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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World's first commercial sand battery begins energy storage in Finland
July 05, 2022Polar Night Energy says it's developed and commercialized a super-cheap, super-simple way of storing energy for anywhere between hours and months, simply using heated sand. Its first 8-megawatt-hour thermal battery has gone online in Finland. -
New energy-dense lithium-sulfur battery works at extreme temperatures
July 04, 2022Scientists at UCSD have built a lithium battery that can not only operate at freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures, but may store double the energy of current devices and be friendlier to the environment while it's at it. -
New methane binding process could end insanely wasteful burn-offs
July 03, 2022The global oil industry wastefully burns off about as much natural gas as is used by all of Central and South America – but a new methane binding agent offers a potential way for this greenhouse gas to be converted economically into liquid fuels. -
Bacteria-made biofuel packs higher energy density than jet fuel
June 30, 2022As effective as fossil fuels may be, their impact on the planet cannot be overstated. Now researchers at Berkeley Lab have coaxed bacteria into directly producing a new biofuel with an energy density significantly higher than jet fuel. -
First perovskite solar cell to cross 30-year expected lifespan
June 29, 2022Before perovskite can become viable for solar cells, it needs to overcome a major durability issue. Engineers at Princeton have unveiled a new perovskite solar cell design that tests suggest could last as long as 30 years of real-world use. -
Pyramid lenses catch light from any angle to boost solar cell efficiency
June 28, 2022There’s still room for improvement for solar cells. Stanford engineers have now developed pyramid-shaped lenses that focus sunlight from any angle onto a solar cell, keeping it collecting power from sunrise to sunset. -
Triple-layer bacterial biobattery produces electricity for weeks
June 23, 2022Electricity-producing bacteria could be an intriguing renewable energy source. Engineers have now developed a biobattery that contains three layers of different bacteria species, which together take in sunlight and produce electricity. -
First plasma propels Zap Energy's plans for garage-sized fusion reactors
June 22, 2022Nuclear fusion is an incredibly complex scientific problem that researchers are coming at from all sorts of angles, and company Zap Energy is starting to make waves through one of the lesser-known approaches. -
Fast-deploying solar/hydrogen nanogrid wheels emergency power off-grid
June 17, 2022Sesame Solar announced this week what it calls the world's first 100-percent renewable mobile nanogrid. Powered by a wing-like solar panel spread and green hydrogen, the modular nanogrid brings weeks of autonomous electricity where it's most needed. -
China tests world-first full-function space solar verification tower
June 16, 2022In many ways, space is the perfect place for a solar energy array. In other ways, it poses massive technical challenges. China's Xidian University has begun testing the full range of space solar functions with a purpose-built 75-meter tower facility. -
Japan tests deep-ocean current turbines in search of new renewables
June 14, 2022Japan's solar potential isn't great, but it does sit right next to one of the world's most powerful ocean currents – so the country is searching for novel ways to bulk up its green energy generation in the form of giant deep ocean turbines. -
Researchers run a gas turbine on pure hydrogen in world first
June 10, 2022A Norwegian team has claimed a world-first, running a gas turbine on 100 percent hydrogen. The modifications made to the turbine, fuel systems and the natural gas infrastructure, could be used to convert other turbines to zero emissions. -
Energy Dome launches world's first CO2 battery energy storage facility
June 08, 2022In less than 18 months, Energy Dome has opened the first of its remarkable grid-level energy storage plants. These "CO2 batteries" store renewable energy over long periods and release it quickly, at less than half the cost of big lithium batteries. -
Bumpy electrode makes for smooth battery operation at sub-zero temps
June 08, 2022As the source of power for many modes of clean transportation, improvements in battery technology stand to benefit vehicle performance in a number of important ways, as new research detailing a promising sub-zero battery design demonstrates. -
Toyota and Woven Planet have developed a portable hydrogen cartridge
June 06, 2022Toyota wants hydrogen to power entire cities in Japan, and over the weekend it presented prototype H2 canisters it's developed with its subsidiary Woven Planet. These hydrogen tubes will twist-lock into sockets in vehicles, homes, and other devices.
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