        Recent Posts

        What does cutting-edge Smart Metering look like as Grids become increasingly complex?

        How to manage price risk as the EU shifts from Russian Gas to Renewables

        Carbon Footprints for every product: the need for sector-specific, comprehensive granular data and accounting

        Improved “Solar Thermochemical” process captures 40% of the sun’s heat to produce Green Hydrogen

        Italy: 71 GWh of additional Grid Storage required by 2030 says Terna

        Investing billions in new cross-border Electricity Transmission capacity can cover its costs within a few years

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