ScienceDaily: Renewable Energy News

Engineers devise new way to produce clean hydrogen

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:39:39 EDT

Engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen, which could prove essential to weaning society off of fossil fuels and their environmental implications.

Not just blowing in the wind: Compressing air for renewable energy storage

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:28:28 EDT

A comprehensive study into the potential for compressed air energy storage in the Pacific Northwest has identified two locations in Washington state that could store enough Northwest wind energy combined to power about 85,000 homes each month.

Engineers design, test taller, high-strength concrete towers for wind turbines

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:48:48 EDT

Engineers have designed and tested a concept for concrete towers to replace the steel towers used for wind turbines. The concrete towers could be a practical way to raise turbine towers from today's 80 meters to the better winds at 100 meters or higher.

Storage power plant on the seabed

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

A group of scientists aims to store electricity at the bottom of the sea. The energy will be stored with the help of high water pressure.

New advance in biofuel production

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:37:37 EDT

Researchers have developed an enzyme-free ionic liquid pretreatment of cellulosic biomass that makes it easier to recover fermentable sugars for biofuels and to recycle the ionic liquid.

'Power plants': How to harvest electricity directly from plants

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:43:43 EDT

The sun provides the most abundant source of energy on the planet. However, only a tiny fraction of the solar radiation on Earth is converted into useful energy.

Setting the standard for sustainable bioenergy crops

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:19:19 EDT

Bioenergy crops, such as Miscanthus and switchgrass, appear to be promising resources for renewable energy, but these new crops did not come with a manual on how to measure details on their sustainability impacts.

Value in concentrating solar power to add to electric grid calculated

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:58:58 EDT

Researchers have quantified the significant value that concentrating solar power plants can add to an electric grid.

Microwave oven cooks up solar cell material

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and LED lights, biological sensors and systems to convert waste heat to electricity.

How to clean seaweed from beaches: Dry it and use the biomass for energy

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:41:41 EDT

Scientists have developed an algae removal and treatment system that turns this underused residue into a renewable source of energy: biomass. The process involves several stages of washing, drying and compacting without leaving the beach. The system is cheaper, more efficient and more environmentally friendly than the procedure commonly followed now.

New battery design could help solar and wind power the grid

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:06:06 EDT

Researchers have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.

New material approach should increase solar cell efficiency

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:58:58 EDT

A new research group brought together aspects of condensed matter physics, semiconductor device engineering, and photochemistry to develop a new form of high-performance solar photocatalyst based on the combination of the TiO2 (titanium dioxide) and other "metallic" oxides that greatly enhance the visible light absorption and promote more efficient utilization of the solar spectrum for energy applications.

New solar-cell coating could enable a major boost in efficiency

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:23:23 EDT

Throughout decades of research on solar cells, one formula has been considered an absolute limit to the efficiency of such devices in converting sunlight into electricity: Called the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit, it posits that the ultimate conversion efficiency can never exceed 34 percent for a single optimized semiconductor junction. Now, researchers have shown that there is a way to blow past that limit as easily as today's jet fighters zoom through the sound barrier -- which was also once seen as an ultimate limit.

NASA's Wind mission encounters 'SLAMS' waves

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EDT

To tease out what happens at that boundary of the magnetosphere and to better understand how radiation and energy from the sun can cross it and move closer to Earth, NASA launches spacecraft into this region to observe the changing conditions. From 1998 to 2002, NASA's Wind spacecraft traveled through this foreshock region in front of Earth 17 times, providing new information about the physics there.

Peel-and-stick solar cells

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:28:28 EDT

It may be possible soon to charge cell phones, change the tint on windows, or power small toys with peel-and-stick versions of solar cells, thanks to new research.

Surprising findings on hydrogen production in green algae

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:24:24 EDT

New research fuels hope of efficient hydrogen production with green algae may be possible in the future, despite the prevailing scepticism based on previous research.

Research uses mirrors to make solar energy cost competitive

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:39:39 EDT

Concentrating solar power technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight to produce heat, which can then be used to produce electricity, according to ongoing work by mechanical engineers. These technologies present a distinct advantage over photovoltaic (PV) cells in their ability to store the sun’s energy as thermal energy, experts say.

