Energy - MIT Technology Review

Exxon Takes Algae Fuel Back to the Drawing Board

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:48:29 +0000

A $300 million project seems to have failed to produce a cheap way to make fuel from algae.

In 2009, ExxonMobil announced that it would pay Craig Venter’s Synthetic Genomics up to $300 million to develop algae-based fuels.

Liquefied Air Could Power Cars and Store Energy from Sun and Wind

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A 19th-century idea might lead to cleaner cars, larger-scale renewable energy.

Some engineers are dusting off an old idea for storing energy—using electricity to liquefy air by cooling it down to nearly 200 °C below zero. When power is needed, the liquefied air is allowed to warm up and expand to drive a steam turbine and generator.

Building Solar in Spain Instead of Germany Could Save Billions

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:58:41 +0000

Building solar and wind projects in the wrong place is wasting billions of dollars in Europe.

Siemens says it would make sense to build solar power plants in sunny countries in Europe rather than in cloudy ones. And wind turbines should be built in windy places.

Novel Material Shows Promise for Extracting Uranium from Seawater

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A so-called metal-organic framework could offer a better way to get at the vast uranium resource dissolved in the ocean.

A new material could potentially be used to extract uranium from seawater more efficiently, new research suggests.

High Oil Prices Help Oil Production, But Not Biofuels

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:38:59 +0000

An International Energy Agency report says investments in oil technology will lead to a worldwide supply boom.

High oil prices were supposed to make biofuels and other oil alternatives more competitive. If only oil would stay above $80 a barrel (or $70 or $60), biofuels companies often say, then they’d have a market. Their technology for turning weeds into alcohol or pond scum into crude oil could really take off.

Sharper Computer Models Clear the Way for More Wind Power

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

New prediction models can allow utilities to rely more heavily on wind and save millions.

The utility with the most wind power capacity in the United States, Xcel Energy, is relying more on this power source and saving millions of dollars thanks to new forecasting models similar to those used to predict climate change.

A More Efficient Jet Engine Is Made from Lighter Parts, Some 3-D Printed

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Composite and 3-D-printed components will mean jet engines that use 15 percent less fuel.

A new generation of engines being developed by the world’s largest jet engine maker, CFM (a partnership between GE and Snecma of France), will allow aircraft to use about 15 percent less fuel—enough to save about $1 million per year per airplane and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

New Milestone for CO2 Levels: Mauna Loa Observatory Records 400 PPM

Fri, 10 May 2013 21:04:33 +0000

We’ve hit 400 ppm of carbon dioxide, but we won’t know what that means for decades.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Scripps Institution of Oceanography say that the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere hit the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million yesterday, up from about 280, the level it was at for thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution.

Can Carbon Capture Clean Up Canada’s Oil Sands?

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Alberta will serve as a test bed for large-scale carbon capture and sequestration.

Canada is betting that carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology that is fairly well understood but unproven at the scale needed to significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions, can reduce the environmental footprint associated with making fuel from oil sands—its fastest-growing source of greenhouse-gas emissions. (See “Alberta’s Oil Sands Heat Up.”)

Even Without Accounting Gimmicks, Electric-Car Maker Tesla is Now Profitable

Wed, 08 May 2013 22:52:24 +0000

To stay profitable, Tesla needs to keep cutting costs and selling more cars.

As expected, Tesla Motors, the maker of the luxury Model S electric sedan, announced today that it was profitable for the first time in its ten-year history. During the first quarter of 2013 it had profits of $11 million. Total revenues were $562 million.

Wind Turbines, Battery Included, Can Keep Power Supplies Stable

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Advances like GE’s new hybrid wind turbines could make renewable energy more practical.

GE recently sold the first of a new line of “hybrid” wind turbines that comes with a battery attached. The turbine’s battery can store the equivalent of less than one minute of the turbine operating at full power. But, by pairing the battery with advanced wind-forecasting algorithms, wind farm operators could guarantee a certain amount of power output for up to an hour.

Why It’s Okay that Tesla Makes Cars for Rich People

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:15:07 +0000

Tesla’s innovations could make EVs more competitive.

The U.S. Department of Energy has been criticized for loaning money to Tesla Motors because the company makes cars that only rich people can afford. That’s probably part of the reason Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, made such a big deal last week in saying that, with a new payment plan, and figuring in savings from gas prices, about 10 percent of the U.S. population can afford a new Model S, up from about 1 percent without the plan.

Startup Taps Quantum Encryption for Cybersecurity

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000

GridCom Technologies says quantum cryptography can work to make the electricity grid control systems secure.

The notion of harnessing the physics of quantum mechanics for a massive leap in computing power is firmly in the realm of science. But many people believe that applying these techniques to secure commercial communications is far more feasible.

The Amount of Oil We Can Recover Keeps Growing

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:35:39 +0000

The U.S. Geological Survey doubles its estimate for the size of a huge U.S. oil and gas resource.

