Energy

Quantum dots have shown promise in solar cells. Now, researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have developed a new type of quantum dot solar cell that isn’t made with the toxic elements found in most, while maintaining efficiency.

When the US Air Force's X-37B autonomous spaceplane launched into orbit for the sixth time this week, it carried an experiment to explore the potential for beaming solar energy from space to Earth using microwaves.

As electronic devices shrink batteries are becoming too heavy and inefficient for some uses. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new type of robot that powers itself by “eating” metal from its environment.

Bacteria that produce their own electricity could be useful in batteries, but so far, attempts have been inefficient. A new “biohybrid” system is built around a hydrogel and can support the microbes while effectively collecting their energy.

A new type of experimental proton battery is built with entirely organic components, making it much more environmentally friendly than most. On top of that, it can also be charged in a matter of minutes and can function at very low temperatures.

There’s plenty of ambient radiation just floating around in the air, and now MIT researchers have laid out the blueprints of a system that could tap into this wasted energy source and use it to charge electronic devices.

Stacking perovskite solar cells on top of silicon ones is one way to increase the amount of sunlight harnessed. Now researchers at Australian National University (ANU) have broken a new efficiency record for these tandem solar cells.

The US Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded contracts to three companies to develop mobile nuclear microreactors for military applications under a Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) initiative called Project Pele.

According to the latest report from IEA, in 2019 global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions stayed steady from the previous year. That’s cause for some cautious optimism, but may not signal the start of the long-term downward trend that we need.

Semi-transparent solar cells could be built into the glass roof panels of greenhouses, capturing light at wavelengths that plants don’t use anyway. Models suggest that in some cases these greenhouses could become completely self-sufficient.

Researchers from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh are looking at a method of extracting methane from Arctic permafrost, in a way that reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

A new report declaring a climate emergency has been signed by thousands of scientists. But it remains hopeful, outlining six steps we can take to mitigate the worst effects of climate change – provided we act sooner rather than later.