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Not all clean power cuts emissions equally: Timing and location determine impact

7 August 2026 at 14:00
On paper, a megawatt-hour is just a megawatt-hour; it will charge your phone or run your dishwasher the same way, regardless of the source. However, its value to, or impact on, the environment is not fixed. It depends almost entirely on what power plant it replaces. A new wind turbine only helps the climate and local air quality to the extent that it pushes a more polluting plant offline. If instead it is just competing with another clean energy source, the environmental benefit effectively disappears.

Low-power AI chip cuts drone identification energy use by 88.7%

6 August 2026 at 19:03
Doyeon Kim, an undergraduate researcher in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, has published a paper in an academic journal. The research focuses on implementing drone artificial intelligence (AI) identification technology through low-power semiconductors. This study could dramatically improve the battery efficiency of systems that monitor unauthorized drones in real time in military and industrial environments. The research is published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics.

Paste-and-laser strategy helps TOPCon solar cells reach 26.31% certified efficiency

6 August 2026 at 16:00
Improving the efficiency of solar cells is key to reducing the cost of solar power. Now, scientists have developed a new synergistic metallization strategy for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells. The approach achieved a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.31%, among the highest reported for this technology.

Silver-containing zeolite offers new route for separating fusion fuel isotopes

6 August 2026 at 15:20
Fusion power plants of the future will not only require extremely hot plasmas and strong magnetic fields but also a fuel cycle in which the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium can be recovered, separated and reused. Together with partners, a team from HZDR has now demonstrated a highly efficient method for separating hydrogen isotopes using a silver-containing zeolite.

Smarter, not thicker: Targeted cooling improves liquid-hydrogen tank insulation

31 July 2026 at 17:55
Hydrogen is increasingly viewed as a promising energy carrier because it stores large amounts of energy per unit mass and can support low-carbon energy systems when produced through low-emission pathways. Large-scale use, however, depends on storing and transporting it efficiently.

Federal government to turn a Kentucky uranium plant into an AI data center and gas power complex

31 July 2026 at 07:50
The U.S. Department of Energy is harnessing the artificial intelligence boom in its bid to convert another Cold War-era uranium enrichment site, tapping private equity to fund a $100 billion data center complex that will include its own new natural gas and battery storage power plant in Kentucky.

Neutrons reveal how friction stir welding could strengthen steel armor | ORNL

30 July 2026 at 22:20
Using neutrons at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, researchers from The Ohio State University are studying residual stress caused by friction stir welding (FSW) to reveal how to strengthen armor steel welds, like those used in military vehicles. Their findings were published in the Journal of Materials Processing Technology.

Ultraprecise battery scan maps nanoscale electrode thickness variations to improve EV fire safety

23 July 2026 at 20:00
A KAIST research team has developed a method capable of detecting minute variations in battery electrode thickness that can contribute to thermal runaway with a precision equivalent to approximately one ten-thousandth of the diameter of a human hair, all without disassembling or damaging the battery. The technology is expected to improve battery safety and quality by identifying invisible defects during the manufacturing process.

Tracking ion movement in porous carbon electrodes to boost energy storage and water desalination

23 July 2026 at 18:00
A new study by researchers from Leipzig University, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the University of Cambridge has revealed how ions move and exchange within complex porous carbon electrodes. These electrodes play a key role in high-performance energy storage, water desalination, gas storage and other electrochemical technologies.

Closed-loop AI framework could shorten clean energy materials development by years

23 July 2026 at 17:40
Developing the materials needed for cleaner energy technologies has traditionally been a slow and expensive process, often relying on years of trial and error. Now, researchers have outlined a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered framework that could dramatically accelerate the discovery of advanced energy materials while reducing development costs. Details were published in Digital Discovery.

Sun-tracking solar panels fold away from hail while lifting output nearly 40%

16 July 2026 at 13:40
Researchers led by Armin Buchroithner from the Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems at TU Graz have developed an innovative photovoltaic system that combines significantly higher output with protection from storms, hail and snow. The system, known as FLAPTrack (Face-to-Face Lay-Down Anti-Degradation Protection), continuously aligns the PV modules with the sun's position both horizontally and vertically.

For energy systems that power a reliable grid and avoid blackouts, the future is all about location

16 July 2026 at 10:00
Will a warming climate and changing weather patterns lead to more grid blackouts and other energy disruptions? Answering that question requires studying both regional climate forecasts and local energy systems, including emerging renewable generation, storage, transmission lines and demand forecasts. The lack of such studies is one reason energy developers and grid operators rarely consider climate change when deciding where to build their next project.

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