The U.S. Geological Survey keeps increasing its estimate for the amount of oil under North Dakota. In 2008, the organization estimated that oil deposits in part of the Williston Basin—an area that includes parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana—had 3.65 billion barrels of oil yet to be discovered. That was 25 times higher than its previous estimate, made in 1995, of about 150 million barrels. Now it’s increased its estimate by a similar amount, raising it 3.75 billion barrels to 7.4 billion barrels. The total is a little more than the amount the United States consumes in one year.

Will Utilities Embrace Distributed Energy?

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:00:00 +0000

Disruptive technological changes are at work but utilities are hamstrung by outdates business models and regulations.

A homeowner who puts solar panels on his roof immediately slashes his monthly electricity bill and gains a measure of independence from the utility. As more distributed energy technologies take hold, utilities in the U.S. are wondering out loud what their future holds.

With Florida Project, the Smart Grid Has Arrived

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Smart grid technology has been implemented in many places, but Florida’s new deployment is the first full-scale system.

The first comprehensive and large scale smart grid is now operating. The $800 million project, built in Florida, has made power outages shorter and less frequent, and helped some customers save money, according to the utility that operates it.

Maker of World’s Most Boring Car Stops Making Cars

Wed, 01 May 2013 21:00:17 +0000

Coda Automotive’s uninspired EV failed to rouse customer interest.

The U.S. Department of Energy is being criticized for lending large sums of money to companies that went on to fail, like Solyndra, or appear to be on the cusp of failure, like Fisker Automotive (see “Why Tesla Survived and Fisker Won’t”). But here’s a company it turned down, and for good reason.

The Twitter Account to Watch If You're Worried About Climate Change

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:38:10 +0000

The planet’s rising atmospheric CO2 levels may hit a symbolic milestone this month.

This May, the folks behind a Twitter account started four months ago are preparing to tweet an event that the planet has not seen in an estimated four million years.

Updating Nest: Smarter, Sexier, and Savvier than Ever

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:20:00 +0000

Bringing ordinary consumers into the pro-environmental fold is Nest’s great achievement.

Nest, the only company that has ever gotten journalists to use the words “sexy” and “thermostat” in the same sentence (see “A Smart, Sexy–Thermostat?!”), today announces a sexy thermostat software update for its sexy thermostat hardware. As the Verge and others report, Version 3.5 of Nest’s software brings data to solve a few basic problems. For one thing, the Nest thermostat is now smarter about knowing when its being directly hit by sunlight (which could lead it to think your house is hotter than it is). Nest is also getting smarter about fighting mold, automatically turning off the AC to keep things dry in periods of high humidity. And Nest’s Auto-away feature has reportedly grown stronger, too, so it’s better at saving power when you’re out of the house. Last week, Nest also announced some features that help reduce energy demand during peak periods (that only rolled out with a few partner grids).

A Fuel Cell That Runs on Fire

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:03:20 +0000

Berkeley Labs spin-off Points Source Power develops fuel-cell charger for Kenya powered by cookstove fires.

In trying to create a power source for off-grid villagers in Kenya, entrepreneur and scientist Craig Jacobson has picked a seemingly improbable technology–a fuel cell.

Energy Department Backs New Way to Make Diesel from Corn

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A novel chemical pathway could address the high cost of transporting cellulosic materials to make diesel fuel.

Within a year, a pilot plant in Indiana will start converting the stalks and leaves of corn plants into diesel and jet fuel. The plant will use a novel approach involving acid as well as processes borrowed from the oil and chemical industry, which its developers hope will make fuel at prices cheap enough to compete with petroleum.

How to Make Gas-Guzzling Vans into Efficient Hybrids

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:01:00 +0000

A Boston-based company shows how it converts delivery trucks and other commercial fleet vehicles into hybrids.

Another Thin-Film Solar Casualty?

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:17:52 +0000

Niche provider SoloPower, which received state aid, is seeking an investor to keep operating.

Need a reminder of how brutal the solar provider industry is? Consider the recent history of SoloPower.

Battery Could Provide a Cheap Way to Store Solar Power

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:40:00 +0000

Combining aspects of high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries with flow battery technology can lower costs.

There’s a promising new entry in the race to build cheap batteries for storing energy from solar panels and wind turbines. Stanford researchers led by Yi Cui, a professor of materials science and engineering, have demonstrated a partially liquid battery made of inexpensive lithium and sulfur. Cui says the battery will be easy to make and will last for thousands of charging cycles.

A Solution to Solar Power Intermittency

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Converting methane to an alternative fuel using energy from the sun could reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.

Burning natural gas emits about half as much carbon dioxide as burning coal, but it still produces large amounts of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. A novel device being developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) could reduce those emissions by 20 percent by using heat from the sun to convert natural gas to an alternative fuel called syngas, a lower carbon fuel.

Why We Don’t Need Fisker

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:11:03 +0000

The failing maker of luxury hybrids is in the spotlight in DC, but technologically speaking, who cares if Fisker fails?

Congress is trying answer some important questions today about whether the government made mistakes in handling a loan to Fisker Automotive, a company that’s now teetering on the edge of bankruptcy—the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is holding a hearing on the subject. But when looked at from the perspective of innovation, Fisker doesn’t really matter much.

