Field: Clean Energy

A new tandem solar cell containing layers of silicon and perovskite has demonstrated an unprecedented efficiency of 33.7%.

Solar is growing fast enough to displace fossil fuels from the entire global economy before 2050, but infrastructure needs to keep up.

Westinghouse Electric Company has unveiled a small nuclear reactor based on the same tech as a larger reactor already in operation.

If nuclear reactors are retired, polluting energy sources that fill the gap could cause more than 5,000 premature deaths.

A new silicon anode material for EV batteries can boost a vehicle’s range by 20% while cutting down on charging times.

A cheaper, cleaner lithium recycling method could help ensure we have enough of the valuable metal to power the clean energy future.

There may be ways to enhance natural processes so the ocean pulls more carbon out of the atmosphere to help slow climate change.

Centralized power systems rely on large power plants and transmission grids, but microgrids are self-sufficient.

Batteries are the weak link for wearable and implantable devices. But what if you could harvest energy from the heat, sweat or vibrations of the wearer?

Silicon Valley startup Sakuu has developed a 3D-printing platform that it says can mass produce solid-state batteries, in any shape and size

Microreactors that can be built and deployed much faster than traditional nuclear power plants could be the future of nuclear energy

John Deere is entering the electric market with models aimed at homeowners and the golf industry.

The Pelican is an autonomous electric cargo plane capable of transporting 400 pounds of cargo 200 miles in less than three hours.

By 2035, hydrogen fuel cells could be used to electrify mid-range flights and hydrogen combustion aircraft could be used on long-haul flights.

With ever-improving efficiencies, and rising sales in multiple countries, heat pumps are only getting harder for their detractors to dismiss.

The US’s first certification of a small modular reactor design could lead to cheaper, safer nuclear power plants.

Amogy, a startup founded by four MIT grads, has unveiled an ammonia-powered semi truck that can be refueled in just eight minutes.

Replacing the liquid electrolyte in rechargeable lithium batteries with a thinner, lighter ceramic material could revolutionize technology.

A Swedish startup has joined the race to build the world’s first electric airplane to help reduce the carbon impact of flying.

Several full-scale demonstration projects with floating wind turbines are already operating in Europe and Asia. How do they stay afloat?

After withering criticism from the EPA, Biden officials, and 16 states, the USPS has announced it will order more electric delivery vehicles.

Quantum simulations have identified a cheap way of extracting hydrogen fuel from liquid ammonia using LED light.

MIT researchers have developed a scalable fabrication technique to produce ultrathin solar cells that can be stuck onto any surface.

A roundup of major science and tech achievements that flew under the radar in 2022, including new vaccines, advanced solar cells, and more.

Researchers in California achieved net energy gain in a thermonuclear fusion experiment. But how great of a breakthrough is this, really?

A new type of room temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) battery could help solve the renewable energy storage problem.

This year, NIF reports that it has achieved "ignition" — that is, it has achieved slightly more fusion energy output than laser energy input.

Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar has demonstrated its first battery-electric large mining truck.

A lab-made version of tetrataenite, a mineral found in meteorites, could replace rare earth elements in the production of permanent magnets.

Rechargeable cement batteries could allow for whole sections of multi-storey buildings to be made of functional concrete.

Molten salt reactors, a type of nuclear reactor first explored in the 1950s, could be the future of clean energy.

Aeromine Technologies’ motionless wind energy system promises to increase the amount of renewable energy generated from rooftops.

MIT’s new “passive cooling” system could break the spiral of more air conditioning.

Most electric car charging is done at night. A grid powered mostly by renewable energy might not be able to meet demand.

Aerospace engineer Gökçin Çınar discusses sustainable aviation concepts, including hybrid-electric planes and hydrogen fuel alternatives.

A new moon mineral discovered by China contains helium-3, an element that could one day fuel nuclear fusion reactors on Earth.

Flag carrier Air Canada has announced plans to have electric-hybrid planes on regional and commuter routes by 2028.

By storing renewable energy as heat in brick “batteries,” Rondo Energy believes they can decarbonize heavy industry.

The electric vehicle’s environmental credentials might give them a final push to win the long game over traditional cars.

Norwegian startup World Wide Wind wants to build offshore wind turbines based on a completely different design from traditional models.

A technology that stores energy underground could make enhanced geothermal systems more cost competitive.

Seventeen natural sites possessing ancient nuclear reactions have now been found: evidence of Earth's first nuclear reactor.

Heat pumps are becoming all the rage around a world that has to slash carbon emissions rapidly while cutting energy costs.

A wave energy generator has completed a ten month open ocean trial.

Researchers have created a solar-powered device that can pull water from the air to create hydrogen.

A new system for generating magnetic fields suitable for spherical tokamaks is fueling progress on nuclear fusion.

Australian startup Star Scientific has developed a tech it says makes it easy to use hydrogen fuel at existing coal-fired power plants.

Seawater contains millions of tons of uranium, but it’s too expensive to extract. A new material may change that.

California is considering a $1.4 billion plan to delay the retirement of Diablo Canyon, its last nuclear power plant.

