A new UC open dataset reveals how New Zealand's hourly and regional energy demand could evolve by 2050. Published in the journal Scientific Data, the dataset provides publicly available projections of energy demand across three major sectors—electricity, heating and transport—under multiple future scenarios....
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Among the biggest complaints inhibiting growth in the electric vehicle market is the limited lifespan and range of lithium-ion batteries. Consumers fear being stranded far from home with long wait times at recharging stations. A promising area of research has focused on layer-structured metal oxide cathodes. Specifically, a material known...
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For the first time, scientists have observed how tiny metal "thorns" called dendrites sprout inside lithium-ion batteries, which can cause the batteries to short-circuit. Their findings, published in the journal Science, shed light on previously unknown mechanical properties of lithium dendrites as they grow....
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Cobalt and nickel are vital components for batteries, superalloys and catalysts, used in technologies ranging from smartphones to jet engines. But when it comes to recycling, they are notoriously difficult to separate because they are chemically nearly identical. To solve this, a team led by scientists at Johns Hopkins University...
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New research suggests that concerns about relying too heavily on Chinese manufacturing are shaping climate policy—and could even delay the adoption of green technologies around the world. The study by Dr. James Jackson from The University of Manchester, working alongside Dr. Mathias Larsen from the London School of Economics, examined...
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As tech giants race to power AI data centers and extreme weather becomes more frequent, America's electrical grid is straining under conditions it was not built to handle. Alice Hill, senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council during the Obama administration, has a message for business leaders...
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A recent study in Advanced Science reports an innovative, low-cost polymer heat exchanger that could transform how industries manage heat. The device was developed by a Rice University research team led by Daniel J. Preston, assistant professor of mechanical engineering....
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New research shows pre-treatment in lithium-ion battery recycling drives environmental impact and recovery of valuable metals—yet it is often overlooked in recycling strategies. Published in Nature Sustainability, the Monash study found the pre-treatment stage can account for up to 38% of the environmental impact of recycling and significantly affects material...
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The rapid growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is outpacing the ability of many community water systems to deliver large bursts of water on the hottest days of the year to keep the nation's data processing centers cool. A study posted to the arXiv preprint server by a UC...
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are primarily thought of as environmental pollutants, and most research on them focuses on removing them from the environment. Rice researcher James Tour, however, has a different approach. His team, led by postdoctoral associate and Rice Academy Junior Fellow Yi Cheng, developed a process to...
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As power grids add more renewable energy and large-scale battery storage, utilities face a growing challenge: how to stress-test tomorrow's electricity systems before investing billions to build them. Wind, solar and battery-backed grids behave differently from traditional power systems. They are faster, more complex and harder to predict, especially during...
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RMIT University engineers in Australia have built a remote-controlled minibot that hoovers up oil spills using an innovative filtering system inspired by sea urchins. Oil spills are still a serious problem around the world. They can badly damage oceans and coasts, kill or injure sea animals and birds, and cost...
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A research team affiliated with UNIST has demonstrated that liquid electrolytes, when frozen, can still facilitate lithium-ion conduction sufficient for battery operation—challenging the traditional view that electrolytes must be in liquid form to function. The study also revealed the mechanism of lithium-ion transfer in organic ice electrolytes, opening new possibilities...
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In a new study, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) compare the production costs of 21 different low-carbon fuel technologies across the globe. Their analysis shows that location-specific factors, including both resource availability and financing conditions, will be decisive for the future success of a given technology....
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Consider the humble rechargeable battery: Many people start their day by unplugging their phone from a charger to check the weather or commute to work, or throw on their favorite podcast. They'll end the day by plugging in their phone to charge again overnight....
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