Introduction to the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2013

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

MIT Technology Review identifies the 10 most important technology milestones of the past year.

Our definition of a breakthrough is simple: an advance that gives people powerful new ways to use technology. It could be an intuitive design that provides a useful interface (see “Smart Watches”) or experimental devices that could allow people who have suffered brain damage to once again form memories (“Memory Implants”). Some could be key to sustainable economic growth (“Additive Manufacturing” and “Supergrids”), while others could change how we communicate (“Temporary Social Media”) or think about the unborn (“Prenatal DNA Sequencing”). Some are brilliant feats of engineering (“Baxter”). Others stem from attempts to rethink longstanding problems in their fields (“Deep Learning” and “Ultra-Efficient Solar Power”). As a whole, we intend this annual list not only to tell you which technologies you need to know about, but also to celebrate the creativity that produced them.

Supergrids

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A high-power circuit breaker could finally make DC power grids practical.

High-voltage DC power lines can efficiently transport electricity over thousands of kilometers and for long distances underwater, outperforming the AC lines that dominate transmission grids now. But for a century, AC prevailed because high-voltage DC could be used only for point-to-point transmission, not to form the integrated grid networks needed for a stable electricity system.

Additive Manufacturing

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

GE, the world’s largest manufacturer, is on the verge of using 3-D printing to make jet parts.

General Electric is making a radical departure from the way it has traditionally manufactured things. Its aviation division, the world’s largest supplier of jet engines, is preparing to produce a fuel nozzle for a new aircraft engine by printing the part with lasers rather than casting and welding the metal. The technique, known as additive manufacturing (because it builds an object by adding ultrathin layers of material one by one), could transform how GE designs and makes many of the complex parts that go into everything from gas turbines to ultrasound machines.

Ultra-Efficient Solar Power

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Doubling the efficiency of solar devices would completely change the economics of renewable energy. Here is a design that just might make it possible.

Harry Atwater thinks his lab can make an affordable device that produces more than twice the solar power generated by today’s panels. The feat is possible, says the Caltech professor of materials science and applied physics, because of recent advances in the ability to manipulate light at a very small scale.

Nest Thermostat Slays Peak Power

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Nest adds “energy services” with utilities to shift heavy air conditioning loads and tune home efficiency.

“Demand response” is not something most people outside the utility industry know about, never mind pay much attention to. Then again, most people didn’t give much thought to thermostats before Nest Labs made one.

Earth Day Reality Check

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:11:25 +0000

To make real progress in cleaning the air, we need better technology.

As people around the world celebrate Earth Day and call attention to the need to take care of natural resources, it’s not a bad time to note that the use of coal–one of the dirtiest fuels–is going up around the world in spite of the growth of renewable energy and in spite of efforts by environmentalists to decrease its use (see “The Enduring Technology of Coal” and “Renewables Can’t Keep Up with the Growth in Coal Use Worldwide”). That’s because coal is a cheap and abundant source of power that’s been key to a surge in prosperity in the last few decades.

IBM Solar Dish Does Double Duty

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:13:14 +0000

IBM Researchers build solar concentrator that generates electricity and enough heat for desalination or cooling.

Cooling a supercomputer can provide clues on how to make solar power cheap, says IBM.

The Enduring Technology of Coal

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Despite the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the burning of coal has only been accelerating.

Novel Heating System Could Improve Electric Car’s Range

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A prototype system can heat and cool without draining battery power.

Buyers considering an electric car must bear in mind that using battery-powered heating and air conditioning can decrease the car’s range by a third or more (see “BMW’s Solution to Limited Electric-Vehicle Range: A Gas-Powered Loaner”). A New York Times reviewer recently ran into this problem on a test drive, ending up stranded with a dead battery (see “Musk-New York Times Debate Highlights Electric Cars’ Shortcomings”).

Google Floats Renewable Energy Data Center Plan

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:12:15 +0000

Google tries to use its buying clout to prod utilities to offer renewable energy option.

Google has spent more than $1 billion in solar and wind energy projects but it ultimately has no control over the fuel that produces the electricity that powers its data centers. Google today is proposing a new tariff to buy renewable energy directly from utilities, a model it hopes will help scale renewable energy for data centers and other big energy consumers.

Solar Cooling With Photonic Reflector Panel

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:17:47 +0000

Stanford researchers conceive of panel that ejects building heat into space.

Stanford researchers are developing rooftop panels that cool buildings by sending heat back into space, a technique that could be more efficient than running an air conditioner from solar panels.

Renewables Can’t Keep Up with the Growth in Coal Use Worldwide

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:05:36 +0000

An International Energy Agency report calls for more research, carbon price, to help renewables compete.

Despite remarkable growth, solar and wind power aren’t making a dent in carbon emissions, says a new report from the International Energy Agency. Coal consumption is growing too fast to offset any gains from renewables.

Cracking Rock to Get More from Geothermal Fields

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:29:14 +0000

An enhanced geothermal project fractures hot rocks at unproductive wells, an approach with low financial risk.

