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Using atomic-scale imaging and AI to reduce Battery degradation

March 9, 2022 by Andrew Myers

Finding ways to extend a battery’s life starts with understanding why they degrade. Andrew Myers writing for Stanford University describes research there that is using new methods of high-resolution X-ray, electron and neutron microscopy to allow direct visualisation of battery materials at the nanoscale. Degradation is mostly caused by the expansion and contraction of the materials. The high resolution images are processed using AI to uncover … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Storage Tagged With: AI, batteries, cobalt, degradation, electrodes, EVs, LFP, microscopy, nanoscale, nickel, storage

Grid-scale modelling of Distributed Energy Resources and dynamic pricing for all customers

February 7, 2022 by James Conca

Smart grids can solve multiple problems now and throughout the lifetime of the energy transition. The supply from hundreds (existing + new wind, solar, etc.) and ultimately millions (rooftop solar, EV batteries) of power sources can be matched in real time with demand from all major customer devices (air conditioners, water heaters, batteries, EVs). Dynamic pricing keeps the peaks low and the troughs high. It takes the pressure off total load, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Grids Tagged With: AI, batteries, dynamic, ERCOT, EVs, grids, HVAC, modelling, PNNL, pricing, rooftop, Shanghai, smart, solar, Spokane, Stem, storage, Texas, US, wind

PET: a toolkit to make existing Coal plants more efficient

October 26, 2021 by Daisy Chi

Many nations are struggling to phase out coal. Some, like China, are heavily dependent on it, and have more plants in the pipeline to ensure energy security and keep prices low. In other words, a lot of coal will remain in operation for the medium term. Given that, it makes sense to make them more efficient while they are in use. Daisy Chi at ECECP looks at a new set of tools – the Plant Efficiency Toolbox (PET) - that can analyse and optimise a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Energy efficiency, Oil, Gas & Coal Tagged With: AI, ash, boilers, China, coal, coolingtowers, efficiency, emissions, Indonesia, Slovenia, waste

Convolutional neural networks: facial recognition AI applied to analysis and design of Advanced Nuclear Reactors

June 23, 2021 by Dave Bukey

Scientists are looking for new ways to predict how materials survive high temperatures, pressures and corrosion levels, and design new materials that can do so. Temperatures can reach 800 Celsius in parts of solar energy plants and advanced nuclear reactors. Dave Bukey at the Argonne National Laboratory looks at research that uses convolutional neural networks – a type of AI – to uncover patterns in huge data sets. The method is over 2,000 faster … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Nuclear Tagged With: AI, design, innovation, MoltenSalt, NeuralNetworks, Nuclear, SMR, solar

Improving grid response to support climate targets and increased renewables [Energy Post event video]

March 10, 2021 by Arasan Aruliah

We present our video of the online discussion from February 24, 2021 on smartgrid response. Digital, automated, data-driven smart response systems can play a key role in grid security and stability going forward. This makes asset monitoring and controllability - underpinned by the Smart Grid Indicator which is now part of the EU Electricity Directive (Article 59) - a vital link in the chain. Taking part were Vera Silva, COT, General Electric and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Grids Tagged With: AI, demand, Digitalisation, ENTSOE, EU, grids, Intermittency, renewables, response, smartgrids

Research into solid electrolytes to improve performance of lithium-ion batteries

October 14, 2020 by Mark Shwartz

If the limits of lithium-ion battery performance are indeed being reached, one way forward is to extend those limits with new materials. Mark Shwartz at Stanford University describes their research into solid electrolytes, which promise to be more energy dense than the standard liquid form. To identify the best compounds, artificial intelligence and machine learning were used rather than the usual and much lengthier trial-and-error experimental … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Storage Tagged With: AI, batteries, boron, EVs, innovation, lithium, storage, sulphur

No more “offsetting”: Google commits to 24/7 locally sourced carbon-free electricity by 2030

September 22, 2020 by Jules Kortenhorst

By “offsetting” fossil electricity consumed at one data centre through buying green power from somewhere else, Google has been 100% renewable since 2017. But offsetting always has its flaws. In this case, 40% of Google’s actual power still comes from fossil fuels. Google’s new plan, to be 100% green 24/7 straight off the local grid, is designed to solve that. It will also send market signals to increase clean capacity locally, not just where you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Grids Tagged With: AI, batteries, electricity, geothermal, google, grids, hydrogen, power, renewables, solar, wind

The nexus between data centres, efficiency and renewables: a role model for the energy transition

June 26, 2020 by Sean Ratka and Francisco Boshell

How much will electricity consumption from data centres grow from today’s 1% of the global total? 40-fold by 2030? Or a more manageable 5-fold? Or less? Sean Ratka and Francisco Boshell at IRENA try to answer this question by looking at the innovations being made by the tech industry to drive down power costs and emissions. The evidence is promising. Though data centre computing output jumped 6- fold between 2010 and 2018, their energy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Energy efficiency Tagged With: AI, Amazon, computing, DataCentres, emissions, Facebook, google, ITC, Microsoft, renewables