The future of our energy

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:48:48 EDT

When it comes to sustainable energy supplies hydroelectric plants are usually the best solution, according to researchers who have reviewed the economic, social and environmental impact of fuel provision.

Solar booster shot for natural gas power plants

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:23:23 EDT

A new system reduces carbon emissions and fuel usage at natural gas power plants by 20 percent by injecting solar energy into natural gas.

Cost-saving measure to upgrade ethanol to butanol -- a better alternative to gasoline

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:35:35 EDT

Scientists have reported a discovery that could speed an emerging effort to replace ethanol in gasoline with a substantially better fuel additive called butanol, which some experts regard as “the gasoline of the future.” Their report on this discovery, holds potential to reduce the costs of converting ethanol factories to production of butanol.

Innovative self-cooling, thermoelectric system consumes no electricity

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:54:54 EDT

Researchers have produced a prototype of a self-cooling thermoelectric device that achieves “free” cooling of over 30ºC in devices that give off heat. It is a piece of equipment that acts as a traditional cooler but which consumes no electricity because it obtains the energy it needs to function from the very heat that has to be dissipated.

Understanding the life of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:39:39 EDT

Scientists have now answered a question that worries millions of owners and potential owners of electric and hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries: How long before the battery pack dies, leaving a sticker-shock bill for a fresh pack or a car ready for the junk heap? Their answer may surprise skeptics.

Peel-and-stick thin film solar cells

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:07:07 EDT

Scientists have fabricated peel-and-stick thin film solar cells (TFSCs). The Si wafer is clean and reusable. Moreover, as the peeled-off TFSCs from the Si wafer are thin, light-weight, and flexible, it can be attached onto any form or shape of surface like a sticker.

Global solar photovoltaic industry is likely now a net energy producer

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:29:29 EDT

The construction of the photovoltaic power industry since 2000 has required an enormous amount of energy, mostly from fossil fuels. The good news is that the clean electricity from all the installed solar panels has likely just surpassed the energy going into the industry's continued growth, Stanford researchers find.

Carbon dioxide released from burning fuel today goes back into new fuels tomorrow

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:28:28 EDT

The search for ways to use megatons of carbon dioxide that may be removed from industrial smokestacks during efforts to curb global warming has led to a process for converting that major greenhouse gas back into the fuel that released it in the first place.

Population boom poses interconnected challenges of energy, food, water

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:26:26 EDT

Mention great challenges in feeding a soaring world population, and thoughts turn to providing a bare subsistence diet for poverty-stricken people in developing countries. But an expert described a parallel and often-overlooked challenge of feeding a larger middle class.

Turning tires into gas for energy and new, valuable materials

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:15:15 EDT

Tire recycling represents an untapped opportunity, that may prove a success if processing costs do not become prohibitive.

Breakthrough in hydrogen fuel production could revolutionize alternative energy market

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:41:41 EDT

Researchers have discovered a way to extract large quantities of hydrogen from any plant, a breakthrough that has the potential to bring a low-cost, environmentally friendly fuel source to the world.

Solar village to house microgrid project

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:45:45 EDT

Four solar homes built by students will soon become home to an experimental microgrid to manage and store renewable energy.

Survey shows many Republicans feel America should take steps to address climate change

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:50:50 EDT

In a recent survey of Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents, a majority of respondents (62 percent) said they feel America should take steps to address climate change. More than three out of four survey respondents (77 percent) said the United States should use more renewable energy sources, and of those, most believe that this change should begin immediately.

'Waste heat' may economize CO2 capture

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:06:06 EDT

Scientists have found it may be possible to use "waste" heat to remove CO2 instead of the higher pressure steam needed to make electricity.

Cold cities less sustainable than warm cities, research suggests

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:57:57 EDT

Living in colder climates in the US is more energy demanding than living in warmer climates. Scientists have calculated that climate control in the coldest large metropolitan area in the country – Minneapolis – is about three-and-a-half times more energy demanding than in the warmest large metropolitan area – Miami.