Growth in conventional geothermal power last year was a tepid five percent. A recently-demonstrated enhanced geothermal method could squeeze more usable energy from existing wells.

Better Computer Models Needed for Mega Wind Farms

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Interactions between hundreds of wind turbines make power output difficult to predict.

With wind power getting cheaper, wind farm developers are drawing up plans for farms an order of magnitude bigger than anything around today, some with more than 1,000 turbines. But there’s one big problem: the economics of wind farms depends on accurate predictions of power output, and it is far more difficult to model how such large wind farms will behave.

Proceed with Caution toward the Self-Driving Car

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Completely autonomous vehicles will remain a fantasy for years. Until they’re here, we need technology that enhances human drivers’ abilities rather than making those abilities increasingly obsolete.

Already Efficient, LED Lights Get Smarter

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:37:58 +0000

Digital convergence is rapidly coming to lighting as component makers pave the way for customizable, networked lamps.

Now that we have smart phones, smart TVs, and smart thermostats, perhaps its not surprising that smart light bulbs are just around the corner.

Batteries: Cheapest Form of Grid Power?

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:14:46 +0000

Using a wind energy and expensive lithium-ion batteries, AES Energy Storage is making money by stabilizing the grid.

The conventional wisdom is that batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, are way too expensive to be used on the electricity grid in a financially viable way. Chris Shelton begs to differ and he has two years of data to make his case.

Last Year’s U.S. Drought Wasn’t Caused by Climate Change

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:50:33 +0000

Those advocating limits on greenhouse gases can’t count on the weather to make their argument.

Last summer, in response to an intense and prolonged drought in the U.S.—the worst, indeed, since 1895—we ran an interview with a climate scientist, Thomas Karl, director of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina. He said that droughts in general will be exacerbated by climate change, while noting that it’s difficult to link any particular drought to greenhouse gases. “I suspect it will be really difficult to show how much these changing patterns contributed to the drought in the Midwest this year,” he said (see “Is Climate Change to Blame for the Current U.S. Drought?”).

First Solar Shines as the Solar Industry Falters

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:25:00 +0000

First Solar’s strong finances are helping fund innovation and drive down the cost of solar power.

Innovation in solar cell technology has slowed as startups struggle to get a foothold in a tough market and solar panel manufacturers delay purchasing the equipment they need to manufacture more efficient cells. But First Solar, one of the world’s largest solar companies, continues to invest in boosting the efficiency of its solar cells.

Obama Wants Far More Money for Existing Technologies than for Developing New Ones

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:54:43 +0000

Does it make sense to spend so much on already commercialized technology?

According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, President Obama’s budget has nearly $13 billion set aside for energy-related spending–if you look just at the amount allocated for key R&D programs at the Department of Energy along with spending on tax incentives (there’s more if, for example, you include funding for Department of Defense related programs). Most of that money–$7.5 billion—is going to tax breaks of one sort of another. That is, money that goes to deploying technology we already have. The rest—about $5 billion–is for R&D and demonstration of new technology.

LED Lights to Cut 60-Watt Bulb to Five Watts

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:24:44 +0000

Philips seeks to replace florescent tube light with an LED using technology planned for other types of bulbs.

Philips has cut the amount of power of its overhead LED tube light in half, a sign of continuing improvements in LED lighting geared at displacing incumbent technologies.

Climate Change: The Moral Choices

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

The effects of global warming will persist for hundreds of years. What are our responsibilities and duties today to help safeguard the distant future? That is the question ethicists are now asking.

One of the defining characteristics of climate change is poorly appreciated by most people: the higher temperatures and other effects induced by increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will persist for a very long time. Scientists have long realized that carbon dioxide emitted during the burning of fossil fuels tends to linger in the atmosphere for extended periods, even for centuries. Over the last few years, researchers have calculated that some of the resulting changes to the earth’s climate, including increased temperature, are more persistent still: even if emissions are abruptly ended and carbon dioxide levels gradually drop, the temperature will stubbornly remain elevated for a thousand years or more. The earth’s thermostat is essentially being turned up and there are no readily foreseeable ways to turn it back down; even risky geoengineering schemes would at best offset the higher temperatures only temporarily.

Cleanweb or Deep Tech: Diverging Paths for Energy Startups

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:11:37 +0000

Join the app economy or invent new energy technology? Two startup events reflect evolving ideas on energy entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship in energy and the environment has been going on for years but its future direction is still a matter of debate.

Will Vertical Turbines Make More of the Wind?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A Caltech researcher thinks arrays of tiny wind turbines could produce cheaper power than big ones.

The remote Alaskan village of Igiugig—home to about 50 people—will be the first to demonstrate a new approach to wind power that could boost power output and, its inventors say, just might make it more affordable.

Turning off the Power to Run the Grid

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:20:39 +0000

Demand response—essentially dialing back power at key times—is quietly becoming a key technology for the electricity grid of the future.

The off switch is a fast-growing source of power in some parts of the electricity grid.

