Green Energy

Rice University researchers have developed a smart material that adjusts its transparency with changes in temperature, outperforming similar materials in terms of durability, transparency and responsiveness. The new polymer blend could significantly enhance energy efficiency for indoor space cooling, according to a new study published in Joule. Cooling off can be a matter of life or […]

Using a polymer to make a strong yet springy thin film, scientists led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are speeding the arrival of next-generation solid-state batteries. This effort advances the development of electric vehicle power enabled by flexible, durable sheets of solid-state electrolytes. The sheets may allow scalable production of future […]

U.S. startups are developing proprietary technologies based on hydraulic fracturing to drill wells for storing renewable energy from solar and wind in underground pressurized water reservoirs. As the share of renewable energy in electricity generation in the top American oil state, Texas, grows – so does the need for energy storage, which ensures clean energy […]

A quarter of all the energy China consumes now comes from clean sources, according to research published Thursday, as Beijing rapidly pivots its huge economy to a greener footing. The country is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, though has in recent years emerged as a global leader in renewable energy. It has pledged […]

A sensor on the electric grid picks up a strange blip in current or voltage. What’s happening, and will it cause an outage? Usually, a utility worker must travel in person to check. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have now developed a new automated drone inspection system that can respond […]

True North is Avangrid’s (NYSE: AGR) first solar farm in Texas – and it will be the largest solar project in the company’s portfolio. Avangrid installed more than 488,000 solar panels at the 321 megawatt (MW) solar farm in Falls County, Texas, over the past several months, and it says it finished ahead of schedule. […]

In a new study assessing how climate change might alter hydropower generation across the continental United States, researchers show that except for some parts of the Southwest, hydropower generation is expected to rise in the future. The analysis also shows that in the Pacific Northwest in the future, less water will be stored in the […]

Imagine if Australian cities became major producers of clean energy, rather than relying on far-flung solar and wind farms. Far fetched? Hardly. Our cities and towns are full of warehouses, commercial areas, shopping centers and factories. These types of buildings have one very important underutilized resource—large expanses of unoccupied rooftops, perfect for solar and battery […]

Though 2023 was a relatively slow year for new wind power deployment in the United States, the industry continues to see growth, solid performance, expanding supply chains, and attractive prices, according to a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). With power sales prices ranging from […]

Researchers have produced the world’s first flexible “solar panel” that is thin enough to coat on other objects so they can double as a portable source of energy. A breakthrough approach allowed scientists to create solar cells 150 times thinner than existing silicon-based panels, without sacrificing any of their energy-generating capabilities. These panels could eventually […]