energy storage Archives – The Green Optimistic

Explosion-Free Lithium Ion Battery Developed by Amionx

Mila Luleva — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 15:12:04 +0000

Amionx, an up-and-coming company based in California, found the key to explosion-free Li-ion batteries. We have been waiting for a breakthrough in the field of energy storage. Many have made an attempt to create a safer and lighter version of the good old Li-ion battery, but the efforts have not yet led to a viable […]

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Hanging bricks, a simpler way of storing energy

Matias Prieto — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 14:41:32 +0000

A tower of bricks could be the solution of renewable energy biggest problem. During peak hours (especially mornings and evenings) the demand of energy is bigger. Renewable energies suppliers need to feed enough energy during these moments, so they need to have high technologies batteries that can store big amounts of energy. This graphic shows […]

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Second-Life EV Batteries Get New Life in EVgo’s Charging Stations

Arsenij Percov — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 14:14:23 +0000

EVgo announced that it is exploring new ways of using second life batteries. It will put an effort into the initial construction of the batteries for electric cars and their primary, secondary, and maybe tertiary use cases. First of all, EVgo will add the used BMW i3 batteries in its grid-tied public fast charging system. […]

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German Coal Mine Converted into Renewable Energy Storage

Nicholas Say — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 06:42:50 +0000

The Prosper-Haniel hard coal mine in North-Rhine Westaphalia is a show piece of the right way forward. It is a hard coal mine that dates back to 1863, and thankfully in 2018 it will never produce coal again. Instead of just being shuttered, it is being converted into a 200 megawatt pumped-storage hydroelectric reservoir. This […]

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Lead Acid Batteries’ Comeback – Meet Silicon Joules

Nicholas Say — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 07:35:53 +0000

We are not going to get rid of the internal combustion engine tomorrow, and Chris Beekhuis knows this. He is the CEO of Gridtential, and they have developed a very interesting battery technology, named Silicon Joule. The lead-acid battery technology that his company has patented in Silicon Joule fills an interesting niche, and has the […]

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Scientists Combine Energy Storage and Solar Cells in Tiny Fibers

Mila Luleva — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 19:43:00 +0000

Scientists developed a unique fabric, which can harness solar energy and store it for later use. There are quite a number of crowdfunding projects out there that plan to sell items of clothing with solar panels attached onto them. Although the demand for portable, rechargeable source of power is ever-so-huge, somehow, it is not surprising, […]

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New High-Performance DIY Battery Made from Scrap Metal Discharges as Quickly as Supercaps

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 09:37:02 +0000

Did you always think high-performance batteries (except for the lemon-copper-zinc experiment) can only be produced in factories? I did too, until today. Well, now a team of graduates and undergraduates from Vanderbilt University just found out a way to produce high-performance rechargeable batteries from metal scraps and a common household chemical: non-toxic, renewable, non-flammable. The team used […]

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Lithium-Ion Electrodes Made Alongside with Beer

Mila Luleva — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:40:39 +0000

Scientists grew electrodes for lithium-ion batteries in the water discarded during the process of beer production. The latest invention in the field of energy storage comes from a team of engineers at Colorado Boulder University. They managed to find a way to produce an electrode for lithium- ion batteries by using the wastewater, which is […]

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Tesla to Provide Energy Storage for Southern California’s Grid

Mila Luleva — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 18:46:27 +0000

Tesla just signed the biggest energy storage deal ever known. The company will deploy 20 megawatts of energy storage as a backup to Southern California’s grid. Ever since Tesla announced the Powerwall, it was clear that the company is going to be a big player in the energy storage field. However, no one could quite […]

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Conergy Builds World’s First Islanding Solar Power Project

Courtney Lepping — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 18:34:53 +0000

An islanding solar project reliant on battery backup is about to undergo a two-year test. Conergy (a well-known solar company), along with Origin Energy, BHP Billiton, Ergon Energy, and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARNEA), just established a Knowledge Sharing Project to bypass renewable energy setbacks. These companies will monitor a $42.5 million Lakeland solar project […]

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Apple Will Produce Electric Cars With This New Battery

Courtney Lepping — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 13:46:49 +0000

Apple is trying, but partly failing, to secure a secret that is on the verge of exposure: The company wants to come out with new technology for its electric car project, technology created from an undisclosed South Korean battery company. What’s the big deal? Well, Apple doesn’t want competing car companies like Tesla to get […]

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MIT’s New Lithium-Ion Battery Could Be The Future of Electric Cars

Courtney Lepping — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 19:44:44 +0000

Qichao Hu, the CEO at MIT’s SolidEnergy Systems, invented a lithium-ion battery that will last twice as long but smaller by half. This battery is a big deal in that it uses lithium-metal foil as the anode material, as opposed to the standard graphite, carbon, or silicone, and can be used in things like wearables, […]

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World’s First Ever Solar Plant Provides Power Day and Night

Mila Luleva — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 18:48:25 +0000