Why Tesla Survived and Fisker Won’t

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Tesla’s innovations in batteries give it an edge that Fisker, focused on design, lacks.

Fisker Automotive and Tesla Motors, two startups founded to make battery-powered cars, are both in the news, but for very different reasons. Tesla Motors recently announced that it is selling cars faster than it expected, which the automaker says will make the first quarter of 2013 its first profitable quarter ever. Fisker Automotive, in contrast, has furloughed workers to cut costs and is reportedly close to bankruptcy.

Bill Gates Spreads his Battery Bets on Aquion

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:47:30 +0000

Aquion Energy lands $35 million to commercialize its novel grid-storage battery, bringing in Bill Gates as investor.

When it comes to disruptive battery startups, one of the best endorsements you can get comes from software tycoon Bill Gates.

Designer Carbon Provides Longer Battery Life

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Energ2’s nanostructured carbon anodes can boost lithium-ion battery capacity by 30 percent.

A Seattle-based startup, EnerG2, has developed a carbon anode that significantly improves the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries without requiring a new battery design or a different manufacturing process.

Solar Downturn Casts a Shadow Over Innovation

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

With no one buying new equipment, solar companies are looking to make the best of existing technology.

Suntech Power, the large Chinese solar panel maker that filed for bankruptcy last month, isn’t the only solar company teetering on the edge. Almost all of the world’s largest solar panel makers are in danger of going bankrupt within a year, and the downturn is having an impact on innovation.

Can Tesla Shift to Higher Volume?

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:44:17 +0000

Tesla says stronger sales will increase profits for the quarter, while it cuts the lowest-range Model S electric sedan.

Tesla Motors had an Easter present for its investors: due to better-than-expected sales of its Model S, it raised profit forecasts for the first quarter this year. It also dropped the low-end version of the Model S, hinting at challenges the company may face as it seeks to make a lower-priced electric car.

Carbon-Dioxide Storage with Less Earthquake Risk

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Underground rocks that react with carbon dioxide to form minerals could offer a safe way to keep the greenhouse gas from reaching the atmosphere.

We Need Nuclear-Powered Airplanes, Not Solar-Powered Ones

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:53:20 +0000

Making liquid fuels from low-carbon sources is better than mounting solar panels on planes.

It’s being billed as a triumph for solar power, but the Solar Impulse solar-powered airplane could also be seen as an illustration of just how amazing liquid fuels like jet fuel are, and how far solar power and battery technology would need to go to challenge them. A far better idea than solar-powered flight is nuclear-powered flight, although I don’t mean putting nuclear reactors on airplanes as the U.S. government once proposed (see these two pdfs). Let’s use fission to make low-carbon fuel.

A Cheaper Way to Make Hydrogen from Water

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:28:15 +0000

University of Calgary researchers create new method for making water-splitting catalysts using abundant metals.

One of the main barriers blocking wide-scale use of fuel cells is the expensive catalysts used to produce hydrogen fuel from water. Researchers at the University of Calgary say they have developed a novel method for making catalysts using inexpensive metals.

Los Angeles Maps Electricity Use at the Block Level

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:51:41 +0000

Interactive Data Visualization App Sheds Light on Energy Use and Inefficient Buildings.

Most buildings waste energy but how inefficient one building is compared to others is difficult to know. At a city level, choosing which buildings are ripe for efficiency upgrades is even harder.

Can Small Reactors Ignite a Nuclear Renaissance?

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Small reactors have some benefits, but they won’t make nuclear as cheap as natural gas.

Small, modular nuclear reactor designs could be relatively cheap to build and safe to operate, and there’s plenty of corporate and government momentum behind a push to develop and license them. But will they be able to offer power cheap enough to compete with natural gas? And will they really help revive the moribund nuclear industry in the United States?

The Perfect Parking Garage: No Drivers Required

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

With security, reliability, and legal issues yet to be resolved, the first self-driving vehicles will perform only specific tasks.

Drivers who use a parking garage in Ingolstadt, Germany, could be forgiven for thinking they’ve died and gone to commuter heaven. They can pull up outside, step out of their car, and let it drive into the garage to find a parking spot for itself. Later, they simply press a button on a smartphone app and their car will obediently return to the garage entrance.

Nanowires Suck Up Light from Around Them

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

The optical properties of nanowires suggest a new way to make more efficient solar panels.

The unusual optical properties of nanowires could lead to cheaper, more efficient solar panels, new research suggests.

The Little Secrets Behind Apple’s Green Data Centers

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:35:00 +0000

Apple is using a combination of solar, fuel cells, and renewable energy purchases to meet its clean-energy targets.

Apple this week said that all of its data centers are powered by renewable energy. How Apple achieved that impressive goal reflects the complexity of transitioning to renewable energy.

Startup EnerVault Rethinks Flow Battery Chemistry

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

EnerVault later this year will test its first grid-scale flow battery that uses low-cost materials and proprietary pumping system.

Flow batteries have emerged as one of most promising ways to store many hours of energy on the electricity grid. To make costs more competitive, startup EnerVault is pursuing a novel chemistry and unique mechanical design.

