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Small ship takes part in UK’s first hydrogen transport trials

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A consortium of partners has unveiled the UK’s first demonstration of zero-emission marine technology in the Tees Valley, in north England.

In a bid to show the path available for the maritime sector to decarbonise, the demonstration will convert a Lochin 33 “workboat” into a dual-fuelled vessel acting as a testbed to prove the concept of a retro-fit green hydrogen solution.

For the purposes of the demonstration, the modified marine vessel will operate at sea, though the technologies are suitable for use by inland waterway vessels. The project is expected to take seven months, with trials running in Spring 2022. [Read more…] about Small ship takes part in UK’s first hydrogen transport trials

Geothermal energy: Providing opportunities beyond electricity

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Use of geothermal energy – that is the heat that comes from the sub-surface of the earth – in Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States territories has been an ongoing subject of research and exploration, given that the Caribbean Region consists primarily of volcanic islands.

A recent study of three Caribbean islands, Dominica, Montserrat, and Nevis, examined opportunities for geothermal energy beyond electricity generation.

Around the world, more countries are capitalising on their geothermal resources, not only for electricity generation from a renewable affordable source, but also to support various industries within their economies. [Read more…] about Geothermal energy: Providing opportunities beyond electricity

Desolination: Unique energy and water project combines solar power and desalination

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A unique, €10 million European “Desolination” project, involving 19 partners and 12 countries, aims to develop a first-of-its-kind efficient coupling of concentrated solar power and desalination techniques.

The Horizon 2020 Desolination project started in June, this year and will last 48 months until May 2025.

During this time, innovative technologies related to both concentrated solar power and desalination will be designed to improve the efficiency of existing concepts. [Read more…] about Desolination: Unique energy and water project combines solar power and desalination

Harnessing sunlight to fuel the future through covalent organic frameworks

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Photocatalysts absorb energy from light to make a chemical reaction happen. The best known photocatalyst is perhaps chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants that helps turn sunlight into carbohydrates.

While carbohydrates may be falling out of favor, photocatalysis is garnering more attention than ever. In a photocatalytic process, light falls on a photocatalyst, increases the energy of its electrons and causes them to break their bonds and move freely through the catalyst.

These “excited” electrons then react with the raw materials of a chemical reaction to produce desired products. A top priority in the field of alternate energy research is using photocatalysts to convert solar energy to fuel, a process called “solar-to-fuel production.” [Read more…] about Harnessing sunlight to fuel the future through covalent organic frameworks

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Stanford researchers develop a better way to track methane in the skies

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When Stanford University graduate student Jeff Rutherford began his doctorate in 2018, the amount of methane entering the atmosphere from oil and gas extraction operations – mostly due to fracking – had become a major matter of contention. Tracking this harmful greenhouse gas falls to the Environmental Protection Agency.

To help in their accounting, the EPA uses computer models that take a “bottom-up” approach, counting the total number of well heads, storage tanks, miles of pipeline and other sources of methane, declaring an average annual release per component, and totaling everything up. They call it an “inventory.”

The only problem is that other organizations taking a “top-down” approach – using satellite imaging or atmospheric measurement to calculate the actual total methane emissions – were saying that the EPA was missing the mark by as much as half. [Read more…] about Stanford researchers develop a better way to track methane in the skies

Solar energy and pollinator conservation: A path for real impact?

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Annapolis, MD-Amid the steady growth of solar energy production in the United States, pollinator conservation at solar installations has become an appealing secondary pursuit, but the long-term success of such efforts remains to be seen.

Can the land within a solar farm be made a true resource for pollinating insects? Will solar developers see value in the extra investment to plant and maintain flowering vegetation?

A group of entomologists tackles these questions in a new article published today in the journal Environmental Entomology. They say pairing solar energy with pollinator habitat offers great promise, but scientific evaluation and meaningful standards will be key to making it a true win-win combination. [Read more…] about Solar energy and pollinator conservation: A path for real impact?