Crescent Dunes Project, located in Nevada, goes down in history as the first ever solar power plant, which provides clean electricity 24 hours a day. Renewable energy is slowly getting closer to the place on the energy market that it deserves. Technology improves, reliability and efficiency increase, and consequently investments get a boost too. Limitations […]

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Li-Ion Batteries Take a Salty Bath to Boost Performance

Mila Luleva — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:35:30 +0000

Australian scientists discovered a way to boost the performance of Li-ion batteries, by giving them a salty bath. No matter how well you preserve your Li-ion batteries, degradation of the electrodes is inevitable. This is probably the reason why everyone is continuously complaining about the under-performance of their batteries, despite the fact that suitable alternatives […]

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Cheap Energy Storage Solution Uses Rails and Rocks

Mila Luleva — Fri, 20 May 2016 20:48:08 +0000

To store renewable energy all we need is rocks, shipping containers and rails, according to the guys behind ARES Technology. Renewable energy sector is growing with an incredible speed. Bigger and better wind and solar farms emerge continuously, and their capacity increases tremendously. Home-based renewable energy is also continuously growing, with more and more home […]

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Nanowire Batteries That Last Forever Invented at UCI

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 19:57:40 +0000

Nanowires have long been planned to be a part of tomorrow’s lithium ion batteries. Although thousands of times thinner than human hair, they’re still highly conductive and have a large surface area, which means more place to store and transfer electrons. However, at the same time nanowires are extremely brittle and when integrated into batteries, […]

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Boeing Tests Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Mila Luleva — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 11:59:40 +0000

Boeing has developed a new type of fuel cell that can store and generate electricity. The invention is now under testing. Earlier this week, Boeing made an announcement about their latest revelation. They presented the result of 16 months of development- a new-generation “reversible solid oxide fuel cell“, which can store and generate clean power. […]

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Clean Energy Won’t Need Battery for Storage, Say Stanford Scientists

Annika Tostengard — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 15:49:45 +0000

Stanford scientists recently revealed a study supporting the idea that the United States could generate all of its power using clean energy technology. Not only is it possible to run the country off electricity, battery storage will not even be necessary to compensate for the intermittency fo energy sources like wind and solar. The scientists […]

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‘Power Paper’ – Story Of A Paper That Can Store Electricity

Satya Sivani — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 15:48:31 +0000

Power Paper, created by the researchers of Sweden’s Linköping University, is showing an outstanding ability in storing energy, which can later be used to recharge devices. To meet the ever-increasing energy demands of our society, we need two kinds of devices – the first kind are the ones that can generate energy from renewable sources and the second […]

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Hydrostor Launches Underwater Energy Storage System

Mila Luleva — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 18:10:27 +0000

Toronto-based startup puts a twist on energy storage. Instead of expensive batteries, Hydrostor bets on giant underwater balloons. Technological advances in the field of energy storage have been quite slow, especially compared to what has happened in terms of improving energy generation technologies. Batteries have been accused to slow down the transition from fossil fuels […]

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Huawei Reveals Super-Fast Charging Li-Ion Technology

Mila Luleva — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 12:59:18 +0000

Huawei, one of the world’s leading providers of communication technology solutions, demonstrates super-fast charging batteries. Energy storage has been holding back technological developments- from the simplest of portable gadgets to electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. Groundbreaking discoveries and improvements to the existing technology are long overdue, as numerous scientific and engineering teams have been […]

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Battery Storage On The Grid Becoming Reality Thanks to Electric Vehicles

Michelle Lutz — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:21:19 +0000

With the number of EV vehicles erupting across the market, the increase in numbers has given rise to find something to do with the units that are left. There is an 8-10 year lifetime in an EV battery, even though the battery isn’t completely drained. The unit cannot necessarily push a vehicle down the road, […]

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Quant F – Flow Cell Sports Car on Display at Geneva Motor Show

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:58:46 +0000

This year at the Geneva Motor Show, an exciting new technological wonder was on display: a sports car that runs off “flow cell” technology. The Quant F, as it’s called, from carmaker Nunzio La Vecchia, gets 746 kW (1,000 hp) of energy and can travel 500 m (805 km). The sports car was actually around […]

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Potassium, Key to Cheap Energy Storage?