Discovery may allow scientists to make fuel from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:23:23 EDT

Excess carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere created by the widespread burning of fossil fuels is the major driving force of global climate change, and researchers the world over are looking for new ways to generate power that leaves a smaller carbon footprint. A new process is made possible by a unique microorganism called Pyrococcus furiosus, or "rushing fireball," which thrives by feeding on carbohydrates in the super-heated ocean waters near geothermal vents. By manipulating the organism's genetic material, scientists have created a kind of P. furiosus that is capable of feeding at much lower temperatures on carbon dioxide.

Trees used to create recyclable, efficient solar cell

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:19:19 EDT

Researchers have developed efficient solar cells using natural substrates derived from plants such as trees. Just as importantly, by fabricating them on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates, the solar cells can be quickly recycled in water at the end of their lifecycle.

Ash from refuse could become hydrogen gas

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:35:35 EDT

Every year, millions of tons of environmentally harmful ash is produced worldwide, and is mostly dumped in landfill sites or, in some countries, used as construction material. The ash is what is left when rubbish has been burnt in thermal power stations. A researcher has now developed a technique to use the ash to produce hydrogen gas.

Transportation study reveals potential for deep cuts to petroleum use and carbon emissions

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:56:56 EDT

Scientists have completed an assessment of avenues to reach deep cuts in petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.

Petroleum use, greenhouse gas emissions of automobiles could drop 80 percent by 2050: U.S. report

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:16:16 EDT

A new report finds that by the year 2050, the United States may be able to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent for light-duty vehicles -- cars and small trucks -- via a combination of more efficient vehicles; the use of alternative fuels like biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen; and strong government policies to overcome high costs and influence consumer choices.

Open software platform to bring down energy costs

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:54:54 EDT

Energy is getting more and more expensive, and experts are predicting record electricity and heating prices. A software platform promises to lighten the load for households and businesses by making it easier for consumers to put renewables to good effect.

Catalysts that produce 'green' fuel

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:22:22 EDT

The energy produced by solar panels, be it heat or electricity, has to be used right away. It is hard to store and preserve and also its transportation can be rather complicated. Creating solar cells capable of producing energy in an easily storable and transportable way, that is to say fuel, is therefore the future challenge of solar energy. Scientists are now working on a catalyst that imitates and improves what nature has been able to do for millions of years.

Researchers map out an alternative energy future for New York

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:26:26 EDT

A new study outlines a path to statewide renewable energy conversion, and away from natural gas and imported fuel.

Carbon footprint of grid-scale battery technologies calculated

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:13:13 EST

Solar and wind power pose a challenge for the U.S. electrical grid, which lacks the capacity to store surplus clean electricity and deliver it on demand. Researchers are developing grid-scale storage batteries, but the fossil fuel required to build these technologies could negate some of the environmental benefits of new solar and wind farms, say scientists.

Antarctic scientists discover 18-kilogram meteorite

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 EST

An international team of scientists have discovered a meteorite with a mass of 18 kilograms embedded in the East Antarctic ice sheet, the largest such meteorite found in the region since 1988.

New fabrication technique could provide breakthrough for solar energy systems

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 EST

Scientists are using a novel fabrication process to create ultra-efficient solar energy rectennas capable of harvesting more than 70 percent of the sun's electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously converting it into usable electric power.

Rethinking wind power

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:19:19 EST

“People have often thought there’s no upper bound for wind power—that it’s one of the most scalable power sources,” says an applied physicist. After all, gusts and breezes don’t seem likely to “run out” on a global scale in the way oil wells might run dry.

NASA deciphering the mysterious math of the solar wind

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:46:46 EST

The sun and its prodigious stream of solar particles, called the solar wind, can be particularly tricky to model since as the material streams to the outer reaches of the solar system it carries along its own magnetic fields. The magnetic forces add an extra set of laws to incorporate when trying to determine what's governing the movement. Indeed, until now, equations for certain aspects of the solar wind have never been successfully devised to correlate to the observations seen by instruments in space. Now, for the first time, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has created a set of the necessary equations.

New technology for producing hydrogen

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:23:23 EST

Chemical engineers have been searching for a process to produce hydrogen from bio-oil that has a lower impact on the environment than the current one.

New world record efficiency for thin film silicon solar cells

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:19:19 EST

Researchers have reached a remarkable 10.7 percent efficiency single-junction microcrystalline silicon solar cell, clearly surpassing the previous world record of 10.1 percent held by the Japanese company Kaneka Corporation since 1998. Such significant efficiency, independently certified, was achieved with less than two micrometers of photovoltaic active material – 100 times less than with standard techniques.

