Energy
Humankind's insatiable appetite for energy has put the planet in a very precarious position environmentally, but it also drives prosperity and improved living standards. New Atlas keeps you up to date with the latest breakthroughs in the energy sector, from the expanding field of renewable energy production to the exponential rise of battery technology and the slow march towards nuclear fusion.
Latest News
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Lithium resource squeeze could put the brakes on decarbonization
September 22, 2022As the EV revolution speeds up, and big battery projects ramp up to stabilize power grids running on intermittent renewables, global demand for lithium batteries will rise sixfold in the next 10 years. But can the world actually supply the materials? -
Elastic, robotic generators open up strange new energy capture ideas
September 22, 2022A new class of elastic energy converters is emerging, with the ability to capture energy from a variety of different motions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is pushing to deploy them, first in a series of strange, bendy wave energy designs. -
Five solar farms, each as big as Tasmania: Australia's path to net zero
September 19, 2022Australia has a lot of sun and desert space, positioning the country well to continue being an energy exporter in the net zero era. But the renewable assets it'll need to build to get there are absolutely epic in scale, according to a new report. -
Carbon nanotubes boost efficiency in "nanobionic" bacterial solar cells
September 18, 2022Engineers at EPFL have inserted carbon nanotubes into photosynthetic bacteria, greatly improving their electrical output. They even pass these nanotubes down to their offspring when they divide, through what the team calls “inherited nanobionics.” -
"Brick toaster" aims to cut global CO2 emissions by 15% in 15 years
September 15, 2022Industrial heat consumes a huge proportion of global energy. Rondo Energy says its brick-toasting heat storage device is so cheap and efficient that it makes decarbonization an instant no-brainer across a huge range of industries. Bill Gates agrees. -
World's first direct air electrolyzer makes hydrogen from humidity
September 14, 2022Australian researchers have demonstrated a way to electrolyze hydrogen straight out of the air, anywhere on Earth. The Direct Air Electrolyzer absorbs and converts atmospheric moisture – even down to a "bone-dry" 4% humidity – without fresh water. -
1-MW floating vertical axis wind turbine to be deployed off Norway
September 12, 2022Swedish company SeaTwirl says its floating vertical-axis wind turbines have what it takes to dramatically reduce the cost of deep offshore wind energy, and it's signed a deal with Westcon to build and deploy a commercial-scale 1-MW turbine in Norway. -
Battery electrode transforms during use for faster charging
September 08, 2022Scientists have demonstrated a new electrode material that could facilitate much faster charging for lithium batteries, and one that forms in a rather unusual way – through the charging process itself. -
T-Omega re-thinks floating offshore wind turbines for huge cost savings
September 08, 2022Boston startup T-Omega Wind says it's prototyped and tested a unique floating offshore wind turbine that can withstand massive storms, but at 20% the weight and around 30% the price of conventional designs, unlocking the world's best wind resources. -
CalWave concludes 10-month test of its submerged wave energy generator
September 05, 2022CalWave has been working on its xWave clean power technology for many years now, and has announced the successful conclusion of an extended open-ocean test off the coast of San Diego, in which the device demonstrated over 99% system uptime. -
A deeper dive into World Wide Wind's colossal, contra-rotating turbines
September 02, 2022We interviewed the core team at Norway's World Wide Wind to learn more about its floating, tilting, contra-rotating, double turbine design, which it says can unlock unprecedented scale, power and density to radically lower the cost of offshore wind. -
Aluminum-gallium powder bubbles hydrogen out of dirty water
September 01, 2022“We don’t need any energy input, and it bubbles hydrogen like crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said UCSC Professor Scott Oliver, describing a new aluminum-gallium nanoparticle powder that generates H2 when placed in water – even seawater. -
Zinc battery made with crab shells safely degrades and recycles
September 01, 2022Zinc-based batteries are one of a number of more cost effective, and potentially safer alternatives to lithium-ion, and a new breakthrough shows how crab shells might make them a whole lot more sustainable as well. -
Infrared laser charger wirelessly beams power to devices 100 ft away
August 30, 2022Korean engineers have demonstrated a new system that uses infrared lasers to beam power over distances as far as 100 ft (30 m), which could eventually lead to technology that automatically charges your phone as soon as you walk into a room. -
Contra-rotating floating turbines promise unprecedented scale and power
August 30, 2022Norway's World Wide Wind has a radically different take on offshore wind power. These floating, vertical-axis wind turbines feature two sets of blades, tuned to contra-rotate – and they promise more than double the output of today's biggest turbines.
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