Mila Luleva — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 14:07:49 +0000

Scientists proved that potassium can serve as a cheap and abundant, highly efficient alternative to lithium in batteries with graphite anode. Lithium ion batteries are currently the core of energy storage. Although alternatives based on sodium and magnesium, have been explored for quite some time, no technology is able to compete just yet. In any normal circumstances […]

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Saltwater Battery Wins MIT’s Prestigious Award

Mila Luleva — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 18:02:17 +0000

Energy storage system made of salt water and carbon, wins its creator the MIT’s prestigious award, Lemelson-MIT Prize, for 2015. Development of eco-friendly and efficient energy storage systems that can preserve the excess energy generated by renewables, is currently receiving much more attention than the actual energy generation technologies. It all makes sense, especially when advances […]

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BYD’s New Gigafactory Could Lower Lithium-Ion Battery Prices

Benji Jerew — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 17:25:22 +0000

As discussed, one of the things that keeps electric vehicles expensive, particularly with regard to their range per charge, is the price of lithium-ion battery packs. Chinese automaker BYD already produced a number of electric vehicles, even electric buses, and says it will triple its capacity in the next three years, putting it just about […]

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Tesla Home Battery to Drive Millions Off the Grid Soon

Ari Luis — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 07:00:01 +0000

The Tesla home battery will be a solar energy storage device intended for households everywhere. It turns out that they need not look very far, as Elon Musk also chairs the US top solar power company, SolarCity. For now, the best option for solar power system owners is to stay grid connected and make savings through offsets […]

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How to Make a Battery From a Coke Can

Mila Luleva — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 12:15:19 +0000

Making your own coke can battery is often seen as extremely unnecessary and not at all cost effective, simply because of the availability of energy storage technologies on the market. But if you have some spare soda cans, and want to turn them into power generators, here is the coolest and most simple tutorial. […]

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Nanosheets of Manganese Dioxide to Revolutionize Li-S Batteries

Mila Luleva — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 10:46:05 +0000

Researchers from University of Waterloo might just have found the missing ingredient that kept lithium-sulfur batteries from becoming the one and only desired energy storage for electric vehicles. It is a nanomaterial that is cheap, light and efficient. It is quite well established by now that although sulfur in lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries ticks all […]

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How To Make Your Own AA Battery and Use It Safely

Mila Luleva — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 08:51:58 +0000

It is that time of the year again, when people buy and give millions of little gadgets and toys that all run on the popular AA batteries. Here is one for those of you who would like to try making one of these small energy storage devices, using materials that can easily be bought online. […]

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Hydrogen Production and Solar Energy Storage Boosted by New Catalyst

Mila Luleva — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:46:11 +0000

A catalyst that increases both hydrogen production and solar energy storage has been developed in a unique experiment conducted in a famous Stanford chemical lab. The substance can be used to solve the two most highly discussed issues in the field of renewable energy- hydrogen production and solar energy storage. Production of pure hydrogen is a […]

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Fraunhofer’s Grid Scale Energy Storage System Passes Initial Tests

Mila Luleva — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 13:54:55 +0000

Energy storage at grid scale has long been identified as the element that stands in the way of switching to 100% renewable energy. After a long wait for that big breakthrough, a team of engineers from the German Fraunhofer institute finally made the ever-so-wanted announcement- their megabattery passed the initial tests. Efficient solar panels, efficient […]

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Energy Storage Unit Uses Paraffin To Store Excess Solar Power

Mila Luleva — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 07:25:56 +0000

Energy storage seems to be standing in the way of any great developments and innovations in the field of renewable energy. This is why, there is an increasing amount of effort that goes towards building devices that can resolve the problem. Here is the latest, an heat-energy storage device that takes limited space and uses paraffin. […]

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Engineers Develop Commercial Water-Based Nuclear Battery

Mila Luleva — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 07:20:09 +0000

When it comes to energy storage, people have looked into countless means and technologies, yet the winning long-lasting and super efficient breakthrough is still to come. The latest contender for this title comes from a team from University of Missouri, who propose a new type of water-based nuclear battery to power future vehicles and spacecrafts. […]

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SolarCity and Tesla Batteries, Together Forever

Benji Jerew — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 17:21:26 +0000

We know that renewable energy, such as that provided by SolarCity solar panel installations, is only useful as long as the sun is shining, which is where Tesla batteries come in. In fact, Tesla batteries are already being offered with some SolarCity residential solar power installations in California, hopefully nationwide next year, but the plan […]

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Breakthrough Battery Technology for Gadgets and EVs in the Making at J-CESR

Mila Luleva — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 10:49:31 +0000

With numerous developments in the field of alternative energy technologies, and incredible boost in sales of electric vehicles, the pressure is all on energy storage. It is true that innovations in this field are lacking, but with the new Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, which provides everything that specialists might need, the ever-so-needed breakthrough is […]

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Underwater Giant Balloons to Store Compressed Air From Wind Farms

Mila Luleva — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 09:29:53 +0000

Over the past few years we have been witnessing incredible developments in the world of renewable energy generation. Unfortunately, while new solar cells, wind turbine designs, and biofuel-producing technologies keep bombarding us, the same cannot be said about energy storage. Since improvements in battery technologies seem to be emerging very slowly, any new alternative invention […]

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Scientists Finally Get the Reasons Behind Battery Life Degradation, But Still No Solution

Mila Luleva — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 15:52:31 +0000

Long battery life– the single most valuable asset you could possess in case of emergency, need, boredom, desperation, etc., etc. Every one of us, who has a laptop, or a smartphone, or any type of an electric vehicle or a simple electronic gadget, knows the painful fact that as time passes, not having to charge […]

