Graphene nanoribbon band structures for arm-chair type. Tightbinding calculations show that armchair type can be semiconducting or metallic depending on width (chirality). Credit: SR Mehrotra and G Klimeck; Wikipedia. The…
Read MoreLaser light table. Credit: NREL, DOE. Late last year we told you about the reality-TV-inspired event ARPA-E is conducting — “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” — to accelerate tech transfer…
Read MoreSamples of near-term small modular nuclear reactor designs. Credit: DOE SMR report. The concept of using small modular nuclear reactors is something we’ve written on several times in the past,…
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The Materials Genome Initiative is a multi-stakeholder effort to develop an infrastructure that will accelerate materials discovery and deployment. President Barack Obama unveiled the MGI in July 2011 as a…
Read MoreThe Department of Energy recently released its second “Critical Materials Strategy” report. Credit: DOE. In late December 2011, the Department of Energy released its 2011 update (pdf) to its report,…
Read MoreIn December, President Obama signed the 2012 budget bill, breathing life into the federal fiscal year before the continuing resolution flowed into the new calendar year. Credit: adapted from the…
Read MoreCongress has finalized the first three of twelve parts of the FY’12 federal budget. So far, things look relatively promising for STEM R&D. Credit: Congressional Budget Office. In November Congress…
Read MoreThin film solar panels produced by General Electric’s PrimeStar in Arvada, Colo. Credit: Edelman; NREL. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, was in Colorado last week, and after months of reeling…
Read MoreLow-temperature SOFCs: (A) Functionally graded bismuth oxide (Electrolyte 1) / ceria (Electrolyte 2) can allow use of hydrocarbon fuels at the anode at reduced temperatures. (B) Estimation of power output…
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