Skipping the Water in Fracking

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

The push to extend fracking to arid regions is drawing attention to water-free techniques.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, uses large amounts of water injected into wells under high pressure to help free natural gas and oil from shale deposits (see “Drilling for Shale Gas”). Yet some of the world’s largest sources of shale gas are found in deserts, making the technique seem impractical.

Why the Bankruptcy of Suntech Matters

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:00:03 +0000

The Chinese government is allowing major solar companies to fail, and that’s a good thing.

The Chinese government helped finance a massive expansion of the solar industry, helping to create a glut of solar panels—and leading to rapidly reducing prices for solar. But now it has let the main subsidiary of its most prominent solar panel manufacturer, Suntech Power, go bankrupt.

BrightSource Pushes Ahead on Another Massive Solar Thermal Plant

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

With BrightSource’s Ivanpah solar plant about to come online, the company looks to its next projects for the economics to improve.

BrightSource Energy is planning to complete construction of one of world’s largest solar thermal power plants this year, and is now betting on an even more massive project that it hopes will come online by 2016. The Oakland, California, company’s first utility-scale plant, its 370-megawatt Ivanpah facility in the Mojave Desert, uses thousands of software-controlled mirrors to direct sunlight at three central towers that produce steam and power a turbine (see “In Pictures: The World’s Largest Solar Thermal Power Plant”). PG&E and Southern California Edison have entered long-term contracts to buy power from the three units of the project, a sprawling 3,500-acre installation that cost $2.2 billion and is slated to start firing up this summer.

Don’t Count Out Thin-Film Solar

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:56:59 +0000

As startup Solexant resurfaces for funds, consider the possibility that thin-film will still have its day.

Thin-film solar is back in the news as Solexant, a company that’s been hiding out for the past two years, recently resurfaced, likely with the goal of raising more funds (see “Thin-Film Solar with High Efficiency”). A few years ago, thin-film solar was all the rage in Silicon Valley. It was supposed to be a cheaper alternative to conventional silicon solar panels, promising costs as low as a jaw-dropping $1 per watt. It fell out of fashion as conventional silicon solar panels first approached, and then dropped below that cost. Thin-film solar companies started failing, or being acquired for pennies on the dollar, or dropping off the radar, lurking at a low burn rate in the hope that the solar market will surge, creating demand for their product.

Ocean-faring Robot Cashes in on Offshore Oil and Gas

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:45:47 +0000

Liquid Robotics raised $45 million to build out its fleet of self-propelled marine robots.

Liquid Robotics is betting that autonomous vehicles will emerge as the best way to troll the oceans to gather data.

Abu Dhabi Plugs in Giant Concentrating Solar Plant

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:03:50 +0000

Abu Dhabi diversifies its energy with $600 million solar project.

The oil-rich sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi this week dedicated what it says is the largest concentrating solar power plant in the world, a sign that Middle Eastern countries are serious about developing their solar resources.

How to Create Thermal Images for Millions of Homes

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:18:46 +0000

Two startups combine Google Street View method with infrared imaging to show homeowners where energy is being wasted.

One of the well-worn tools of home energy auditors is thermal imaging cameras that show where buildings are poorly insulated. But how do you bring these pictures to thousands or even millions of homes? Two Boston-area startups think they have the answer.

Why We Need More Solar Companies to Fail

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Solar manufacturers like Suntech are struggling. Hundreds need to die for the industry to recover.

Suntech, a Chinese company that as recently as 2011 was the world’s largest producer of solar panels, is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. It’s running low on cash, owes bond investors half a billion dollars (which it failed to pay Friday), and is saddled with payments on billions of dollars in loans as it struggles to make money in a market flooded with its product.

Will Methane Hydrates Fuel Another Gas Boom?

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:04:00 +0000

Energy-hungry Japan extracts natural gas from deep-sea methane hydrates, but it’s not clear whether the “flammable ice” makes economic and environmental sense.

In a move to get closer to developing its own domestic fossil fuel, Japan is extracting natural gas from an offshore deposit of methane hydrates. The tests that are set to run until the end of this month mark the first time such production methods have been tested in a deep-sea formation.

Obama Stumps for Energy Research Through Trust Fund

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:14:22 +0000

President pushes proposal to fund R&D with money from oil and gas leases on federal lands.

President Obama today made the case for using money from oil and gas leases in the Outer Continental Shelf to fund research on alternatives to fossil fuels.

Reining in Geoengineering Researchers

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:08:36 +0000

A Science article suggests a framework for monitoring research on how to cool the earth.

Efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions worldwide aren’t working, so some researchers think we may need to resort to spraying reflective aerosols into the upper atmosphere to shade the earth and cool it off a little. The problem is we don’t know much about what that might do to the ozone layer or precipitation, among other things. And we don’t have laws to regulate geoengineering research to make sure someone doesn’t do something stupid, like doing a large scale test before we understand the impact of the aerosols, at least on a small scale, on atmospheric chemistry..

