Energy

Finnish startup scales sand battery technology to the next level

By Lisa McDonald / March 15, 2024

Finnish startup Polar Night Energy, which developed and installed its first commercial-scale “sand battery” energy storage system in 2022, is now collaborating with Finnish district heating company Loviisan Lämpö to build an industrial-scale sand battery system in Pornainen, Finland.

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Stabilizing perovskite solar cells—researchers decouple the synergistic role of water and oxygen in degradation

By Lisa McDonald / February 20, 2024

Achieving long-term operational stability of all-perovskite solar cells remains a challenge. Researchers led by Georgia Institute of Technology made the surprising discovery that while exposing perovskites to both water and oxygen leads to instability, taking away one of those factors preserved the perovskites’ structure.

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Solid-state electrocaloric materials heat up cooling performance

By Guest Contributor / January 19, 2024

Electrocaloric materials have potential to replace liquid refrigerant in cooling systems, thus avoiding the emission of harmful greenhouse gases. But currently, electrocaloric devices can only operate within a small temperature span. A recent study reported a new electrocaloric prototype with greatly improved temperature span and cooling power.

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Video: Solar solutions shine at CES 2024

By Lisa McDonald / January 17, 2024

During CES 2024, which took place January 9–12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, numerous companies showcased solar technology innovations. Today’s CTT highlights several key announcements made during the show.

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Ceramics for renewable energy generation, plus more inside January/February 2024 ACerS Bulletin

By Lisa McDonald / January 11, 2024

The January/February 2024 issue of the ACerS Bulletin—featuring ceramics for renewable energy generation—is now available online. Plus—ceramic-based arts for mood disorder treatment.

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Video: Honeycomb-shaped bladeless generators for urban wind harvesting

By Lisa McDonald / January 3, 2024

The large size of traditional wind turbines can make transportation and installation of these devices difficult in certain locations. Scottish technology startup Katrick Technologies designed a honeycomb-shaped wind generator that can be easily installed in urban settings.

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Saving the planet through passive cooling: New ceramic and glass radiative coatings offer stability and scalability

By Guest Contributor / December 12, 2023

Radiative coatings can passively cool buildings without the use of mechanical refrigeration equipment. Two recent papers describe the development of ceramic and glass radiative coatings that demonstrate resistance to environmental stimuli and potential for mass production.

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Video: Rising costs necessitate recalibration of offshore wind power projects

By Lisa McDonald / November 29, 2023

Investment in offshore wind projects is increasing, but rising manufacturing and supply chain costs are hindering the translation of this investment into tangible products. The success of future projects will depend on governments and wind energy firms recalibrating the cost of the planned energy transition.

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Recycling green technology: Microwave radiation facilitates deconstruction and reuse of solar panels

By Lisa McDonald / November 28, 2023

Semiconductor processing could benefit from the use of microwaves, which allows materials to be annealed faster and more selectively. Now, researchers in Australia demonstrated another benefit—it would make the deconstruction and reuse of solar panel components easier.

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Video: Build your literacy on energy topics with Stanford’s new learning hub

By Lisa McDonald / November 15, 2023

Many people do not feel they can contribute knowledgeably to energy discussions due to the complex nature of this topic. Stanford University’s new Understand Energy Learning Hub aims to help the public build their energy literacy at their own pace.

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