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Next-Gen Microsoft Smartphones Come with Week-Long Lasting Battery

Mila Luleva — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 08:19:52 +0000

There is no single person (at least that I know of) that has not developed a special connection with their smartphone from the moment they first put their hands on it. Unfortunately, regardless of brand or a model, all of these precious gadgets have one limitation in common, and probably you all know which one […]

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New Dual Carbon Battery Charges 20 Times Faster, Hits Market This Year

Mila Luleva — Thu, 22 May 2014 15:43:08 +0000

As technology continues to progress with an incredible speed, home-based renewable energy sources, electric vehicles and smart gadgets become more affordable to the average citizen. The increasing demand for innovation and cheaper alternatives, puts a huge pressure on manufacturers to come up with new features that can make user’s experience much better. One huge limitation […]

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Active Dual Functioning Electrolyte Boosts Capacity and Extends Life of Batteries

Mila Luleva — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:29:33 +0000

Scientists and engineers have been trying to improve the capacity and extend the life-span of conventional batteries ever since their initial creation. We often read about various improvements and innovations that suggest a modification of either one of the three components, the anode, the cathode or the electrolyte, but still maintaining their initial and very […]

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Cutting Edge Energy Storage: Supercapacitors Made Of Wood

Mila Luleva — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:45:06 +0000

It is a commonly known fact that trees are essential for our fight against global warming. Not only that these absorb carbon dioxide, but they also improve human health and well-being. But this is not all. Now, scientists from Oregon State University have developed a method that converts cellulose found in trees into cheap electrodes for […]

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StoreDot’s New Nanodot Battery Charges in 30 Seconds

Mila Luleva — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:39:44 +0000

Clock is ticking, you are late for an appointment, you know you do not have any time to waste and suddenly you realize, your phone has run out of battery. Sounds familiar? We all know how this story continues, and it is almost never a pretty picture, but imagine this. Instead of a conventional phone […]

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New Biodegradable Battery Leads Way to Greener Electronics

Mila Luleva — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 19:37:51 +0000

Recycling of used batteries is always a big challenge. Regardless of how many improvements to current energy storage devices are made, sooner or later they all end up at the same place. We hope this is a battery recycling facility, but the reality is that often it is simply the landfill site. Now, a team […]

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New BatteryBox Backup Power Device Powers MacBook Air for 12 Hours, Lasts 5 Years

Mila Luleva — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:26:54 +0000

Everyone knows that the smartphone, the tablet and the personal notebook are the best travel companions, especially if ahead of us is a long and tedious journey. Needless to say, those of us, who have concluded long ago that without our favorite gadget, our trip is doomed, have also found out just as long ago, […]

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Pomegranate-Like Silicon Particles Bring Long-Lasting Li-Ion Batteries

Mila Luleva — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 18:39:42 +0000

Another breakthrough from researchers working on improvements of lithium-ion batteries, comes from Standford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The work presents a fascinating and long-expected way to replace heavy graphite in battery anodes by silicon, allowing the energy storage devices to be much smaller and lighter, hence perfect for all new-generation electronic devices. […]

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New Chemical Compound Might End Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

Mila Luleva — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 17:54:13 +0000

The flammability of lithium-ion batteries has become quite a major concern, especially when a number of accidents over the past year made the news agencies explode. When the Tesla Model S and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner caught fire, researchers turned their focus towards developing safer technologies. A number of advances are already being made in the field, […]

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Chewing Gum-Inspired Material Stops Leakage and Improves Safety of Li-Ion Batteries

Mila Luleva — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 21:05:06 +0000

Scientists seem to be getting their inspiration for innovative green ideas from all sorts of strange and unexpected sources nowadays. Biomimicry is of course the most common one, but already existing concepts and artificial products are doing the job just as well. A team of scientists from Washington State University created a material that can […]

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New Biobattery Running On Sugar Powers Small Electronic Devices

Mila Luleva — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 16:06:19 +0000

Energy storage device, which runs on sugar, could very soon power our cell phones, tablets and other electronic gadgets. The biobattery is not only environmentally friendly as it uses one of the best natural compounds for energy storage, but it also has the highest energy density ever achieved by a sugar battery. The invention was […]

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Metal-Free Organic Battery Technology Promises Cheap Renewable Energy Storage

Mila Luleva — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 13:25:27 +0000

The main obstacle that prevents renewable energy from being the one and only source of power is storage. Researchers have long been trying to find the key ingredient, which gives this extra boost to existing battery technologies, while it saves money on expensive materials, but it seems there is always just a little bit more […]

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New Method Explains Reduction In Rechargeable Battery Performance

Mila Luleva — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 22:36:27 +0000

Team of scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory discovered a new method, which allows us to study the way electricity flows through a rechargeable battery. By using transmission electron microscopy, a technique very well known to biologists, who use it to study cells, the scientists at PNNL were able to identify the importance of […]

