Energy

Brain-Inspired Memristors Could Slash AI Energy Use by 70 Percent

Researchers developed a form of hafnium oxide that acts as a highly stable, low‑energy ‘memristor’ — a component designed to mimic the efficient way neurons are connected in the brain.

New AI Model Aims to Cut Energy Use

Researchers in the School of Engineering at Tufts University have developed a proof-of-concept for efficient AI systems that could use 100 times less energy than current ones while at the same time provide more accurate results on tasks.

Test Your Knowledge About Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Here is a five-question quiz to see how much you know about fuel cells. Take now!

Ultrasound as a New Wireless Power Transfer Technology

A research team led by Dr. Sunghoon Hur of the Electronic and Hybrid Materials Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and Professor Hyun-Cheol Song of Korea University has developed a biocompatible ultrasonic receiver that maintains its performance even when bent. Read on to learn more.

The Rise of the Integrated Battery Large Model

A research team innovatively proposed the “Integrated Battery Large Model,” establishing the first AI-driven paradigm covering the entire lifecycle of the Li-ion battery industry, providing a novel technological path for the industry’s intelligent upgrade. Read on to learn more about the Battery Large Model system.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a new material that can use sunlight and water to convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide; a novel design for solar-powered data centers that will orbit the Earth and could realistically scale to meet the growing demand for AI computing while reducing the environmental impact of data centers; and more.

Magnetocaloric Heat Pumps: The Future of Sustainable Cooling and Heating

A team of researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Ames National Laboratory developed a magnetocaloric heat pump that matches current vapor-compression heat pumps for weight, cost, and performance. Read on to learn more about it.

A Fully Autonomous Robotic System Measures Key Properties of New Materials

Scientists are striving to discover new semiconductor materials that could boost the efficiency of solar cells and other electronics. But the pace of innovation is bottlenecked by the speed at which researchers can manually measure important material properties. A fully autonomous robotic system developed by MIT researchers could speed things up. Read on to learn more.

Porous Radical Organic Framework Improves Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

A team led by Professor Yan Lu, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, and Professor Arne Thomas, Technical University of Berlin, has developed a material that enhances the capacity and stability of lithium-sulfur batteries. Read on to learn more.

Humidity-Resistant Hydrogen Sensor Can Improve Safety for Large-Scale Clean Energy

It's a challenge that today’s sensors do not work optimally in humid environments. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, are presenting a new sensor that is well suited to humid environments — and actually performs better the more humid it gets. Read on to learn more about it.

Resilient Nylon Device Creates Electricity Under Tons of Pressure

Researchers have developed a flexible nylon-film device that generates electricity from compression and keeps working even after being run over by a car multiple times, opening the door to self-powered sensors on our roads and for other electronic devices. Read on to learn more.

New Solar Research Achieves 130% Efficiency Yield Using Singlet Fission

To become a mainstream energy source, solar panels need to become more efficient, and a recent breakthrough by researchers from Kyushu University and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz may accelerate this progress. Read on to learn more.

New Technology Makes Solar Panels Blend Seamlessly Into Buildings

German researchers have developed a technique for applying realistic designs to photovoltaic modules, which convert sunlight into electricity, enabling them to mimic roof tiles and integrate more seamlessly into buildings. Read on to learn about this new method, termed ShadeCut.

Microbial Fuel Cell Uses Soil Bacteria to Power Agricultural Sensors

Precision agriculture uses sensors to monitor soil and help farmers improve yields. However, powering these sensors with continuous, uninterrupted power is challenging due to limited battery capacity and limited development of renewable power. To help address farmers' power needs, Northwestern University researchers have developed a fuel cell the size of a paperback that captures energy as microbes break down organic matter, powering underground sensors for agriculture and environmental monitoring.

How Much Do You Know About Alternative Fuels?

Fuel supply and costs are a growing concern for consumers and businesses alike. Fleets running medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles have many options beyond conventional diesel fuel. Test your knowledge on the history and current state of alternative fuels with this quiz.

Advancing Nuclear Fusion Space Propulsion

U.K.-based Pulsar Fusion has tested the physical architecture of a nuclear fusion exhaust system for space travel.

2026 Battery & Electrification Summit (Online)

As electrification reshapes how vehicles are designed, powered, and integrated into energy ecosystems, OEMs and design engineers are faced with complex design challenges.

5Ws of BEM-AI

Buildings researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have released Building Energy Model AI (BEM-AI) is an open-source bot that can help energy modelers save time and money.

Quantum Eyes on Energy Loss: Diamond Quantum Imaging for Next-Gen Power Electronics

Improving energy conversion efficiency in power electronics is vital for a sustainable society. Wide-bandgap semiconductors like GaN and SiC power devices offer advantages due to their high-frequency capabilities. However, energy losses in passive components at high frequencies hinder efficiency and miniaturization. Find out what a research team from the School of Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, developed to help.

Harvesting Water from Air

Even in arid parts of the world, there is usually moisture in the air. This moisture could provide much-needed water for drinking and irrigation, but extracting water out of air is difficult. A new technology developed by KAUST researchers can consistently extract liters of water out of thin air each day without needing regular manual maintenance. Read on to learn more.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including Chalmers University of Technology's new sensor that is well suited to humid environments — and actually performs better the more humid it gets; a new fabrication technique that can produce multifunctional “smart synthetic skin” from a research team at Penn State; and RMIT University researchers' flexible nylon-film device that generates electricity from compression and keeps working even after being run over by a car multiple times.

New Protective Layer Boosts Lithium Metal Battery Performance

The coating toughens the surface of the electrolyte fivefold against fracturing from mechanical pressure. It also makes existing imperfections much less vulnerable to lithium burrowing inside, especially during fast recharging. Read on to learn more.