Global Night Light Patterns Reveal Economic Shift to the East

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:07:21 +0000

The mean centre of world lighting is moving east at the rate of 60 km per year, according to a new analysis of archived satellite images

Years in the Making, Promising Rechargeable Metal-Air Batteries Head to Market

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A Scottsdale, Arizona-based startup is now selling batteries that promise to be a cheaper alternative for grid backup.

After years of development, a novel battery technology from the startup Fluidic Energy is being commercialized (see “Betting on a Metal-Air Battery Breakthrough”). It’s a rechargeable metal-air battery whose first application is replacing diesel and lead-acid battery backup systems for telecommunications towers, and for other businesses that need a steady supply of power. The company has been quietly demonstrating its battery with customers for a year. In an interview with MIT Technology Review, Fluidic Energy founder and chief technology officer Cody Friesen made details about its product publicly available for the first time.

Cellulosic Ethanol Inches Forward

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:10:05 +0000

The technology for making fuel from wood chips and grass is late, but still on the way.

A few years ago, large scale, billion-gallon-a-year cellulosic ethanol production seemed around the corner. Instead we’ve seen companies fail, or scale back and delay their plans, as they find it hard to secure financing or bring down costs. The technology seems to have dropped off the radar, except for the occasional news of opposition to a mandate requiring the use of cellulosic ethanol.

Can We Really Run the World on 100% Renewables?

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:20:16 +0000

Some studies suggest we can easily drop nuclear and fossil fuels, but they raise serious questions.

Every once in a while someone will publish a roadmap for running the world (or a state) on 100 percent renewable energy by some date, say 2030 or 2050. The latest considers what it would take to run New York State with sources such as wind and solar. The resulting headlines look great, and a lot of people walk away with the general impression that, if we wanted to, we could easily drop fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Developing Nations Put Nuclear on Fast-Forward

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Fast reactors can shrink nuclear-waste stockpiles, but can designers tame the inherent hazards?

Fast reactors, whose high-speed neutrons can break down nuclear waste, are on the road to commercialization. That message has been advanced forcefully by Russia, China, and India.

Headed into an IPO, a Smart Grid Company Struggles for Profit

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:01:53 +0000

After its IPO on Wednesday, Silver Spring Networks will try to become profitable by helping utilities manage energy demand.

One of the oldest smart grid technology companies, Silver Spring Networks, is set to go public this week after putting off its IPO for almost two years (see “The 50 Most Innovative Companies: 2011”), even as other cleantech companies continue to struggle on public markets.

Safer Nuclear Power, at Half the Price

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Transatomic is developing a new kind of molten-salt reactor designed to overcome the major barriers to nuclear power.

Transatomic Power, an MIT spinoff, is developing a nuclear reactor that it estimates will cut the overall cost of a nuclear power plant in half. It’s an updated molten-salt reactor, a type that’s highly resistant to meltdowns. Molten-salt reactors were demonstrated in the 1960s at Oak Ridge National Lab, where one test reactor ran for six years, but the technology hasn’t been used commercially.

An App Store for Home Lighting

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:29:45 +0000

Philips invites developers to write apps for its Hue wireless LED light bulbs.

Home lighting has gained new status in the world of network-connected digital gadgetry.

How to Choose an LED Light Bulb

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

There are now many general-purpose consumer LED bulbs that give off good light. With so many, how can you tell the difference?

After years of work, LED lighting company have finally achieved their goal of producing a good replacement for the common 60-watt incandescent bulb.

Seven Next-Generation Energy Technologies Showcased by ARPA-E

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Companies showed off their latest clean energy innovations at the ARPA-E Summit.

The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy funds R&D in energy technologies that are too early for private funders to pick up. It’s funded hundreds of projects since it was first funded in 2009 in areas including carbon capture and storage, power electronics, and solar power.

Japan's Economic Troubles Spur a Return to Nuclear

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Some of the nuclear power plants shut down after the Fukushima disaster could restart soon.

As the second anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima nears, Japan is considering restarting nuclear reactors across the country in an effort to ease a recession that began at the end of 2012 after years of economic stagnation.

Why Environmentalists Oppose One of the Best Ways to Cut Carbon Emissions

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:18:42 +0000

Humans may be wired to respond more to immediate issues like fracking than longer term ones like global warming.

An interesting post at The Breakthough Institute website makes a case that environmentalists should rethink their opposition to fracking.

Self-Healing Concrete Uses Sunlight to Fix Its Own Cracks

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:06:24 +0000

Researchers have demonstrated a way to give concrete surfaces the ability to heal when small cracks appear, an advance that could allow bridges and other structures to last longer.

Even the tiniest cracks on the surfaces of concrete structures can lead to big problems if they aren’t immediately repaired. Now researchers have demonstrated a sunlight-induced, self-healing protective coating designed to fix cracks on the surface of concrete structures before they grow into larger ones that compromise structural integrity.

Once-Pricey LED Bulbs to Dip Under $10

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:16:10 +0000

Philips and Cree predict bright, general-purpose LED bulbs under $10 will be an industry tipping point.