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    New research shows photovoltaics ‘can make the world fossil-free faster than expected’A team of researchers led by Aarhus University and including experts from universities and knowledge institutions in the US, Europe, Japan and Australia has published an article in the prestigious scientific journal Joule confirming that the role of solar photovoltaic installations in future green energy systems ought to be significantly…
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Banning the sale of fossil-fuel cars benefits the climate when replaced by electric cars

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If a ban were introduced on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, and they were replaced by electric cars, the result would be a great reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

That is the finding of new research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, looking at emissions from the entire life cycle – from manufacture of electric cars and batteries, to electricity used for operation.

However, the total effect of a phasing out of fossil-fuelled cars will not be felt until the middle of the century – and how the batteries are manufactured will affect the extent of the benefit. [Read more…] about Banning the sale of fossil-fuel cars benefits the climate when replaced by electric cars

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    Inexpensive battery charges rapidly for electric vehicles, reduces range anxietyRange anxiety, the fear of running out of power before being able to recharge an electric vehicle, may be a thing of the past, according to a team of Penn State engineers who are looking at lithium iron phosphate batteries that have a range of 250 miles with the ability…
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    Electric cars can become more eco-friendly through life cycle assessmentIt is time to stop discussing whether electric cars are good or bad. Instead industry, authorities and policy-makers need to work together to make them as eco-friendly as possible. This is the view taken by Anders Nordelöf, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology. In a recent thesis, he provides…
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  • Tau invents wire that doubles the power of electric motors and raises €10.25 million
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    Tau invents wire that doubles the power of electric motors and raises €10.25 millionA startup company called Tau, which specializes in materials science and automotive electrification, says it has delivered a prototype wire that enables electric motors to double their power output without changing their size.  The technology could mean that electric vehicles and machines of all kinds can keep going for longer…
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Scientists use ‘sandwich’ model to make solar panels more efficient

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In a world hungry for cheaper, more efficient renewable energy, Australian researchers have served up a treat.

Work led by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science has shown that the two-dimensional (2D) thin films used in some perovskite solar cells closely resemble a sandwich. Perovskite is an exciting material at the forefront of solar energy research and design.

Previously, scientists thought these 2D perovskite films had a ‘gradient’ structure, in which certain components were found deep in the material, with other complementary elements only located nearer to the surface, like topping on a cracker. [Read more…] about Scientists use ‘sandwich’ model to make solar panels more efficient

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  • Scientists discover ‘major cause’ of solar cell inefficiency
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    Scientists discover ‘major cause’ of solar cell inefficiencyResearchers in the materials department in UC Santa Barbara's College of Engineering have uncovered a major cause of limitations to efficiency in a new generation of solar cells. Various possible defects in the lattice of what are known as hybrid perovskites had previously been considered as the potential cause of…
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Scientists discover ‘major cause’ of solar cell inefficiency

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Researchers in the materials department in UC Santa Barbara’s College of Engineering have uncovered a major cause of limitations to efficiency in a new generation of solar cells.

Various possible defects in the lattice of what are known as hybrid perovskites had previously been considered as the potential cause of such limitations, but it was assumed that the organic molecules (the components responsible for the “hybrid” moniker) would remain intact.

Cutting-edge computations have now revealed that missing hydrogen atoms in these molecules can cause massive efficiency losses. The findings are published in a paper titled “Minimizing hydrogen vacancies to enable highly efficient hybrid perovskites,” in the April 29 issue of the journal Nature Materials. [Read more…] about Scientists discover ‘major cause’ of solar cell inefficiency

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    Organic solar cells: A question of affinityMost of us are familiar with silicon solar cells, which can be found on the rooftops of modern houses. These cells are made of two silicon layers, which contain different atoms such as boron and phosphorus. When combined, these layers direct charges generated by the absorbed sunlight towards the electrodes.…
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  • Scientists use ‘sandwich’ model to make solar panels more efficient
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    Scientists use ‘sandwich’ model to make solar panels more efficientIn a world hungry for cheaper, more efficient renewable energy, Australian researchers have served up a treat. Work led by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science has shown that the two-dimensional (2D) thin films used in some perovskite solar cells closely resemble a sandwich. Perovskite is an exciting…
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