Environmental hazards or energy solutions? Geophysicists size up energy resources, carbon capture and fracking

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:52:52 EST

Decisions about future energy challenges are too often hindered by propaganda, half-truths and a limited grasp of the science that informs the choice and use of hydrocarbon and other resources, according to delegates at the annual conference of the British Geophysical Association.

Hydrothermal liquefaction: The most promising path to sustainable bio-oil production

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:22:22 EST

A new generation of the HTL process can convert all kinds of biomasses to crude bio-oil, which is sufficiently similar to fossil crude oil that a simple thermal upgrade and existing refinery technology can be employed to subsequently obtain all the liquid fuels we know today. What is more, the HTL process only consumes approximately 10-15 percent of the energy in the feedstock biomass, yielding an energy efficiency of 85-90 percent.

New coal technology harnesses energy without burning, nears pilot-scale development

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:35:35 EST

A new form of clean coal technology reached an important milestone recently, with the successful operation of a research-scale combustion system at Ohio State University.

Hydro beats nuclear and coal, beats oil and gas, review finds

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:46:46 EST

Researchers in Italy and the UK have reviewed the economic, social and environmental impact of hydro, coal, oil, gas and nuclear power. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but of these conventional electricity generation technologies, hydroelectric power appears to be the most sustainable and acceptable environmentally and economically. Nuclear and coal run a close second place but oil or gas-fired power stations are revealed to be the worst choice when considering the various factors overall.

Solar power: Is it time for the big push?

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:41:41 EST

There are big expectations for solar power in the coming years. Four renowned scientists in the field discuss what's needed now for a big push, including breaking barriers in research and industry.

Biofuels blend right in: Researchers show ionic liquids effective for pre-treating mixed blends of biofuel feedstocks

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:24:24 EST

Blending different feedstocks and milling the mixture into flour or pellets has significant potential for helping to make biofuels a cost-competitive transportation fuel technology.

Scientists trick iron-eating bacteria into breathing electrons instead

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:06:06 EST

Scientists have developed a way to grow iron-oxidizing bacteria using electricity instead of iron, an advance that will allow them to better study the organisms and could one day be used to turn electricity into fuel.

Nanowires fuel breakthrough for solar energy

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:47:47 EST

Nanowires could pave the way for more efficient and cheaper solar cells. Research on solar cell nanowires is on the rise globally. Until now the unattained dream figure was ten per cent efficiency -- but now researchers are able to report an efficiency of 13.8 per cent.

Thin film solar cells: New world record for solar cell efficiency

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:47:47 EST

In a remarkable feat, scientists have developed thin film solar cells on flexible polymer foils with a new record efficiency of 20.4% for converting sunlight into electricity. The cells are based on CIGS semiconducting material (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) known for its potential to provide cost-effective solar electricity. The technology is currently awaiting scale-up for industrial applications.

Photovoltaics beat biofuels at converting sun's energy to miles driven

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:59:59 EST

In 2005, President George W. Bush and American corn farmers saw corn ethanol as a promising fossil fuel substitute that would reduce both American dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions. Accordingly, the 2005 energy bill mandated that 4 billion gallons of renewable fuel be added to the gasoline supply in 2006. That rose to 4.7 billion gallons in 2007 and 7.5 billion in 2012. Now a new study shows solar power is not only better in terms of energy efficiency, land use, and greenhouse gas emissions -- but it is cost competitive, too.

High-voltage vacuum power switch for smart power grids: World's first successful power switch using diamond semiconductor

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:48:48 EST

New technology may contribute to a new energy strategy for offshore wind energy, efficient power transmission across the Japanese archipelago, and more.

Multi-junction solar cell to break efficiency barrier?

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:16:16 EST

A novel, realistically achievable, lattice-matched multi-junction solar cell design has the potential to break the 50 percent power conversion efficiency.

A new point of reference for offshore energy development

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:30:30 EST

A new Department of Energy research facility could help bring the U.S. closer to generating power from the winds and waters along America's coasts and help alleviate a major hurdle for offshore wind and ocean power development.