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'Living bricks' create building blocks for a circular economy
An EU project has developed highly innovative 'living bricks' that contain chambers of microbes capable of turning human waste, such as urine and grey water, into valuable resources, electricity and clean water.
June 9, 2020 Read more
How efficient are solar power storage systems?
A new 'Testbench' project enhances the quality of efficiency measurements for better comparison of battery systems by planners and operators.
June 4, 2020 Read more
Solar hydrogen production: Splitting water with UV is now at almost 100% quantum efficiency
Scientists successfully split water into hydrogen and oxygen using light and meticulously designed catalysts, and they did so at the maximum efficiency meaning there was almost no loss and undesired side reactions.
June 3, 2020 Read more
Making sense of climate scenarios: New toolkit available for decision makers
To make climate scenarios work for decision makers, an international team of researchers have developed a comprehensive interactive online platform.
June 3, 2020 Read more
Researchers develop viable sodium battery
Researchers have created a sodium-ion battery that holds as much energy and works as well as some commercial lithium-ion battery chemistries, making for a potentially viable battery technology out of abundant and cheap materials.
June 1, 2020 Read more
New system for widespread availability of green hydrogen
Hydrogen researchers have developed a cost-effective process for the decentralised production of high-purity hydrogen.
May 26, 2020 Read more
Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to ethanol
Scientists have discovered a new mechanism for selective electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to ethanol using copper-silver composite catalysts.
May 6, 2020 Read more
Energy generated on offshore wind turbine farms, and conveyed ashore as hydrogen fuel
Researchers have proposed using the energy generated on offshore wind turbine farms to produce hydrogen in situ instead of conveying it ashore by cable. They have shown that this is technically possible and economically viable.
April 30, 2020 Read more
Environment-friendly compound shows promise for solar cell use
A team of engineers, material scientists, and physicists demonstrated how a new material - a lead-free chalcogenide perovskite - that hadn't previously been considered for use in solar cells could provide a safer and more effective option than others that are commonly considered.
April 24, 2020 Read more
Water replaces toxins: Green production of plastics
Although organic plastics are not harmful to the environment themselves, toxic substances are often used during their synthesis. Now there is another way.
April 21, 2020 Read more
Faster-degrading plastic could promise cleaner seas
To address plastic pollution plaguing the world's seas and waterways, chemists have developed a new polymer that can degrade by ultraviolet radiation.
April 20, 2020 Read more
Physicists develop approach to increase performance of solar energy
Experimental condensed matter physicists have developed an approach to circumvent a major loss process that currently limits the efficiency of commercial solar cells.
April 20, 2020 Read more
A unique heat storage technology gathers steam
Many processes that generate electricity also produce heat, a potent energy resource that often goes untapped everywhere from factories to vehicles to power plants. An innovative system currently being developed can quickly store heat and release it for use when needed, surpassing conventional storage options in both flexibility and efficiency.
April 8, 2020 Read more
Insects as food and feed: research and innovation drive growing field
As the global food supply faces the dual challenge of climate change and a growing human population, innovative minds are turning to a novel source for potential solutions: insects.
April 8, 2020 Read more
Toward biorecycling: A microbe could help degrade polyurethane-based plastics
A strain of an extremophile group of bacteria is capable of ingesting toxic organic compounds as its sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy.
March 27, 2020 Read more
A new low-cost solar technology for environmental cooling
Researchers propose a new technology for space cooling. No electricity is needed, but rather salty water possibly produced exploiting solar radiation.
March 24, 2020 Read more
Upcycling scrap rubber tyres to aerogels
Researchers achieved a major technological breakthrough by converting waste rubber tyres into super-light aerogels that have a wide range of applications. This is the first time that aerogels are made from waste rubber tyres.
March 18, 2020 Read more
3 Billion tons less CO2 with photonics
Photonics technologies can contribute to 3 billion tons less carbon dioxide by 2030.
March 2, 2020 Read more