Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Archives – The Green Optimistic

Could Graphene Rescue Lithium-Sulfur Battery Technology?

Benji Jerew — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 20:51:08 +0000

Theoretically-speaking, lithium-sulfur batteries [LiS] could be vastly superior to current lithium-ion [Li-Ion] battery technology, except for a couple of debilitating problems. Recent research done at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [BNL] seems to indicate that graphene has come to the rescue, once again. In comparison to Li-Ion batteries, LiS batteries have more capacity, up to four […]

The post Could Graphene Rescue Lithium-Sulfur Battery Technology? appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Move Over, Lithium-Ion Battery, Time for Something Leaner

Benji Jerew — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:33:44 +0000

The industry-leading electric vehicle, the Tesla Model S, uses a lithium-ion battery pack, pretty much like every other electric vehicle of repute, but is that as good as it gets? Rechargeable battery technology has indeed come a long way, but the evolution is slow. Nickel-cadmium [Ni-Cad] gave way to nickel-metal hydride [NiMH], which eventually gave […]

The post Move Over, Lithium-Ion Battery, Time for Something Leaner appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Window Glass is Getting Smarter, Cheaper

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 02:05:24 +0000

It might actually be possible to convince corporations to put smart windows in buildings after scientists at Heliotrope Technologies, in conjunction with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, have developed an inexpensive, energy-efficient glass composite. The new glass composite has the unprecedented capacity to selectively block the sun’s heat-producing infrared radiation and visible light. Buildings equipped with […]

The post Window Glass is Getting Smarter, Cheaper appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Concrete Industry Takes Cues from Ancient Roman Builders to Cut Carbon Emissions

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 05:07:03 +0000

An international team of researchers from the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have uncovered the chemical mysteries of a concrete Roman breakwater submerged for over 2000 years in the Mediterranean Sea. The researchers discovered that the ancient Roman concrete that is superior to the majority of modern concrete because they mixed lime […]

The post Concrete Industry Takes Cues from Ancient Roman Builders to Cut Carbon Emissions appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Innovative New Nanotech Tool Determines Efficiency of Solar Energy Conversion

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 06:26:28 +0000

While a fascinating field, nanoscience does have its limitations. Scientists can make and manipulate nanoscale objects with greater precision, but the imagery for examining these objects is black-and-white. Until recently, scientists have not comprehended atomic-microscopy equivalent to color and how nanoscale chemistry reacts with light. However, a new microscopy tool from the Department of Energy […]

The post Innovative New Nanotech Tool Determines Efficiency of Solar Energy Conversion appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

California’s Nitrous Oxide and Methane Levels Equal to that of CO2

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:33:39 +0000

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have determined initial estimates for California’s nitrous oxide levels maybe have been incorrect. The levels may actually be 2.5 to 3 times higher than they initially thought. The finding is not insignificant. This level estimates that N20 emissions account for close to 10% of California’s total greenhouse […]

The post California’s Nitrous Oxide and Methane Levels Equal to that of CO2 appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Installation Prices for Solar Power Devices Dropped 14% in 2011

Mike Sandru — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:45:49 +0000

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has made public a study regarding the dropping of prices in the case of solar power installations. In 2011 and the first half of 2012, the above mentioned prices have fallen within the ranges of 11-14%. The first six months of 2012 have brought an even bigger decrease in the […]

The post Installation Prices for Solar Power Devices Dropped 14% in 2011 appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Berkeley Lab Studying Metal Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Storage

Mike Sandru — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:06:55 +0000

If handled right, hydrogen has a huge potential, even so that it has been dubbed “the fuel of the future.” Meanwhile, we still have some brushing up to do for the “edges,” namely to find a way to make its storage more efficient and less pricey. One path the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has taken […]

The post Berkeley Lab Studying Metal Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Storage appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

A New Research Center to Develop Methods of Generating Fuel from Sunlight

Mike Sandru — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:07:44 +0000

A new research center in California is about to be established after the U.S. Department of Energy has invested $122 million. Researchers from the new center will try to find ways of generating fuels made by using sunlight. The project will be led by a team of researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Caltech.

The post A New Research Center to Develop Methods of Generating Fuel from Sunlight appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Iron Pyrite Used for Cheaper Solar Panels

Florin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:25:32 +0000

Many of today's solar panels use silicon for transforming solar energy into electrical energy. But this is not only quite expensive, but also can be in shortage.

The study the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has performed and recently published tells us that there are many cheaper and abundant alternatives to silicon. One of them is iron pyrite, a quite common resource.

The post Iron Pyrite Used for Cheaper Solar Panels appeared first on The Green Optimistic.