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New Self-healing Silicon Polymer Improves Capacity and Lifespan of Lithium-ion Batteries

Mila Luleva — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 15:37:32 +0000

Changing the size of silicon electrodes during charging and discharging of lithium-ion batteries has been identified as the main reason for decrease in battery performance over time, especially when it comes to high-capacity energy storage, like the one used in electric cars. Scientists from Stanford University, however, developed a polymer material, which has an incredible […]

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Ambri Starts Producing Its Liquid Metal Battery Technology in Mass. Factory

Mila Luleva — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 16:17:24 +0000

Liquid metal battery technology, a specialty of Ambri, an MIT spin-off, will be developed and produced in a new facility, which opened its doors in Massachusetts last week. Here, scientists and engineers will be manufacturing, what they claim is, a much cheaper technology, which makes large-scale energy storage possible and could transform electrics grids around […]

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Genetically Modified Virus Boosts Efficiency of Lithium-Air Batteries

Mila Luleva — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 20:16:55 +0000

Scientists claim that genetically modified viruses, used in the process of nanowires production, could boost the efficiency of lithium-air batteries, bringing the field one step closer to making the ultimate lightweight battery for electric vehicles. The function of the virus is to capture the metal molecules from water and create structural shapes with huge surface […]

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New Copper Foam Batteries Promise Cheap and Long-Lasting Solution to Energy Storage

Mila Luleva — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 12:58:26 +0000

Another breakthrough in the field of energy storage comes from scientists at the Colorado State University, who developed a prototype of a next-generation copper foam batteries– a promising cheap and long-lasting alternative to the existing technologies. The team, who established a new start-up in order to develop and produce the batteries foresees end of final testing […]

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Wind Power Has the Capability to Cut CO2 Emissions, Even at High Penetration Levels

Adele Hall — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 18:50:07 +0000

New research from Spain has shown that wind power has the ability to effectively cut CO2 emissions, even at high penetration levels. These findings come from the University of Madrid. They provide new insight into wind power, as well as silence the skepticism that has run rampant in the public media regarding wind power. Researchers […]

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Folding Paper Li-Ion Batteries Could Power Future Flexible Gadgets

Mila Luleva — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 17:44:37 +0000

Finding ways to increase battery capacity has been a prior task of many research teams around the world. This is especially the case with paper based Li-ion batteries, due to their flexibility and relatively low cost. Now a team from Arizona State University have discovered that by folding these batteries, the energy density and capacity […]

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Sun Catalytix Flow Battery Stores Hours of Energy from Renewable Power Sources

Adele Hall — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 19:45:51 +0000

Sun Catalytix is revolutionizing the renewable energy sector by creating a flow battery that can store hours of renewable energy using inexpensive materials. They are joined by dozens of other companies trying to achieve this. What makes Sun Catalytix stand out in the competition is its chemical structure, cheap materials, and low overall market prices. […]

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New Molten-air Battery Has the Highest Storage Capacity Ever Seen

Mila Luleva — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 18:19:28 +0000

Researchers from George Washington University showed off with a “molten-air battery“, which not only has the highest capacity among all other energy storage devices, but it is also rechargeable. According to the founders, it has the potential to replace conventional electric vehicle batteries and be used in the electric grid. What stops the technology of […]

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Chevy Volt Range and Price Improvements On Their Way in the Next Few Years

Benji Jerew — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:53:04 +0000

Now that electric vehicles are starting to enter the public conscience more, the competition begins. In the case of the Chevy Volt, big changes will make it even more popular. With the recent boom in electric vehicle sales, better than 500% for the whole market, the Chevy Volt saw modest gains of just over 9% […]

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New Energy Storage Technologies Help California Reach Its Renewable Energy Goals

Mila Luleva — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:51:51 +0000

At a conference held in San Francisco last month, California Governor Jerry Brown announced that the state will increase the energy storage, in order to be able to better capture all of the renewable energy it produces. The primary goal of the state is to have one third of its electricity supply from renewable energy […]

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ARPA-E’s Super Efficient Battery to be Developed in Manhattan

Mila Luleva — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:01:36 +0000

The City University of New York (CUNY), Energy Institute, developed a new highly efficient zinc-manganese rechargeable battery. The invention is funded by the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E), and it will be manufactured in a new facility owned by the Urban Electric Power (UEP) company in the Manhattanville Factory District. Since its beginning, […]

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New Tech Stores Solar Energy as Hydrogen

Mila Luleva — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 14:49:35 +0000

Scientists from HZB and TU Delft, The Netherlands, were able to store five percent of solar energy in the form of hydrogen using a solar cell and a photo anode made from metal oxide. The new solar fuel device is cost effective, highly stable and highly efficient. The system is a combination of cheap and […]

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Capacity of Lithium-Ion Batteries Determined by Graphite Wetting Behaviour

Mila Luleva — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 14:47:45 +0000