With new capital from a Bill Gates-backed VC firm, Terabase wants to automate solar farm construction.

Wind power on land has seen remarkable growth in the U.S. over the last 15 years, including in Texas. Is offshore wind next?

Swiss researchers have developed two perovskite-on-silicon solar cells that are more efficient than previously thought possible.

A new solar panel design can efficiently convert light into electricity, while still allowing almost 80% of incoming light to pass straight through.

Stockholm is piloting a “flying” electric ferry that’s expected to cut commute times in half and make public transportation more sustainable.

NASA has given three companies $5 million contracts to develop mini reactors capable of generating nuclear power on the moon by 2031.

GM, Pilot Company, and EVgo are building a new EV charging network comprising 2,000 stalls at up to 500 travel centers across the US.

The massive Anholt Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea is now home to 3D-printed reefs in a bid to boost biodiversity.

The world is overcoming the problem of renewable energy storage with batteries made of water, sand, and more.

Quaise Energy wants to repurpose coal and gas plants into deep geothermal wells by using X-rays to melt rock.

Dutch startup Lightyear expects to begin delivering a $254,000 solar electric car to customers in November 2022.

University of Oregon researchers have discovered that simple acts like drawing shades during peak sun and opening windows at night may help save lives during heatwaves.

Denmark is building an artificial island in the North Sea that will eventually be capable of meeting all the nation’s electricity needs.

Solar car startup Aptera has purchased a factory where its vehicles will be carried from station to station by autonomous robots.

Nuclear fusion reactors have existed for years, but none of them are able to sustainably produce energy yet.

US cities are covering the capped sites of former landfills with solar panels, turning the “brownfields” into “brightfields.”

To significantly scale up offshore wind turbines, SUMR researchers are testing a design inspired by the flexibility of palm trees.

Researchers at China’s Xidian University have successfully tested a proof-of-concept for collecting solar power via satellites.

German researchers have created genetically engineered bacteria that can rapidly store and release hydrogen fuel.

NTU Singapore researchers have developed a washable, stretchy smart fabric that turns movement into electricity.

Electric vehicle sales are skyrocketing, but misinformation about the tech is still rampant. These are seven of the biggest myths about EVs.

People who aspire to own a brand new electric vehicle will struggle to move forward. Will this also slow down the journey to net-zero?

Amogy, a startup founded by four MIT grads, has transformed a John Deere into the world’s first zero-emission, ammonia-powered tractor.

Deep ocean currents could be an economically viable source of clean energy, based on a recently wrapped demo in Japan.

Floating panels don’t require costly real estate and those on reservoirs used for hydropower are particularly cost effective.

What's holding us back from mining in space when we have such big plans already? The sheer cost, for one thing.

If no solution is found, we're already stuck with some 22,000 cubic meters of long-lasting hazardous waste.

Airborne wind energy systems put turbines in the sky, where the wind tends to blow faster and more consistently.

Furniture retailer IKEA will begin selling home solar solutions to US customers to encourage sustainable living.

Batteries have a limit to how small they can be made, and they need to be charged. What if you could power your own medical device?

An algae-powered computer demonstrates a sustainable, reliable way we could power small IoT devices in the future.

Members of the public can now reserve a Tesla Semi, an all-electric, heavy-duty vehicle that Elon Musk first unveiled in 2017.

Solar panels and battery storage can generate renewable power when solar energy is at its peak during the day and then release it as needed.

Deep beneath Finland, a “tomb” for nuclear waste is set to be a test for geological disposal facilities.

The U.S. Department of Energy has predicted that renewable energy will be the fastest-growing U.S. energy source through 2050.

Blackouts are a daily disruption in the country, which sources most of its electricity from a run-down and mismanaged hydropower system.

A German company will switch on a floating solar power plant, a rapidly-installed, renewable technology that could help phase out oil.

By converting some of its abandoned oil and gas wells into geothermal power stations, the US could secure its clean energy future.

California startup HyPoint plans to make a hydrogen-powered aircraft with nearly three times the range of a turboprop commuter jet. 

French commune Rambouillet is serving as a testing ground for the soft glow of bioluminescent bacteria on the street.

The pledge is an advance market commitment — an economic strategy that's been used to increase vaccine coverage across the planet.

A new highly efficient heat engine with no moving parts could allow us to generate electricity from renewables year round.

A surprise discovery by Drexel University scientists could unlock an elusive technology: lithium-sulfur batteries.

Engineers at Stanford University have created a solar cell that generates electricity at night by exploiting the process of radiative cooling.

A low-cost molten salt battery that can store energy for months could allow us to tap into renewables year round.

A team of scientists have shattered the record for the amount of energy produced during a controlled, sustained fusion reaction.

Austin’s Whisper Valley housing development uses geothermal heat pumps and solar panels to slash residents’ energy bills.

Wind turbine blades are notoriously difficult to recycle, but researchers and industry players hope a new material design may change that.

For the first time, an Airbus A380 superjumbo jet flew with 100% sustainable aviation fuel powering an engine.

Want to help protect the environment, save money on gasoline, or try out the latest technology? Try powering your house with your car.