Energy Efficiency

Plant-Based Thermotherapy Patch

Additional applications include defogging/defrosting, wearable devices, industrial heat systems, sensors, thermochromic displays, and microfluidic chips.

Piezoelectric Material Remains Effective at High Temperatures

The material remains effective as an energy harvester or sensor at temperatures to well above 572°F.

Analyses Find Cause of Fatal Problem in Rocket Engine Combustors

Advanced analyses shed light on the mechanism of a deadly problem plaguing combustion chambers in rocket engines.

Ecological Power Storage Battery Made of Vanillin

Vanillin is converted into a redox-active electrolyte material for liquid batteries.

Method Helps Create Fuels from Plants

Scientists have been trying for years to create biofuels and other bioproducts more cheaply.

Photovoltaic Cell Increases Nighttime Power Generation

The device uses a thermoelectric module to generate voltage and current from the temperature gradient between the cell and the air.

Maximizing the Performance of Battery Cells for Better Energy Storage

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is leading the development of new lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery designs specific to the stationary storage requirements.

A Heat Engine with No Moving Parts

The design could someday enable a fully decarbonized power grid.

New Screening System May Point the Way to Renewable Hydrogen Power

A highly sensitive system for detecting the production of hydrogen gas can foster the development of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Advancing Renewable Energy Production with Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen

Hydrogen has emerged as an important carrier to store energy generated by renewable resources, as a substitute for fossil fuels used for transportation, in the production of ammonia, and for other industrial applications.

Pushing the Boundaries of Sustainability in Global Materials

Sustainability isn’t just about making sure your discarded water bottle is recycled. It’s also about teaming with global entities to form innovative, technologically solid partnerships.

Aeronautics in the 21st Century: Safe. Sustainable. Smart.

Aviation is emerging aggressively from the pandemic to turn setbacks into comebacks.

Propelling the Future of Sustainable Aviation

Electric aircraft hold tremendous potential to improve emission, noise, and operating economics across a range of different applications in support of the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Products of Tomorrow

This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.

Hyliion Trucks Onward

Hyliion’s system can decrease fuel consumption and reduce emissions by capturing wasted energy and storing it in a battery pack.

Sapphire Fiber Could Enable Cleaner Energy and Air-Travel

Researchers at Oxford University have used a sapphire optical fiber – a thread of industrially grown sapphire less than half a millimeter thick – that can withstand temperatures...

New Material Offers Promise for Solid-State Batteries

Researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada, who are members of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), headquartered at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne...

Hydropower Technology Swaps Dams with Electric Trucks

In steep mountain regions, the potential for generating electricity from a small stream of water is high, however, the hydropower potential of these regions remains untapped as it...

Smart Grid for Stable, Reliable Electricity Supply

The largest ever simulation of its kind, modeled on the Texas power grid, concluded that consumers stand to save about 15 percent on their annual electric bills by partnering with...

Smart Lighting Controls for Greenhouses Reduce Costs

A new, internet-connected lighting system for greenhouses could sharply reduce a farmer’s electrical bill, according to a study by University of Georgia researchers.

Sustainable Energy using “Information Batteries”

Renewable energy has an intermittency problem — the sun provides no power at night, while winds can stop suddenly.

Spray-On Coating Could Make Solar Panels Snow-Resistant

An inexpensive, clear coating has reduced snow and ice accumulation on solar panels, enabling them to generate up to 85% more energy in early testing.

Smart Buildings Can Make You Healthier and Happier

See what integrated building systems can do to enhance the working and living environment inside a commercial building.

Power Processing Unit for Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion

This scalable power processing unit (PPU) is for use with low-power Hall effect thrusters.

Propulsion System for Hypersonic Flight

The system could allow for flight speeds of Mach 6 to 17 and would have applications in air and space travel.

High-Performance MXene Electrodes for Next-Generation Battery

Two-dimensional MXene provides fast redox and high-rate energy storage.

Electronic Paper Displays Brilliant Colors

Using ambient light, the reflective screen keeps energy consumption to a minimum.

Material Derived from Trees Could Replace Liquid Electrolytes

The material could pave the way for better, safer solid-state batteries.

Cleaner Water Through Corn

Activated carbon made from corn stover filters 98 percent of a pollutant from water.