Researchers from University of Pittsburgh discovered that the performance of lithium-ion batteries and super capacitors made from graphite and graphene is affected by their exposure to water. The study published last week in Nature Materials shows that opposite to common beliefs graphite and graphene have hydrophilic properties. The idea for the research came as a […]

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Silicon From Rice Husks Increase Capacity of Phone and Car Batteries

Mila Luleva — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 11:27:08 +0000

Rice husks, the waste product of rice cultivation, might just be the ever-so-needed source of silicon, which could boost the capacity of conventional lithium-ion batteries of smartphones and electric and hybrid vehicles. Research conducted by a team of Korean scientists and published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, […]

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New Mobile Energy Storage System Captures Excess Wind Power

Mila Luleva — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 14:10:11 +0000

New type of mobile energy storage system based on Lithium-ion batteries, has the potential to store 500 kilowatt-hour of excess wind power, which otherwise would be lost. The developers and researchers in the Pacific Northwest are currently testing the new product. Considering that the number of wind farms in the region is continuously increasing, the […]

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Harvard’s 3D-Printed Rechargeable Micro-Battery Targets Tiny Devices

Benji Jerew — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:09:23 +0000

Electronic devices continue to miniaturize, but the batteries that power them haven’t kept pace. That could all change with a 3D-printed micro-battery recently developed at Harvard. When I first looked at the video, it almost looked like any other 3D printer that I’d ever seen in action, including the time-lapse. What makes this 3D printer […]

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Wood Battery Promises Cheap Grid Energy Storage

Mila Luleva — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 11:43:16 +0000

A battery made of tin coated wood developed at the University of Maryland is rated as high as most sodium-ion nanobatteries in terms of lifespan. In addition to this, the new battery is almost 1,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper. According to the scientists behind the project, what makes the device environmentally friendly is […]

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New Zinc-Air Batteries Developed at Stanford are Cheaper, Stabler, Better

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:13:13 +0000

A new zinc-air battery with a redesigned and cheap catalyst has been brewed at Stanford – it could one day rival lithium ion batteries and come much cheaper. “With ample supply of oxygen from the atmosphere, metal-air batteries have drastically higher theoretical energy density than either traditional aqueous batteries or lithium-ion batteries. Among them, zinc-air […]

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Subhydro’s Energy Storage System Uses Ocean Depth Pressure Difference

Mila Luleva — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:48:50 +0000

A German engineer is planning to utilize the pressure difference between the seafloor and the sea surface in order to create a new highly efficient energy storage system. Rainer Shramm, and co-founder of the company Subhydro AS, together experts from SINTEF, have applied for a patent of the technology. The team is planning to develop […]

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“Flash Thermography Measurement” Technique Sees Battery Electrode Defects Before Assembly

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 11 May 2013 07:17:39 +0000

A team at Purdue University have discovered a method of detecting defects in lithium ion battery anodes as they are manufactured, before installing them in actual batteries. Their discovery relies on thermal imaging and could increase the reliability of lithium ion cells used in electric cars. Anodes and cathodes are the two electrodes of a […]

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Lithium-Ion Batteries Considered for International Space Station

Benji Jerew — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:14:58 +0000

In spite of fire concerns here on the ground, lithium-ion batteries could be best solution for backup power on the International Space Station. Just like we have concerns with renewable energy being intermittent here on the ground, the International Space Station [ISS] is entirely dependent on renewable energy. Solar panels provide energy when the sun […]

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New Lithium Deposits in Wyoming Could Bring Down Cost of Battery Production

Mila Luleva — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:41:58 +0000

Researchers from University of Wyoming discovered new deposits of lithium in the Rock Springs Uplift in southern Wyoming. The amount of the element is thought to be sufficient to meet the annual U.S. demand, exceeding twice the reserves of the largest lithium producer in Nevada. Although lithium can be recycled and does now disappear from […]

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Micro-Battery Finally Catching up with Electronics Miniaturization

Benji Jerew — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:23:32 +0000

Electrical devices have gotten smaller over time but, in spite of advances in circuit miniaturization, the batteries that power them are still monstrous by comparison. A micro-battery could change all of that. The first cell phone, or what we might recognize as a mobile phone, was produced in 1973 by Motorola, weighed 40oz and took […]

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New Polymer from Waste Sulfur Enhances EV Batteries

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:59:04 +0000

Waste sulfur could see new life due to a chemical process discovered recently by University of Arizona scientists. The lightweight plastic they created can be used to enhance lithium sulfur batteries and improve the range of electric cars or be used in optical systems. “We’ve developed a new, simple and useful chemical process to convert […]

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Aquion Energy’s Water-Based Batteries Backed by Bill Gates

Mila Luleva — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:06:53 +0000

Aquion Energy received an additional boost from major investors, including Bill Gates, to develop a cheap and environmentally-friendly water-based battery system. The new energy storage technology by Aquion Energy received a total of $35 million in investments. The energy storage units are suitable for small and large-scale energy projects, with test units of the so-called […]