Lighting companies are within reach of a price point they think will make bright LED light bulbs a mass-market item: $10.

BMW’s Solution to Limited Electric-Vehicle Range: a Gas-Powered Loaner

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

BMW’s approach to quelling range anxiety differs markedly from the tactics of other automakers.

While they wait for cheaper batteries that can store more energy, carmakers are trying a range of strategies to compensate for the shortcomings of existing batteries. One of the latest, coming from BMW for the electric i3 slated to come out this year, is to offer customers loaner cars for long trips (see “BMW Shifts into Electric Gear”).

Cree Introduces an LED Bulb Edison Would Love

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:28:31 +0000

Cree introduces an LED bulb that mimics the design and shape of traditional incandescent bulb to entice consumers to try LEDs.

If you’ve had any experience with LED light bulbs, you know they can look pretty odd. Cree today introduced a bulb that mimics the traditional incandescent bulb design in every way–except its inefficiency.

Sun Catalytix Seeks Second Act with Flow Battery

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:59:19 +0000

The MIT spin-off had hoped to enable the hydrogen economy in developing countries, but is now at work on a flow battery using “designer molecules.”

MIT spin-off Sun Catalytix has had to put its bold vision of enabling the hydrogen economy on hold. But it still has aggressive technical goals.

Obama’s Pragmatic Pick for Energy Secretary

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:50:10 +0000

MIT’s Moniz wants action on climate change, but can also work with the fossil fuel industry.

Ernest Moniz, President Obama’s pick to replace Steven Chu as secretary, is a pragmatic choice. An MIT professor of physics and engineering systems and the head of the MIT Energy Initiative, Moniz believes climate change is a problem and he has the support of the Environmental Defense Fund. Yet he can work closely with the fossil fuel industry—MITEI’s founding members are major oil and gas companies—BP, Shell, Eni, and Saudi Aramco. And Moniz is no stranger to Washington, having served as associate director for science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

A Battery That Stretches to Three Times Its Size

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:27:02 +0000

Stretchable batteries that can be recharged wirelessly offer a power source for wearable electronics and health monitors.

Flexible, stretchable electronic devices will help monitor athletes on the field, take medical monitoring away from the hospital bedside, and make portable electronics more comfortable—perhaps even wearable. But to do anything at all, they need a power source. Now researchers have demonstrated a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can be stretched by as much as 300 percent.

Engineer Plants to Reflect Light Back into Space

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:37:56 +0000

Announcing this year’s so-crazy-it-might-work award from the ARPA-E Summit.

Every year at the annual Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy Summit (which took place this week) you can count on there being at least one left-field idea that just might work—or might go horribly wrong.

ARPA-E Head Sharpens Focus on Life After Grants

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:49:05 +0000

The ARPA-E agency has increased its focus on commercializing energy research but it’s a concern the DOE has yet to fully address.

The ARPA-E agency is known for its high-risk energy research projects. But this year’s annual conference had elements of a business bootcamp, offering would-be energy entrepreneurs tips on how to raise money and build a commercially viable product.

Research Hints at Graphene’s Photovoltaic Potential

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Newly observed properties mean graphene could be a highly efficient converter of light to electric power.

Researchers have demonstrated that graphene is highly efficient at generating electrons upon absorbing light, which suggests that the material could be used to make light sensors and perhaps even more efficient solar cells.

Conventional materials that turn light into electricity, like silicon and gallium arsenide, generate a single electron for each photon absorbed. Since a photon contains more energy than one electron can carry, much of the energy contained in the incoming light is lost as heat. Now, new research reveals that when graphene absorbs a photon it generates multiple electrons capable of driving a current. This means that if graphene devices for converting light to electricity come to fruition, they could be more efficient than the devices commonly used today.

Previous theoretical work had inspired hope that graphene had this property, says Frank Koppens, a group leader at the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Spain, who led the research. He says the new result, described this week in Nature Physics, represents the first experimental proof.

To perform the experiment, the researchers used two ultrafast light pulses. The first sent a prescribed amount of energy into a single layer of graphene. The second served as a probe that counted the electrons the first one generated.

New Method Could Cheaply Convert Natural Gas to Chemicals

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

A ceramic membrane could unlock the potential of methane-conversion catalysts and help make use of natural gas that currently goes to waste.

High-performance ceramic membranes from the R&D company Ceramatec could lead to a cheaper way to convert natural gas into benzene, a liquid that can be used to make a wide variety of chemicals and serve as a component of gasoline.

What ARPA-E Does Well: Making Connections

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:00:38 +0000

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy is a filter and a matchmaker.

Valerio De Angelis, the charismatic executive director of the Energy Institute at City University of New York, caught me glancing at his booth at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy Summit this week and before I could get away he was regaling me about the wonders of the technology he was showing off, a new battery that could make it relatively inexpensive to store wind power at night for use during the day when demand is higher. The technology was developed with the help of an ARPA-E grant awarded in 2010. Already he has orders for two megawatt-hours worth of his batteries, something he says wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for ARPA-E.