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Cooler coal plants could cut emissions
U. OREGON (US) — Refrigerating coal-plant emissions would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 90 percent—at a cost of 25 percent efficiency.Based on computations done on a spreadsheet and...
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Computer model seeks best carbon ‘sponge’
UC BERKELEY (US) — A new computer model can identify the best molecular candidates for removing carbon dioxide, molecular nitrogen, and other greenhouse gases from power plant flues. The model is the...
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‘Biohybrid’ solar cell runs on spinach power
VANDERBILT (US) — Scientists have combined spinach’s photosynthetic protein, which converts light into electrochemical energy, with silicon in a new “biohybrid” solar cell. “This combination produces...
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New book details how coal hurts health
U. BUFFALO (US) — A new book examines the effect of burning coal on human health and has a clear message: Coal kills. In The Silent Epidemic: Coal and the Hidden Threat to Health, University at Buffalo...
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To save energy: take dirt, add heat
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Researchers have developed a new thermoelectric material by using common minerals found pretty much anywhere there’s dirt.That’s important, because the vast majority of heat...
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Gas well flowback matches Paleo brines
PENN STATE (US) — Brine water that flows back from gas wells in the Marcellus Shale region after fracking is many times saltier than seawater, with high contents of various elements, including radium...
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For cheap solar cells, use ‘spray paint’
U. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Making solar cells with a process similar to spray-painting could significantly lower their cost and make them available to people in developing countries.The method spray-coats a...
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Recyclable solar cells made from trees
GEORGIA TECH / PURDUE (US) — Fabricating new plant-based solar cells on cellulose nanocrystal substrates means that they’re recyclable in water. The researchers report that the organic solar cells...
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Solar industry is paying back energy debt
STANFORD (US) — The electricity generated by solar photovoltaic panels has probably just surpassed the amount of energy used to make them, researchers say. The rapid growth of the solar power industry...
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‘Sports car’ galaxy burns gas into stars
MCGILL (CAN) — A newly discovered galaxy turns gas into stars with almost 100 percent efficiency—a rare phase of evolution that is the most extreme ever observed.“Galaxies burn gas like a car engine...
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Wireless device grabs ‘lost’ energy from Wi-Fi
Using inexpensive materials configured and tuned to capture microwave signals, researchers have designed a power-harvesting device with efficiency similar to that of modern solar panels. The device...
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How to power 1,000 LED bulbs by stomping one foot
One day it may be possible to harvest the otherwise wasted energy of your footsteps or of cars driving by to power your smartphone. That’s the concept researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology...
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Pretty solar cells could work as art or billboards
Colorful, see-through solar cells could one day be used to make stained-glass windows, decorations, and even shades that turn the sun’s energy into electricity. The cells, believed to be the first...
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‘Water wings’ harness energy from shallow tides
The constant motion of the tides makes them a dependable source of energy, but designing a device to gather tidal energy in shallow water, where the ebb and flow move fastest and the energy potential...
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Can engineered bacteria make biofuel for missiles?
Researchers have engineered a bacterium to synthesize pinene, a hydrocarbon produced by trees that could potentially replace high-energy fuels, such as JP-10, in missiles and other aerospace...
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Will plastic work for cheap ‘throwaway’ computers?
Inexpensive computers, cell phones, and other systems that substitute flexible plastic for silicon chips may be a step closer to reality, researchers say. A new proposal in Nature Communications...
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New battery turns wasted heat into energy
Researchers have developed a new battery technology that captures low-temperature waste heat and converts it into electricity. Vast amounts of excess heat are generated by industrial processes and by...
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Material snags CO2 from natural gas
Scientists have created an Earth-friendly way to separate carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from natural gas right at the wellheads. A newly invented porous material can trap carbon dioxide when...
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Power plant battery uses tanks of water
Scientists have created new, water-based organic batteries that are long-lasting and built from cheap, eco-friendly components. They built the new battery, which uses no metals or toxic materials, for...
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Ammonia battery puts waste heat to work
Reversible ammonia batteries could be an efficient way to harvest low-grade waste heat as electricity, say engineers. “The use of waste heat for power production would allow additional electricity...
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