Technology Review AudioDizer Podcast - Energy Top Stories

LEDs that Burn 10 Times Brighter

Phil McKenna — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Startup Soraa thinks it can make LEDs cheap enough to replace regular bulbs.

Tesla's New Car: A Luxury SUV, with Wings

Kevin Bullis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Model X will help Tesla compete better with large automakers.

Fisker's Woes Put A123 Systems at Risk

Kevin Bullis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Both the plug-in hybrid startup, and the company that supplies its batteries, appear to be in trouble.

Concentrated Solar Startup Sets a New Efficiency Record

Kevin Bullis — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Semprius makes solar modules using tiny cells that need less cooling.

Tough Times for U.S. EV Battery Makers

Kevin Bullis — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Companies need more consumer demand for electric vehicles to grow rapidly.

Device Could Drive Down Solar's Cost

Phil McKenna — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

ArrayPower says its "sequenced inverter" will cut the cost of solar by more than 10 percent.

In the Developing World, Solar Is Cheaper than Fossil Fuels

Kevin Bullis — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Advances are opening solar to the 1.3 billion people who don't have access to grid electricity.

Startup Makes Peel-Off Solar Cells

Kevin Bullis — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Astrowatt's wafer-making method could mean cheaper solar power.

Fracking Quakes Shake the Shale Gas Industry

Peter Fairley — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Well shutdowns prompted by fracking-induced seismicity may inspire technology tweaks.

Photosynthesis Fuel Company Gets a Large Investment

Phil McKenna — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:53:00 GMT

Joule Unlimited will build a production plant for turning sunlight and CO2 into liquid fuels.

New Process Makes Heat-Harvesting Materials Cheaply

Prachi Patel — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Such materials could be used to cool computers and buildings, and harvest waste heat in cars.

Want Cheap Biofuel? A Startup Makes It with Natural Gas

Kevin Bullis — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Virent says supplementing biomass with fossil fuel could increase yields and lower costs.

Preview of EVs and Hybrids at the Detroit Auto Show

Kevin Bullis — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Several automakers plan to unveil advanced vehicle technologies next week.

Cleaner, Cheaper Liquid Fuel from Coal

Peter Fairley — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A new conversion process promises zero carbon emissions during production&mdash;but some question whether it will scale.

Startup Promises a Revolutionary Grid Battery

Phil McKenna — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Eos Energy Storage says its zinc-air battery can store energy to meet peak power needs for less.

New Manufacturing Tech Could Mean Cheaper Solar Cells

Kevin Bullis — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Startup Natcore says its process could reduce costs and enable new nanostructured designs.

The Year in Materials

Kevin Bullis — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Vibrant displays head to market, invisibility cloaks become more practical, and batteries store more energy.

The Year in Energy

Kevin Bullis — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Surprising successes helped offset disappointing failures in solar, biofuels, and nuclear power.

To Survive, Some Biofuels Companies Give Up on Biofuels

Kevin Bullis — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Companies such as Gevo hope to become profitable by turning corn into chemicals.

Power Polymers

TR Editors — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Conductive binders could make high-capacity battery electrodes practical