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Sodium-Air Battery Development Could Surpass Lithium-Air

Benji Jerew — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:11:28 +0000

Lithium-air [LiO2] batteries have a theoretical energy density of some 3,460Wh/kg but in practice hasn’t been able to surpass that of a sodium-air battery at 1,600Wh/kg. Development of the next-generation rechargeable battery is going to directly impact the performance and capabilities of electric vehicles. Current lithium-ion [Li-ion] battery technology has a maximum density of 250Wh/kg, […]

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Lithium-ion Battery Life Improved by Silicon Beads

Mila Luleva — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:49:09 +0000

The latest innovation in silicon-based lithium-ion battery technology is much more resilient and can boosts energy density. Silicon-nano beads, designed by researchers at the University of Maryland NanoCenter, are found to store nearly 10-times more energy than conventional lithium-ion batteries that use graphene anode. The technology is made of organic molecules attached to tiny nanotubes. […]

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New Boeing 787 Dreamliner Battery Box Should Mitigate Fire Concerns

Benji Jerew — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:58:42 +0000

After smoke erupted from the lithium-ion battery pack aboard one Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and fire in another, the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] grounded the whole fleet. After weeks of testing though, neither FAA investigators nor Boeing engineers have been able to determine the cause of the smoke and fire in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s battery. […]

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Better Lead Acid Batteries Built with Hard Drive Tech

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 10:27:30 +0000

Over the past three years, Gridtential has been slowly developing a better lead acid battery by using chip and hard-disk drive manufacturing processes. Gridtential used a grant from the California Energy Commission to demonstrate that its lead acid battery is far better than standard lead acid batteries. The company’s batteries have two times the energy density […]

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Study Shows How to Stop Lithium Dendrite Formation in Batteries

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 08:58:17 +0000

When they charge, lithium ion batteries form so-called “dendrites” that limit recharging speed. They can also destroy a battery by internal short circuit. Researchers have now found a solution that impedes their formation. Instead of being charged in hours, electric car batteries could be juiced up in minutes and could last more years than current […]

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Sun Catalytix’s Grid-Connected Flow Batteries Promise Cheap Energy Storage

Mila Luleva — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:07:32 +0000

Sun Catalytix, a company which spun out of MIT in 2009 to bring a low-cost catalyst to the market, has changed its main goal from enabling the hydrogen economy to designing a flow battery for grid storage. The first prototype is expected later this year. The new flow battery will be made of two custom-designed […]

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Cheaper Flywheel Energy Storage System for Homes, on Kickstarter

Benji Jerew — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:56:10 +0000

Velkess, a startup run by Bill Gray, uses fiberglass on a lightweight frame to prove his cheaper kinetic energy recovery system can work in something like a renewable home installation. When you think about clean, renewable, energy for the home, four things likely come to mind, solar panels, wind turbines, or hydroelectric turbines. Renewable energy presents a problem, because lack of […]

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Honda Recycles Rare Earth Metals to Manufacture New Batteries

Benji Jerew — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:47:25 +0000

Honda has devised a way, the first process of its kind, to extract the rare earth metals from used batteries and other products, recycling them to be made into new batteries. Electric and hybrid electric vehicles, in themselves are, without a doubt, cleaner vehicles. In operation, they have fewer, even zero, emissions when compared to their petroleum-fueled counterparts. Lifecycle […]

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New Catalyst Gets Hydrogen from Methanol at Normal Pressure/Temp

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:36:07 +0000

Because it contains 4 atoms of hydrogen, methanol (CH4O) is generally considered a good hydrogen carrier, but has never been used in actual applications where gas is directly extracted from it and used. A team of University of Rostock chemists discovered a way to extract hydrogen from methanol at low temperatures and ambient pressures. This […]

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LITX G700, The Graphene Additive That May Boost Electric Car Batteries

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:19:25 +0000

A new graphene-based additive for lithium ion batteries has been launched by Cabot Corp. The company claims that their LITX G700 can effectively upgrade the energy-storing performance. Cabot’s conductive additive has been designed specially for electric vehicle usage and high-end consumer electronics, but it’s cheaper then other additives, namely carbon nanotubes. The LITX G700 occupies […]

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Lithium-Sulfur Battery with Lifespan of Lithium-Ion, Invented at Stanford

Benji Jerew — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:51:57 +0000

Researchers at Stanford University have recently discovered how they can increase the lifespan of lithium-sulfur batteries, by up to ten times. Lithium-ion batteries may be the accepted norm for most automotive traction applications, and with good reason. Lithium-ion can withstand thousands of cycles without losing too much of their capacity, and they are the most energy-dense batteries […]

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Liquid Metal Battery on the Way, According to Ambri

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:50:13 +0000

Small energy startup company Ambri plans to transform the energy sector with their liquid metal battery. By stringing together a number of large battery cells shaped like large round cake pans, Ambri plans to create enormous batteries, some as large as 40-foot shipping containers. The size of Ambri’s planned batteries is impressive, but what makes them […]

