Technology
Decentralized renewable energy

- 26.01.2023
- Nature
- In the field of lithium-based batteries, there is often a substantial divide between academic research and industrial market needs. This is in part driven by a lack of peer-reviewed publications from industry. Here we present a non-academic view on applied research in lithium-based batteries to sharpen the focus and help bridge the gap between academic and industrial research.

- 26.01.2023
- MIT energy initiative
- Battery power from electric vehicles to the grid could open a fast lane to a net-zero future. In the future, electric vehicles could boost renewable energy growth by serving as “energy storage on wheels”—charging their batteries from the power grid as they do now, as well as reversing the flow to send power back and provide support services to the grid.

- 26.01.2023
- MIT News
- These durable, flexible solar cells, which are much thinner than a human hair, are glued to a strong, lightweight fabric, making them easy to install on a fixed surface. They can provide energy on the go as a wearable power fabric or be transported and rapidly deployed in remote locations for assistance in emergencies.

- 24.01.2023
- Canary Media
- You don’t need a battery to store energy. A class of technologies known as thermal storage can do the job too, and it even has some potential advantages over lithium-ion batteries. A number of thermal storage companies use cheap solar energy at lunchtime to freeze blocks of ice and use these blocks to cool buildings later in the day when solar energy is no longer being produced.

- 21.01.2023
- Irish Tech News
- Aston University enter 15-month knowledge transfer partnership with Solargen Technologies and the University of Nairobi to develop irrigation system powered by solar and wind energy. Crop yields will increase by 30 to 50% using control and sensor systems to deliver optimised amount of water for soil conditions. Results of the collaboration will support farmers in Kenya.

- 21.01.2023
- Bearing Point
- Consultancy BearingPoint’s latest study implies that the future of mobility will profoundly affect the utilities sector. The study identified three trends that will drive mobility in the coming years: every journey will become a personalized experience; climate neutrality will be non-negotiable – from the cradle to the grave; users will consume services rather than own vehicles.

- 21.01.2023
- International Energy Agency
- IEA’s Energy Technology Perspectives 2023 highlights major market and employment opportunities, as well as the emerging risks, for countries racing to lead the clean energy industries of today and tomorrow. The report notes that major economies are acting to combine their climate, energy security and industrial policies into broader strategies for their economies.

- 20.01.2023
- Wired
- Humans are complex machines, with moving parts that bend, squish, stretch, flow, quiver, and beat. Scientists are now plugging into these energy sources to solve a common problem afflicting sensors, wearables, and implanted medical devices—the dreaded flat battery.

- 20.01.2023
- The Manufacturer
- Smart grids have been in the headlines for over a decade. Today we’ve finally reached an impasse: our existing energy infrastructure is no longer fit for purpose. As the developed world will benefit from decarbonised cities, industry, and transportation with Electricity 4.0, emerging economies will also benefit from a more equal ‘playing field’.

- 17.01.2023
- Cape Peninsula University of Technology
- South Africa scientists have developed an integrated, solar-powered heat pump and refrigerator for use by food vendors in sub-Saharan Africa. The dual system is powered by two 90 W panels and repurposes waste heat. The warming and refrigerant compartments use the same compressor. “This arrangement is informed by the physical phenomenon that hot air rises and cool air descends,” the scientists said
Picture credits cover photo: © Emmanuel Ikwuegbu | Unsplash