Energy

In 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.

Arkenlight and Axorus have teamed up to prototype the first artificial neuron powered by a diamond betavoltaic battery made from nuclear waste. The goal is to develop medical-grade implants with energy sources that will last decades without charging.

Powering medical implants can be tricky, but tapping into the body’s own fuel source could keep them going long-term. A new design for a tiny fuel cell converts glucose into electricity to power implants more efficiently than any other so far.

As the number of electronic devices grows, we have to get creative with our energy sources. Cambridge researchers have now demonstrated how an algae energy harvester can use sunlight to power a microprocessor for over a year without any intervention.

Engineers in the US and Mexico have developed a way to use soot from emissions to improve solar thermal devices. The coatings are not only cheaper to produce but more efficient than using materials like graphene, while reducing pollution.

Researchers in Japan have shown that a common material is excellent at storing and releasing heat, which could be useful for recycling industrial waste heat. The material exchanges water with the air, allowing it to quickly absorb or release heat.

Perovskites are promising solar cell candidates, but a major downside is that they degrade in direct sunlight. Researchers have now uncovered a root cause of the problem, and found a simple fix that can be applied during the manufacturing process.

Though the lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic led to some extreme dips in global carbon emissions, new analysis form the International Energy Agency (IEA) has shown how insignificant they may be in the grand scheme of things.

Quaise's ultra-deep geothermal power plan is one of the most exciting and fascinating green energy projects we've seen, and it's generated some excellent – and terrible – questions from our readers. We gave the company the chance to answer you.

Scientists have developed a new type of supercapacitor with the kind of flexibility and durability needed to feature in footwear and clothing, along with other devices making up the Internet of Things.

As important as face masks are in our current pandemic-riddled world, they have a major environmental impact. Now scientists have demonstrated a novel method for disposing of old masks by using them to make low-cost, flexible and efficient batteries.

Heating and cooling buildings is a major consumer of energy, especially older ones that weren’t built with modern energy efficiencies in mind. Now Fraunhofer engineers have developed a modular solar-powered facade that can heat or cool rooms.