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Military Jets Using Lithium-Ion Batteries in Spite of Boeing 787 Issues

Benji Jerew — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:00:17 +0000

Military jets will continue to use lithium ion batteries, according to the Pentagon. Their batteries have other manufacturers than Boeing’s, says official. If there is anything that separates military equipment from civilian equipment, aside from it being more advanced, is redundancy. Where your typical automobile has only one engine control unit, a military vehicle might […]

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Silicon Nanowire Battery Has Three Times More Capacity, Charges Faster

Benji Jerew — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:55:34 +0000

Researchers at the University of California [USC] recently developed a silicon nanowire battery that could easily solve the range and recharging issues of electric vehicles. If there’s one problem with electric vehicles, it’s the battery. Actually, the problem isn’t the battery, but our perception of it. Pure electric vehicles have a limited range, up to 300 miles […]

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New Solid Battery Electrolyte Prevents Fire, Increases Capacity Five Fold

Mila Luleva — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:02:32 +0000

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed an electrolyte, which has the potential to boost the energy storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries, while being safer than these on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. Although the reason for the fire on the Boeing is not yet determined, if they used a safer electrolyte, the risk of fire […]

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Zinc Batteries Allow the Development of Tiny Electronic Devices

Mila Luleva — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:10:34 +0000

A key to developing a new generation of slick and slim cell phones or portable gadgets is to create just as slim and flexible, but also powerful batteries. Imprint Energy, a small lab based at the University of California is planning to develop this ever-so-needed power source. The technology will use zinc, instead of lithium. […]

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Nissan’s New Battery Policy Could Increase EV Adoption

Benji Jerew — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 17:50:03 +0000

Here at The Green Optimistic, we firmly believe in electric vehicles [EV] as the cleanest transportation available and most certainly the future of transportation as we know it. However, we recognize that EVs have their limitations in comparison with petroleum-powered vehicles. The reality is, though, these perceptions aren’t entirely based on reality. We’ve all heard […]

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Better Batteries Will Alleviate Concerns over Hybrid Car Reliability

Leigh Hutchens — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 06:31:27 +0000

One of the greatest challenges hybrid automobiles have faced is the perception that battery-powered or battery-assisted vehicles do long have a long life and therefore are unreliable. Researchers are working on identifying, analyzing, and improving materials to create better batteries to combat this issue. The main issue is energy storage, and researchers feel it is […]

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Higher Ranged EV Battery Possible with Lithium and Sulfur

Benji Jerew — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 07:38:21 +0000

Current lithium-ion [Li-ion] batteries, while more energy-dense than their nickel-cadmium [NiCad] and nickel-metal hydride [NiMH] predecessors, are still limited to 200 watt-hours per kilogram [Wh/kg]. While Li-ion technology is fine for laptops and mobile devices, the inherent density limitation of Li-ion batteries has made the adoption of electric vehicles [EV] difficult. Aside from the density […]

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General Electric Zero Emissions Bus Combines Li-ion, Na-ion, and HFC

Benji Jerew — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 21:17:07 +0000

In the last few years, electrified, zero emissions buses have become, if not common, at least accepted in cities around the world. One bus line in Milton Keynes, UK, runs a fleet of electric buses that recharge on the driver’s break via an inductive charging pad buried in the road. One limitation of the electric […]

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Why Lithium Ion Batteries Can’t Hold More Charge, Scientists Find

Benji Jerew — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:42:25 +0000

There are a number of factors which affect the power capacity and lifespan of the rechargeable battery packs that are found in hybrid electric vehicle [HEV] or electric vehicle [EV]. Battery chemistry, of course, plays a significant role, and currently, lithium-ion [Li-ion] batteries offer the industry’s best power transfer characteristics. Charging and discharging must also […]

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New Batteries Powered by Ancient Purpurin Dye

Benji Jerew — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:42:49 +0000

People may often purport the varying shades of green of rechargeable battery technology, especially when it comes to storing energy in hybrid and electric vehicles, or storing energy from intermittent sources, such as wind and solar power. These are indeed noble goals every battery can be a part of, but when considering the other side […]

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Renewable Energy Targets Call for Extra Fossil Fuel Plants

Mila Luleva — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:11:59 +0000

It seems that almost every state or country has set a target to cut down greenhouse emissions and boost renewable energy generation 2020. This is the case in the state of California, whose aim is to produce one third of their electricity from wind and solar sources by then. However, this target has initiated quite […]

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Photobioreactor Will Provide Cheap and Efficient Energy Storage

Mila Luleva — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:39:08 +0000

Algae-based biofuel research was granted $910,000 to develop a bioreactor that will deliver light and collect fuel. The winning team from Cornell University consists of David Erickson, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Largus Angenent, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering. The generous sponsors are the US Department of Energy (DOE), who […]

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