AI software to improve Nuclear reactor designs, performance, safety, lifetimes

March 31, 2020 by Dan Yurman

Nuclear plants have high up-front costs, complex processes occurring all the way down to the molecular level throughout their decades-long lifetimes, and strict safety criteria. Modelling all the parameters and predicting the outcomes has traditionally begun with theory and observation followed by simulations, the results of which are fed back into the next round of theories, and repeated until those results look valid. The quality of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Nuclear Tagged With: AI, Argonne, design, Nuclear, safety, VERA

Energy Data prototype: the “Living Lab” households

March 11, 2019 by Richard Dobson

Everyone in the energy sector is talking about big – and intelligent – data. But it’s still early days and the benefits from all that potential are yet to register. The goal is greater energy efficiency; in consumption but also in planning future infrastructure and services that are tailored to local – not just regional - needs. Smart meters are only the first step, says Dr Richard Dobson at Energy Systems Catapult. The end game is the emergence … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Energy efficiency Tagged With: AI, Digitalisation, energy data, energy efficiency, energy networks, energy service provider, smart meters

Solar energy is green. Solar panels are not. AI can revolutionise their design

January 31, 2019 by Cathy Chen

Solar panels are manufactured at 2,000ËšC, a temperature so high it requires fossil-fuel power. They are also made using rare earth elements, the supply of which has both capacity and political issues. A new and global project is using artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly create new designs with new materials that can make their manufacture greener and cheaper. The new designs may even bring their manufacture back to your home country, says … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables, Resources Tagged With: AI, artificial intelligence, manufacture, materials, PV, rare earth elements, recycling, solar

Most read this week

  • Make Hydrogen in developing nations: share prosperity while meeting our climate goals by Dolf Gielen | posted on January 26, 2023
  • 10 Carbon Capture methods compared: costs, scalability, permanence, cleanness by Ella Adlen | posted on November 11, 2019
  • Can new cheap, frequent “laser” monitoring of critical components extend Nuclear plant lifetimes by decades? by David Chandler | posted on February 1, 2023
  • Wind and Solar generated record 20% of EU electricity in 2022. More than gas, nuclear, hydro, coal by Daisy Dunne | posted on February 3, 2023
  • Micro-nuclear reactors: up to 20MW, portable, safer by Christina Nunez | posted on April 22, 2021
  • The U.S. should support the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by Joseph Majkut | posted on January 30, 2023
  • Utah: 140MW Geothermal bid can beat the cost and performance of the proposed Nuclear SMR by Dennis Wamsted | posted on January 27, 2023
  • 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
  • Biofuel is approaching a feedstock crunch. How bad? And what must be done? by IEA | posted on January 23, 2023
  • Can Aluminium-air batteries outperform Li-ion for EVs? by Helena Uhde | posted on September 8, 2021
  • EU ETS and CBAM: what the big update to emissions trading rules means for Europe’s key sectors by Simon Göss | posted on January 16, 2023
  • Steel decarbonisation: Australia must stop making excuses and follow Europe’s lead by Simon Nicholas | posted on February 2, 2023
  • What’s best for Hydrogen transport: ammonia, liquid hydrogen, LOHC or pipelines? by Herib Blanco | posted on May 5, 2022
  • Gravity Batteries: any nation can do it at scale using rocks by Simon Read | posted on July 27, 2022
  • Wind (and Solar) need their own Financial Transmission Rights to hedge their unique congestion risks by James Kim | posted on January 31, 2023
  • Hydrogen production in 2050: how much water will 74EJ need? by Herib Blanco | posted on July 22, 2021
  • Why hydrogen fuel cell cars are not competitive — from a hydrogen fuel cell expert by Zachary Shahan | posted on June 17, 2016
  • Concrete: 8% of global emissions and rising. Which innovations can achieve net zero by 2050? by Ben Skinner | posted on January 24, 2023
  • The 10 big problems with simply replacing fossil cars with electric by Schalk Cloete | posted on December 6, 2021
  • Smart Glasses: experts can monitor and advise on power plant inspections anywhere in the world by Christoph Gatzen | posted on January 25, 2023

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        Recent Posts

        Wind and Solar generated record 20% of EU electricity in 2022. More than gas, nuclear, hydro, coal

        Steel decarbonisation: Australia must stop making excuses and follow Europe’s lead

        Can new cheap, frequent “laser” monitoring of critical components extend Nuclear plant lifetimes by decades?

        Wind (and Solar) need their own Financial Transmission Rights to hedge their unique congestion risks

        The U.S. should support the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

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