Energy news

Why a hydrogen economy doesn't make sense

Why a hydrogen economy doesn't make sense

Technology / Energy

created Dec 11, 2006 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (435) | comments 13

In a recent study, fuel cell expert Ulf Bossel explains that a hydrogen economy is a wasteful economy. The large amount of energy required to isolate hydrogen from natural compounds (water, natural gas, biomass), ...


Renewable Energy Made by Mixing Salt and Fresh Water

Renewable Energy Made by Mixing Salt and Fresh Water

Technology / Energy

created Sep 02, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (27) | comments 6

(PhysOrg.com) -- When a river flows into the sea, the location is more than just a haven for water commerce. The mixing of fresh and salt water that occurs at an estuary also dissipates energy, as the different ...


Micro Fuel Cells Get Closer to Replacing Batteries

Micro Fuel Cells Get Closer to Replacing Batteries

Technology / Energy

created Nov 17, 2008 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (121) | comments 16

(PhysOrg.com) -- Mobile electronics have the potential to offer digital luxuries beyond our imagination, but they will never get there on today’s lithium ion batteries. Power has been the weak spot in the ...


Hydrogen-Wind-Nuclear Plant in Ontario Not Currently Worthwhile, Study Shows

Technology / Energy

created Aug 06, 2008 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (32) | comments 17

A recent case study on using hydrogen to store the electricity generated by a mix of wind and nuclear power in Ontario, Canada, has shown that the hydrogen addition won’t be worth the cost, at least not at the current state ...


Solar Cell

40% efficient solar cells to be used for solar electricity

Technology / Energy

created Jun 01, 2007 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (456) | comments 0

Scientists from Spectrolab, Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing, have recently published their research on the fabrication of solar cells that surpass the 40% efficiency milestone—the highest efficiency achieved ...


H2CAR could fuel entire U.S. transportation sector

H2CAR could fuel entire U.S. transportation sector

Technology / Energy

created Apr 24, 2007 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (113) | comments 0

In a recent study, scientists have demonstrated that a hybrid system of hydrogen and carbon can produce a sufficient amount of liquid hydrocarbon fuels to power the entire U.S. transportation sector. Using ...


How much fuel do you save with a hybrid SUV?

How much fuel do you save with a hybrid SUV?

Technology / Energy

created Apr 19, 2007 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (61) | comments 1

Hybrids are getting heavier, but they seem to bear their weight better than conventional vehicles when it comes to fuel efficiency, according to a recent study. In the study, the scientists found that the ...


Researchers use corn waste to generate electricity

Technology / Energy

created Jul 19, 2006 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (25) | comments 0

After the corn harvest, whether for cattle feed or corn on the cob, farmers usually leave the stalks and stems in the field, but now, a team of Penn State researchers thinks corn stover can be used not only to manufacture ...


Glitter-sized solar photovoltaics produce competitive results

Glitter-sized solar photovoltaics produce competitive results

Technology / Energy

created Dec 22, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (32) | comments 0

Sandia National Laboratories scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used.


Nissan Leaf

Electric cars rolling out

Technology / Energy

created Dec 16, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (16) | comments 7

(PhysOrg.com) -- Electric vehicles are far from new, but we are still a long way from electric cars being the norm. Now two new electric cars may bring that goal a step closer.


Lithium

Lithium to be extracted from geothermal waste

Technology / Energy

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (15) | comments 4

(PhysOrg.com) -- A technique developed by a Californian company, Simbol Mining, will enable the valuable mineral lithium, widely used in high-density batteries, to be reclaimed from the hot waste water produced ...


Solar power coming to a store near you (AP)

Solar power coming to a store near you

Technology / Energy

created Dec 10, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (31) | comments 28

(AP) -- Solar technology is going where it has never gone before: onto the shelves at retail stores where do-it-yourselfers can now plunk a panel into a shopping cart and bring it home to install.


Advanced nuclear fuel sets global performance record

Advanced nuclear fuel sets global performance record

Technology / Energy

created Nov 17, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (21) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Idaho National Laboratory scientists have set a new world record with next-generation particle fuel for use in high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs).


Solar LED lamps

Solar Cells with LEDs Provide Inexpensive Lighting

Technology / Energy

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (17) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Of the 1.5 billion people in developing countries who do not have electricity, many rely on kerosene lamps for light after the sun goes down. But now, researchers from Denmark have designed ...


A system of space solar power system (SSPS)

Japan eyes solar station in space as new energy source

Technology / Energy

created Nov 08, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (23) | comments 32

It may sound like a sci-fi vision, but Japan's space agency is dead serious: by 2030 it wants to collect solar power in space and zap it down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves.