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Tag: Green Tech

  • Exclusive: Google is backing a Danish startup ‘brewing’ CO2 that’s decarbonizing the future

    Exclusive: Google is backing a Danish startup ‘brewing’ CO2 that’s decarbonizing the future

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    What if you could turn all the bad emissions from fossil fuel-intensive industries into plastics, paints and more? That’s the dream behind Copenhagen-based climate tech startup Again, which has raised $43 million in Series A funding from Google Ventures (the venture arm of Google parent Alphabet) and HV Capital, Fortune exclusively reveals. 

    The company will use the funds to devote more resources to researching food and feed products that can be made of carbon dioxide. 

    Cofounder Max Kufner told Fortune that the company plans to roll out its first operations by the end of 2025 or early 2026 at the latest.

    Again’s technology pumps carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere into bioreactors. Bacteria then convert this carbon into valuable products used to make plastics, paints, and soaps.  

    Refining petroleum to extract different chemicals is responsible for 4% of the world’s direct greenhouse gas emissions, or about 1.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide, making the petrochemicals industry the third most polluting in the world.   

    COURTESY OF AGAIN

    Again has raised about $100 million to date, partly from a European Union grant and partly from venture capital funding. The company received a $10 million injection from GV, ACME Capital and Atlantic Labs to set up a production site. 

    Founded in 2021, the company was born from a research project developed over 10 years at the Danish Technical University, Stanford, and MIT. That gave Again a leg up when it launched, as much of the learning curve of developing the technology had been crossed, making it easier to build the company and focus on scaling up.  

    Torbjørn Jensen and Alex Nielsen, academics involved in the research, later became cofounders at Again, along with early-stage investor Kufner. 

    Climate tech has expanded 45 times in the last decade, according to Dealroom. But as global temperatures and extreme weather events continue rising, there’s still a need for significantly more.  

    Again’s technology helps solve one of climate technology’s biggest barriers—the ability to scale it. One of the biggest challenges with modern climate tech companies is that they’re trying to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, turn it into a very small form and pump it back into the earth, Kufner explains.  

    Jensen told Fortune that the process of capturing and converting carbon dioxide efficiently is what makes Again stand out. 

    “We are basically cleaning up the emissions and we just so happen to also produce a super valuable product at the same time,” he said. “But it needs to be cheap, it needs to be robust, it needs just to operate 24/7 all year round.”

    Recommended Newsletter: CEO Daily provides key context for the news leaders need to know from across the world of business. Every weekday morning, more than 125,000 readers trust CEO Daily for insights about–and from inside–the C-suite. Subscribe Now.

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    Prarthana Prakash

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  • Some mosquitoes like it hot

    Some mosquitoes like it hot

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    Newswise — Certain populations of mosquitoes are more heat tolerant and better equipped to survive heat waves than others, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

    This is bad news in a world where vector-borne diseases are an increasingly global health concern. Most models that scientists use to estimate vector-borne disease risk currently assume that mosquito heat tolerances do not vary. As a result, these models may underestimate mosquitoes’ ability to spread diseases in a warming world.

    Researchers led by Katie M. Westby, a senior scientist at Tyson Research Center, Washington University’s environmental field station, conducted a new study that measured the critical thermal maximum (CTmax), an organism’s upper thermal tolerance limit, of eight populations of the globally invasive tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. The tiger mosquito is a known vector for many viruses including West Nile, chikungunya and dengue.

    “We found significant differences across populations for both adults and larvae, and these differences were more pronounced for adults,” Westby said. The new study is published Jan. 8 in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

    Westby’s team sampled mosquitoes from eight different populations spanning four climate zones across the eastern United States, including mosquitoes from locations in New Orleans; St. Augustine, Fla.; Huntsville, Ala.; Stillwater, Okla.; St. Louis; Urbana, Ill.; College Park, Md.; and Allegheny County, Pa.

    The scientists collected eggs in the wild and raised larvae from the different geographic locations to adult stages in the lab, tending the mosquito populations separately as they continued to breed and grow. The scientists then used adults and larvae from subsequent generations of these captive-raised mosquitoes in trials to determine CTmax values, ramping up air and water temperatures at a rate of 1 degree Celsius per minute using established research protocols.

    The team then tested the relationship between climatic variables measured near each population source and the CTmax of adults and larvae. The scientists found significant differences among the mosquito populations.

    The differences did not appear to follow a simple latitudinal or temperature-dependent pattern, but there were some important trends. Mosquito populations from locations with higher precipitation had higher CTmax values. Overall, the results reveal that mean and maximum seasonal temperatures, relative humidity and annual precipitation may all be important climatic factors in determining CTmax.

    “Larvae had significantly higher thermal limits than adults, and this likely results from different selection pressures for terrestrial adults and aquatic larvae,” said Benjamin Orlinick, first author of the paper and a former undergraduate research fellow at Tyson Research Center. “It appears that adult Ae. albopictus are experiencing temperatures closer to their CTmax than larvae, possibly explaining why there are more differences among adult populations.”

    “The overall trend is for increased heat tolerance with increasing precipitation,” Westby said. “It could be that wetter climates allow mosquitoes to endure hotter temperatures due to decreases in desiccation, as humidity and temperature are known to interact and influence mosquito survival.”

    Little is known about how different vector populations, like those of this kind of mosquito, are adapted to their local climate, nor the potential for vectors to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. This study is one of the few to consider the upper limits of survivability in high temperatures — akin to heat waves — as opposed to the limits imposed by cold winters.

    “Standing genetic variation in heat tolerance is necessary for organisms to adapt to higher temperatures,” Westby said. “That’s why it was important for us to experimentally determine if this mosquito exhibits variation before we can begin to test how, or if, it will adapt to a warmer world.”

    Future research in the lab aims to determine the upper limits that mosquitoes will seek out hosts for blood meals in the field, where they spend the hottest parts of the day when temperatures get above those thresholds, and if they are already adapting to higher temperatures. “Determining this is key to understanding how climate change will impact disease transmission in the real world,” Westby said. “Mosquitoes in the wild experience fluctuating daily temperatures and humidity that we cannot fully replicate in the lab.”

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    Washington University in St. Louis

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  • Oxford experts say 1.5°C target still achievable with drastic action

    Oxford experts say 1.5°C target still achievable with drastic action

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    University of Oxford 

    Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment news release

    22 November 2023

    “Not dead yet” – experts identify interventions that could rescue 1.5°C

     

    Newswise — To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global heating to 1.5°C, global annual emissions will need to drop radically over the coming decades. Today [22 Nov], a new paper from climate economists at the University of Oxford says that this goal could still be within our reach. They identify key “sensitive intervention points” that could unlock significant progress towards the Paris Agreement with the least risk and highest impact. These include:

    • Investing in clean energy technologies with consistent cost declines
    • Enacting central bank policies to reduce the value of polluting assets
    • Improving climate-related financial risk disclosure.

    ‘This is not to suggest that reaching the Paris goals will be straightforward, or easy, but like Achilles’ heel, our research points to the areas that could have an outsized impact,’ says lead author Dr Penny Mealy, associate at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, University of Oxford.

    ‘We need climate policies which are pragmatic and practical, designed with an understanding of where the economy and technologies are capable of quickly transforming our economies for the better. These are those policy areas. This is how we design policy for 1.5°C,’ affirms co-author Dr Pete Barbrook-Johnson of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

    The research also highlights the areas where interventions will be more difficult and less impactful, including nuclear fission, which would be slow to roll out and could have unintended consequences; and carbon capture and storage, which presents both high barriers and risks.

    To reach their conclusions, the authors devised a new framework for identifying sensitive intervention points, or SIPs, that have the characteristics necessary to radically decarbonize our global economy.

    SIPs include critical tipping points – like renewable energy becoming cheaper than coal; critical points in networks – like powerful political figures or important technologies, and critical points in time or “windows of opportunity” that might prime the existing systems for change, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. These intervention points must be assessed by the ease with which they can be implemented, their impact potential, and the potential for creating risks. The authors stress that, while the framework is highly applicable to climate change, it could also be applied to solving other economic and social problems.

    The ratings provided for each SIP intervention were applied subjectively based on discussions with experts, literature research, and modelling. The framework can and should be applied regularly to reassess priorities as new data and insights become available, the authors say.

    Co-author Dr Matt Ives, comments, ‘1.5°C is not dead yet, but targeted and speedy interventions that can bring about the non-linear change necessary to keep it alive. As COP28 nears, our research highlights key sensitive intervention points we can prioritise to help turn the tide, while providing a valuable framework for policymakers.’

    Sensitive intervention points: a strategic approach to climate action is published today, 22nd November, in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy.

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    University of Oxford

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  • ORNL scientists close the cycle on recycling mixed plastics

    ORNL scientists close the cycle on recycling mixed plastics

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    Newswise — Little of the mixed consumer plastics thrown away or placed in recycle bins actually ends up being recycled. Nearly 90% is buried in landfills or incinerated at commercial facilities that generate greenhouse gases and airborne toxins. Neither outcome is ideal for the environment.

    Why aren’t more mixed plastics recycled? It’s usually easier and less expensive to make new plastic products than reclaim, sort and recycle used ones. Conventional recycling of mixed plastics has previously meant manually or mechanically separating the plastics according to their constituent polymers.

    Addressing the issue, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory used carefully planned chemical design, neutron scattering and high-performance computing to help develop a new catalytic recycling process. The catalyst selectively and sequentially deconstructs multiple polymers in mixed plastics into pristine monomers — molecules that react with other monomer molecules to form a polymer. The process offers a promising strategy for combating global plastic waste, such as bottles, packaging, foams and carpets.

    The researchers’ analysis, published in Materials Horizons, compared using the new multipurpose catalyst to using individual catalysts for each type of plastic. The new catalyst would generate up to 95% fewer greenhouse gases, require up to 94% less energy input, and result in up to a 96% reduction in fossil fuel consumption.

    “Our approach involves a tailored synthetic organocatalyst — a compound comprised of small organic molecules that facilitate organic chemical transformations. The organocatalyst can convert batches of mixed plastic waste into valuable monomers for reuse in producing commercial-grade plastics and other valuable materials,” said Tomonori Saito, an ORNL synthetic polymer chemist and corresponding author. “This exceptionally efficient chemical process can help close the loop for recycling mixed plastics by replacing first-use monomers with recycled monomers.

    “Today, nearly all plastics are made from fossil fuels using first-use monomers made by energy-intensive processes. Establishing this kind of closed-loop recycling, if used globally, could reduce annual energy consumption by about 3.5 billion barrels of oil,” Saito added.

    A recycling solution for over 30% of all plastics

    The new organocatalyst has proven to efficiently and quickly deconstruct multiple polymers — in around two hours. Such polymers include those used in materials such as safety goggles (polycarbonates), foams (polyurethanes), water bottles (polyethylene terephthalates) and ropes or fishing nets (polyamides), which together comprise more than 30% of global plastic production. Until now, no single catalyst has been shown to be effective on all four of these polymers.

    The process provides many environmental advantages by replacing harsh chemicals for deconstructing polymers, as well as offering good selectivity, thermal stability, nonvolatility and low flammability. Its effectiveness against multiple polymers also makes it useful for deconstructing the increasing amounts of multicomponent plastics, such as composites and multilayer packaging.

    Small-angle neutron scattering at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source was used to help confirm the formation of deconstructed monomers from the waste plastics. The method scatters neutrons at small angles to characterize the structure at different levels of detail, from nanometers to fractions of a micrometer.

    Converting mixed plastics polymers to true recycled plastics

    The organocatalyst deconstructs the plastics at different temperatures, which facilitates sequentially recovering the individual monomers separately, in reusable form. Polycarbonates deconstruct at 266 F (130 C), polyurethanes at 320 F (160 C), polyethylene terephthalates at 356 F (180 C) and polyamides at 410 F (210 C). Other plastics, additives and associated materials such as cotton and plastic bags are left intact because of the differences in their reactivity and can subsequently be recovered.

    “The deconstructed monomers and the organocatalyst are water soluble, so we can transfer them into water, where any impurities such as pigments can be removed by filtration,” said Md Arifuzzaman, the study’s lead author and former postdoctoral synthetic organic chemist at ORNL. He is now an Innovation Crossroads Fellow and CEO and Founder of the Re-Du Company. “The nearly pure monomers are then extracted, leaving the catalyst, which is almost entirely recovered by evaporating the water and can be directly reused for multiple deconstruction cycles.”

    The study included researchers from ORNL’s Chemical Sciences Division and Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences within the Physical Sciences Directorate, the Neutron Sciences Directorate and the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

    CNMS and SNS are Department of Energy Office of Science user facilities.
    UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. 

     

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    Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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  • Jefferson Lab Receives 2023 EPEAT Purchaser Award

    Jefferson Lab Receives 2023 EPEAT Purchaser Award

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    Newswise — NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Staff and scientific users at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility need all kinds of electronics to do their jobs, including computers, smartphones, printers and more. But instead of buying just any laptop off the shelf, the lab takes care to buy devices that meet sustainability standards when possible.

    During a virtual ceremony on July 27, the Global Electronics Council presented Jefferson Lab with a 2023 EPEAT Purchaser Award for buying sustainable electronics in fiscal year 2022. 

    These devices meet Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool standards, also known as EPEAT. The devices that meet these standards are more energy efficient, less toxic, longer lasting and easier to recycle than typical electronics.

    Although EPEAT devices are more environmentally friendly, they sometimes come with higher price tags up front. 

    “By purchasing EPEAT devices, we’re signifying we will take that extra step to be sustainable,” said Aubrie Davie, energy and sustainability specialist at Jefferson Lab. “We show it’s not just the price tag that we care about, but making sure that these products we’re bringing onto our campus are also environmentally friendly.”

    However, these products often offer the best overall value, because they are more efficient and can help save money in the long run. The lab saved $15,532 in 2022 by using electronics that meet EPEAT criteria. The 645 purchased EPEAT devices also reduced the lab’s greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equal to removing 18 average U.S. passenger cars from the road for one year, and they conserved energy equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of 31 average U.S. households.

    “That’s a huge part of why we do this,” Davie said.

    She also hopes the award will signal to the Newport News community that the lab is serious about sustainability. 

    “I think it’s important for us to show the community that we care about our impact in this area and that we’re not just going to purchase devices that are going to end up in our local landfills or things like that,” she said.

    A dedication to being green

    This commitment to the environment is nothing new. Jefferson Lab has earned an EPEAT award every year since 2016.

    “We are honored to be a 2023 EPEAT Purchase Award winner,” said Barbara Rice, procurement officer at Jefferson Lab. “This is the seventh time the Global Electronics Council has recognized our procurement intention to purchase more energy efficient, longer lasting, and easier-to-recycle equipment that empowers our employees to better serve customers.”

    Rice has been the one making sure the lab gets recognition for these accomplishments from the start.

    “Barbara has been a huge champion of making sure we apply for these awards and reporting that we have purchased sustainably throughout the year,” Davie said.

    Since Jefferson Lab received its first EPEAT Award, it has increased the number of EPEAT electronics it buys from different categories. Determining which EPEAT devices to procure has become a streamlined process for the Computational Science & Technology Division.

    “The amount of extra time that it takes to select and purchase EPEAT devices is minimal,” said Davis Wright, a Jefferson Lab computer user support technician.

    Wright helps check equipment for EPEAT compliance before purchase, and he maintains a stock of EPEAT devices available for staff and scientific users.

    “The award shows us that our system is working. It’s a great feeling to work for an organization that takes pride in sustainability and incorporates it in all facets,” Wright said. “By receiving this award, Jefferson Lab sets an example for other organizations and industries, showcasing that sustainability is not just a buzzword but a tangible goal.”

    In the meantime, Jefferson Lab continues to push its sustainability goals further, which will aid in the DOE’s goal of net zero emissions. For instance, fiscal year 2022 DOE sustainability goals include steps toward the transition to a zero-emission vehicle fleet and development of a strategy toward net-zero emissions for buildings, campuses and installations. The plan also includes sustainable procurement.

    “It’s great to be acknowledged, but I think it’s important to shoot higher,” Davie said. “We can continue to expand the categories we purchase in and find new ways to be sustainable and achieve emissions and energy-reduction goals. Net zero is a big task for such a large facility. I think building on successful programs like this will help us get there.”

    -end-

    Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. JSA is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. (SURA).

    DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.

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    Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

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  • 5 Ways Tech Companies Can Improve Their Sustainability | Entrepreneur

    5 Ways Tech Companies Can Improve Their Sustainability | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In an era where environmental concerns have reached unprecedented levels, businesses across all industries face the imperative of adopting sustainable practices. Among the various industries around the globe, the technology sector has emerged as a prominent player, recognizing the pressing need to prioritize green initiatives.

    With growing consumer awareness and demand for eco-friendly solutions, tech companies have realized that sustainability is no longer a mere trend but a critical driver of success that has a significant impact on their bottom line. According to research conducted by Deutsche Bank, companies with high ratings for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) have a lower cost of debt and equity. These findings were corroborated by MSCI in 2020.

    Additionally, the findings show that companies with high ESG ratings outperform the market in the medium and long term. Further, by implementing stewardship-focused programs, companies have not only seen growth in their financials but also in brand awareness.

    By adopting circular economic models, implementing waste reduction programs, and increasing their focus on extended life cycles of their assets, companies are creating a shift toward doing business from an eco-friendly perspective. This shift has created the need for companies that specialize in helping large organizations develop sustainability plans, operate with a focus on being eco-friendly, reduce waste, and implement strong stewardship practices.

    Here are five strategies that tech companies around the globe are using to level up their green credentials while decreasing their negative impact.

    Related: This Is Why Your Business Should Prioritize Environmental Efforts

    1. Embrace the circular economy

    The circular economy model is an economic framework that aims to minimize waste and maximize the efficient use of resources. In contrast to the conventional linear economy, circular economy promotes a closed-loop system where materials and products are continuously reused, repaired, remanufactured, or recycled to create new value.

    According to McKinsey, the European circular economy market size for electronics is expected to grow from €60 to €95 billion by 2030. Additionally, resource productivity is estimated to grow by 3 percent, which will generate cost savings of around €600 billion as well as €1.8 trillion in other economic benefits annually.

    For businesses, one of the most important resources they have at their hands is technology, be it software or hardware. Often, the largest and most impactful investments an organization makes are technology-related.

    With computer hardware accounting for around 30% of overall IT budgets, hardware spending is the largest portion of overall tech spending. Consequently, hardware products, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones, are often at the top of the list in both cost and volume.

    The circular economy is based on the principles of designing for longevity and efficiency while minimizing waste and pollution. This is achieved by keeping assets and materials, such as smartphones or laptops, in use for as long as possible. Additionally, efforts are made to regenerate natural systems. In 2021, ATRenew reduced emissions by a total of 464,000 metric tons through re-commercializing pre-owned phones. This is equivalent to the carbon sink of about 1,533 square kilometers of urban forests in one year.

    2. Invest in eco-friendly products and manufacturing

    One of the key benefits of the implementation of a circular economy model is the reduction in waste. By prioritizing the reusing, repairing, and recycling of resources, the circular economy model minimizes the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators.

    According to the European Environment Agency, waste management, industrial processes, and product use account for over 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Consequently, a circular economy model reduces the environmental impacts associated with waste disposal and mitigates pollution and greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing.

    Investing in eco-friendly manufacturing processes and products is crucial for minimizing environmental impact. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 80% of a product’s environmental impact is decided in the initial design stages. Companies can increase their green credentials by using sustainable materials, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing waste.

    Further, sustainable practices attract environmentally conscious customers, positioning sustainable businesses as leaders in a competitive marketplace. In other words, embracing sustainability is both a moral and strategic imperative for the long-term success of any business.

    Related: How to Overcome the Shortage of Tech Talent in the US

    3. Encourage and facilitate recycling

    Recycling plays a crucial role in reducing electronic waste (e-waste), so encouraging it is important in promoting and advancing a sustainable approach to technology. With technological advancements continuing to happen at an astonishing rate, it is becoming increasingly important for tech companies to take responsibility for the lifecycle of their products.

    Companies can help reduce e-waste and minimize their environmental impact by implementing effective strategies, such as trade-in programs or recycling events that incentivize consumers to recycle their old devices. For example, tech companies can establish partnerships or in-house programs that allow consumers to trade in their used devices in exchange for credit toward a new purchase.

    Not only does this encourage the recycling of devices, but it also promotes brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. Education and awareness campaigns can also be powerful tools, especially considering that many electronic devices contain valuable and limited resources. Materials like lead, silver, copper and gold are essential for manufacturing new technology, making recycling even more attractive.

    Related: The U.S. Has a Huge E-Waste Problem. But There Is Money To Make in Its Disposal.

    4. Extend the lifecycle of devices

    Extending the lifespan of electronic devices offers both financial and environmental benefits. By offering repair services, manufacturers and third-party providers can help consumers prolong the lifespan of their electronic devices. Not only is this often cheaper than buying a new device, but it also reduces e-waste and minimizes the environmental impact of manufacturing a new device.

    Another approach businesses can take to extend the lifecycle of electronic devices is to sell their used devices. By selling thoroughly tested and repaired used devices at a reduced price with a warranty, consumers bask in a vibrant array of choices, extending beyond the realm of brand-new products.

    According to Counterpoint Research, the demand for refurbished smartphones continues to grow. In 2022, the global secondary smartphone market saw growth of 5% year-over-year, with refurbished iPhone sales growing by 16%. Additionally, the secondary market of refurbished devices also creates new opportunities for businesses and consumers to get some of their investments back, reducing the overall cost of ownership and making affordable technology more accessible.

    Manufacturers can also support the environment by making affordable replacement parts available and providing repair guides or tutorials. Companies can extend the lifespan of their products and foster customer loyalty simultaneously by embracing repairability and sustainability.

    5. Foster a culture of sustainability

    Promoting sustainability within the company culture is essential for sustainable organizations aiming to make a positive environmental impact. Integrating sustainability into a company’s core values, practices, and decision-making processes becomes a shared responsibility and commitment among employees, consumers, and stakeholders. This commitment then leads to a range of benefits for all involved parties, as well as the environment.

    Weaving a strong sustainability policy into a company’s foundation as well as educating and engaging employees, sets a whole new standard that also comes with numerous benefits. Not only do sustainable organizations attract quality employees and sustainability-focused customers, but they also benefit financially.

    For example, after successfully defining and implementing a stewardship plan focusing on sustainability, REI now has one of the most successful circular commerce programs of any outdoor retail brand, taking in around 100,000 outdoor-related items to be traded or resold in their store locations in 2022. By integrating sustainability into all operations, tech companies can drive change and contribute to a more sustainable future.

    Related: 3 Ways You Can Bring Sustainability to Your Workplace

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    Kerry Chen

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  • Photosynthesis: Martian habitation & sustainable space travel

    Photosynthesis: Martian habitation & sustainable space travel

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    Newswise — In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists assess a new technique which could convert renewable, green energy from outside the Earth’s atmosphere. They are taking advantage of photosynthesis – the chemical process plants undergo every day to create energy – to help the space industry become more sustainable.

    The research led by the University of Warwick evaluates the use of a special device known as semiconductor to absorb sunlight on Moon and Mars. It is hoped that the devices could promote Martian life support systems.

    These “artificial photosynthesis devices” undergo the same processes which keeps plants alive on Earth – they convert water into oxygen using only sunlight whilst recycling carbon dioxide. These integrated systems have the advantage of directly using solar power and could save on weight on long-term space travels in comparison to traditional systems currently in use on the International Space Station – making space travel more efficient.

    There is a need for efficient and reliable energy sources in space to enable the exploration of our solar system. It is hoped that the technology could be installed on the Moon and Mars to harvest green energy to help power rockets and complement life support systems for the production of oxygen and other chemicals as well as the recycling of carbon dioxide. The insights gained in this study with respect to improving device efficiencies also feed back into their optimization for Earth applications and also provide insights into the performance of traditional solar cells in space.

    Assistant Professor Katharina Brinkert, Department of Chemistry, said: “Human space exploration faces the same challenges as the green energy transition on Earth: both require sustainable energy sources. With sunlight being so abundantly available in space, we have shown how this source could be used to harvest energy – much like plants back on Earth – for life support systems for long-term space travel. The technology could provide ample oxygen production and carbon dioxide recycling on both Moon and Mars.”

    Associate Professor Sophia Haussener, at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, added: “In this study, we finally quantify the potential of such devices for extra-terrestrial use and provide initial design guidelines for their potential implementation.”

    The research project was funded by the European Space Agency via the Open Space Innovation Platform – https://ideas.esa.int.

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    University of Warwick

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  • Developing technologies to reduce the cost of green hydrogen production

    Developing technologies to reduce the cost of green hydrogen production

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    Newswise — Green hydrogen, which produces hydrogen without the use of fossil fuels or the emission of carbon dioxide, has become increasingly important in recent years as part of efforts to realize a decarbonized economy. However, due to the high production cost of water electrolysis devices that produce green hydrogen, the economic feasibility of green hydrogen has not been very high. However, the development of a technology that drastically reduces the amount of rare metals such as iridium and platinum used in polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis devices is opening the way to lower production costs.

    A research team led by Dr. Hyun S. Park and Sung Jong Yoo of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that they have developed a technology that can significantly reduce the amount of platinum and iridium, precious metals used in the electrode protection layer of polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis devices, and secure performance and durability on par with existing devices. In particular, unlike previous studies that focused on reducing the amount of iridium catalyst while maintaining the structure that uses a large amount of platinum and gold as the electrode protection layer, the researchers replaced the precious metal in the electrode protection layer with inexpensive iron nitride having large surface area and uniformly coated a small amount of iridium catalyst on top of it, greatly increasing the economic efficiency of the electrolysis device.

    The polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis device is a device that produces high-purity hydrogen and oxygen by decomposing water using electricity supplied by renewable energy such as solar power, and it plays a role in supplying hydrogen to various industries such as steelmaking and chemicals. In addition, it is advantageous for energy conversion to store renewable energy as hydrogen energy, so increasing the economic efficiency of this device is very important for the realization of the green hydrogen economy.

    In a typical electrolysis device, there are two electrodes that produce hydrogen and oxygen, and for the oxygen generating electrode, which operates in a highly corrosive environment, gold or platinum is coated on the surface of the electrode at 1 mg/cm2 as a protective layer to ensure durability and production efficiency, and 1-2 mg/cm2 of iridium catalyst is coated on top. The precious metals used in these electrolysis devices have very low reserves and production, which is a major factor hindering the widespread adoption of green hydrogen production devices.

    To improve the economics of water electrolysis, the team replaced the rare metals gold and platinum used as a protective layer for the oxygen electrode in polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen production devices with inexpensive iron nitride (Fe2N). To do so, the team developed a composite process that first uniformly coats the electrode with iron oxide, which has low electrical conductivity, and then converts the iron oxide to iron nitride to increase its conductivity. The team also developed a process that uniformly coats an iridium catalyst about 25 nanometers (nm) thick on top of the iron nitride protective layer, reducing the amount of iridium catalyst to less than 0.1 mg/cm2, resulting in an electrode with high hydrogen production efficiency and durability.

    The developed electrode replaces the gold or platinum used as a protective layer for the oxygen generating electrode with non-precious metal nitrides while maintaining similar performance to existing commercial electrolysis units, and reduces the amount of iridium catalyst to 10% of the existing level. In addition, the electrolysis unit with the new components was operated for more than 100 hours to verify its initial stability.

    “Reducing the amount of iridium catalyst and developing alternative materials for the platinum protective layer are essential for the economical and widespread use of polymer electrolyte membrane green hydrogen production devices, and the use of inexpensive iron nitride instead of platinum is of great significance,” said Dr. Hyun S. Park of KIST. “After further observing the performance and durability of the electrode, we will apply it to commercial devices in the near future.”

    The research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Lee, Chang-Yang) and KIST Major Projects, and the results were published online in the latest issue of the international scientific journal Applied Catalysis B:Environmental (IF: 24.319, top 0.926% in JCR).

    ###

    KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/

    This research was conducted through the KIST Major Projects supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho), and the results were published online in the latest issue of the international scientific journal Applied Catalysis B:Environmental (IF: 24.319, top 0.926% in JCR).

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    National Research Council of Science and Technology

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  • Top Solar Energy Trends To Look Out For in 2023 and Beyond | Entrepreneur

    Top Solar Energy Trends To Look Out For in 2023 and Beyond | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) report now out, we have a more precise look at renewable energy numbers throughout the United States, including the latest growth. Renewable energy investors and developers should already feel encouraged by the broad goal set for reaching 100% clean electricity by 2035.

    But there are several important current trends worth keeping an eye on.

    Renewables did well during the pandemic and are posed for more growth

    The EIA reports that through October 2022, renewables grew to provide 22.60% of the total United States electrical energy generation. That included an impressive 14.26% growth compared to previous numbers from a similar timeframe in 2021 and a prediction that renewables will reach at least 25%.

    This is good news for solar investors, not only because of the growth rates but because so many different sectors have contributed to it. Growth is coming from state programs and grants, more commercial applications than ever, and global trends pushing toward broader, more affordable solar energy.

    Solar energy also has more room to grow than wind energy, which has seen similar growth rates but holds nearly 10% of the U.S. market compared to around 5% for solar energy, a gap that offers plenty of potential for future developments.

    Related: Why the Tide Is Turning for the Energy Sector

    Where businesses will see the most growth this decade

    What does the EIA report say about support for renewable energy growth in the coming decade? One crucial goal the EIA cites is reaching a global “net-zero” state by 2030. This means roughly 61% of the United States’ electricity will come from renewables. The EIA also provides several ideas on what kind of energy growth can get us there, which is a roadmap for potential high-growth areas in the coming years.

    • More grants for construction: Government investment in grants for builders and business owners interested in solar are likely to increase in the coming years. But there is a caveat: much of the support for these grants on a federal level currently comes from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The House of Representatives is now in talks about managing the U.S. limit, and one of their demands is cutting many of the programs included in the IRA, which could affect energy investment across the board. If the IRA remains intact, it will be a vast boost for renewable construction. If it is significantly altered, grant programs may largely be left up to the states.
    • Heat pump growth: Heat pumps are one of the most underutilized traditional methods of saving energy and cutting out fuel use for the average home or business in the United States. State regulations, such as those passed by NY and others, will only encourage more adoption of heat pumps in the future. Owners will be happy to go along when the cost benefits compared to fuel become clear, and HVAC installers can expect growing interest over time.
    • Wind energy: While wind energy has narrower investment opportunities than other options — primarily wind farms — especially offshore building — I expect this sector to see significant future growth, including the Midwest and coastal states.
    • Targeted solar installations: Solar is more affordable than in years past and offers significant advantages for businesses, especially when it can capitalize on existing space while cutting costs. Two examples are parking lot installations (which also provide shade for cars) and additional rooftop installations on compatible commercial buildings, as well as new residential interest.

    Related: Why Investors Should Look at Vietnam’s Renewable Energy Industry

    Pushback from utility companies

    The growth of renewable energy now sees considerable pushback from utility companies, which see solar energy, in particular, as a threat to their profit models. Among other decisions, utility companies are lobbying state governments to retract programs meant to encourage solar construction and kill models that allow solar energy owners to benefit from the excess electricity they produce.

    This war has already done immense damage in key solar markets in the United States, including California, where regulators have killed solar-related incentives, and Arizona, where utility companies backed a successful campaign to remove any benefits from rooftop solar and Florida, where utility companies are directly writing legislation and sending it to state congress to limit solar power.

    The way forward here is unclear. A war between renewable energy and traditional utility companies yields only the worst results for end users, and governments caught up in shifting laws or regulations make the solar investment even more confusing for newcomers. This may be one of the most significant challenges moving forward from 2023.

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    Abe Issa

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  • A Green Path to Net Zero Carbon Building

    A Green Path to Net Zero Carbon Building

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    Newswise — The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim, Byung-Suk) made a groundbreaking achievement in the field of ecological building technology with the development of new “Net Zero Carbon Building (NZCB) system”. This innovative system, designed to minimize both operating carbon and embodied carbon, holds the key to significantly reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry.

    Embodied carbon, which encompasses the carbon emissions generated during the production, transportation, construction and disposal of building materials, is a critical factor in addressing carbon neutrality. In addition to the well-known “operating carbon” emitted during the building’s operational phase, the reduction of “embodied carbon” from the material production stage is essential. According to Global ABC’s 2019 report, operating and embedded carbon contribute to approximately 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

    Traditionally, the construction sector has primarily focused on optimizing operational energy, such as lighting and heating, to mitigate carbon emissions. However, minimizing embodied carbon is now recognized as a fundamental requirement for achieving carbon-neutral building. In response to this challenge, the Ecological Building Research Group at KICT (Dr. Hyeon Soo Kim, Dr. Soo-Young, Moon), has successfully developed a new NZCB system capable of simultaneously reducing both operational and embodied carbon. This groundbreaking system was recently tested in Jinju City, Korea.

    The research team, led by Dr. Hyeon Soo Kim, incorporated thirteen major technologies into the NZCB system. Among these technologies, the most noteworthy is the adoption of the eco-friendly cement (High Sulfated Calcium Silicate Cement, HSCSC), which has the remarkable capability of reducing CO2 emissions by more than 90% while minimizing environmental impact. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), a commonly used concrete material, emits 1.2 kg of carbon per kg during production. In contrast, HSCSC emits only 0.07 kg of carbon per kg, resulting in a reduction of 1,130 kg of carbon emissions per ton compared to OPC.

    Another noteworthy advancement is the development of CXP (Cellulose X-linked Polymer), an eco-friendly thermoplastic composed solely of wood and natural resin. The research team pioneered the creation and application of CXP-based deck materials for exterior use, the first of its kind worldwide.

    To evaluate the efficacy of the NZCB system, the research team conducted monitoring of operational and embodied carbon reduction at the Gaho community center in Jinju City, Korea. A comparative analysis was carried out, comparing the environmental performance and embodied carbon emissions of the community center as a NZCB with that of a conventional Reinforced Concrete Building (RCB).

    Using the European Union’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) guide, environmental performance was assessed across sixteen impact categories. The results indicated that the Gaho community center demonstrated superior environmental friendliness compared to steel concrete buildings. In particular, the impact on climate change, closely linked to carbon emissions, was nearly halved. Specifically, the embodied carbon impact was found to be 56.3% lower compared to the comparative RCB, resulting in a reduction of 25.7 tons of embodied carbon.

    Moreover, the recorded electrical energy consumption over a period of five months, starting from September 2022, suggests a potential yearly reduction of 2.2 tons of carbon emissions. This reduction is achieved by utilizing only half of the energy produced. Consequently, the Gaho community center in Jinju City emitted a total of 33.1 tons of carbon during its construction. However, the surplus electricity production is anticipated to offset 2.2 tons of embodied carbon emissions annually. This progress indicates that the Gaho community center aims to become a net zero carbon building within a span of 15 years.

    Dr. Hyeon Soo, Kim expressed, “The demonstration project’s incorporation of thirteen innovative technologies will not only decrease carbon emissions and minimize environmental impacts in the construction industry but also make a significant contribution to the future growth of the ecological building market.”

     

     

     

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    The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 40 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life.

    The research was conducted based on the funding provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (project no. RS-2018-KA146511, Development of performance criteria of ecological architecture based on Environmental Product Declaration and modularizationconstruction technology (2018-2022)). An article explaining the results of this research was published in the latest issue of CO2 emissions of concrete and timber slabs, a renowned international journal in the concrete field (IF:7.2).

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  • Power Co-op Evaluating Development of Pumped Storage Hydropower at Closed Mines

    Power Co-op Evaluating Development of Pumped Storage Hydropower at Closed Mines

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    Newswise — 05/04/2023— Dairyland Power Cooperative is collaborating with Mine Storage International AB (Mine Storage) and Michigan Technological University to explore the potential for pumped underground storage hydropower in the Upper Midwest.  

    With input from Michigan Tech and Mine Storage, Dairyland will evaluate closed mines in the region for the development of pumped hydro energy storage, an opportunity that supports grid reliability and renewable energy generation while repurposing retired industrial sites in an innovative way.

    “Pumped hydro is an exciting opportunity for Dairyland as part of our commitment to adopting viable new storage technologies that support the clean energy transition,” said Dairyland President and CEO Brent Ridge. “The Mine Storage system brings unique benefits as it essentially recycles existing but unused sites into flexible, carbon-free power storage systems without some of the environmental concerns of traditional battery storage.” 

    Pumped storage hydropower systems use upper and lower reservoirs to move water through turbines, generating and storing energy that is capable of being released on demand in response to consumer needs. In recent years, research on underground pumped storage hydropower systems has validated it as a practical solution to accessible, affordable and sustainable energy. 

    “The American market for energy storage is growing quickly,” said Mine Storage CEO Thomas Johansson. “We view Dairyland as a forward-thinking utility with an attractive location and a portfolio of energy resources. Dairyland also has a business strategy and corporate culture which makes a collaborative partnership ideal for us at Mine Storage when entering the U.S. market.” 

    Michigan Tech will serve as a technical resource as Dairyland explores potential development options. The University has led significant research and reporting on the potential of regional pumped underground storage hydro (PUSH) systems in closed hard-rock metal mines through the work of Tech’s Keweenaw Energy Transition Lab (KETL). 

    “We are excited about working with Dairyland and Mine Storage to make this transformative technological application a reality. This collaboration is a true testament to the effort and creativity that PUSH researchers — faculty and students — put into solving one of the most difficult challenges of our time,” said PUSH project leader and energy policy expert Roman Sidortsov, an associate professor at MTU. 

    PUSH researcher and industrial archaeology expert Timothy Scarlett said the team’s shared vision is that the energy transition is an opportunity. “We can change post-mining liabilities into essential assets that address local concerns while solving problems for the entire grid,” said the MTU associate professor of archaeology and anthropology. “These are complex problems for which we’ve found solutions that are both smart and elegant.” 

    Mine Storage, based in Stockholm, Sweden, develops abandoned mines into pumped hydro energy storage, creating a flexible resource similar to utility-scale battery storage. Rather than drawing water from an outside source, the system uses resources within the mine.

    Headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Dairyland provides wholesale electricity to 24 member distribution cooperatives and 27 municipal utilities. A Touchstone Energy Cooperative, Dairyland’s service area encompasses 62 counties in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. 

     

    Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.

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  • Sustaining U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Could be Key to Decarbonization

    Sustaining U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Could be Key to Decarbonization

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    Newswise — Nuclear power is the single largest source of carbon-free energy in the United States and currently provides nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electrical demand. Many analyses have investigated the potential of future nuclear energy contributions in addressing climate change. However, few assess the value of existing nuclear power reactors.

    Research led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Earth scientist Son H. Kim with the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI), a partnership between PNNL and the University of Maryland, has added insight to the scarce literature and is the first to evaluate nuclear energy for meeting deep decarbonization goals. Kim sought to answer the question: Just how much do our existing nuclear reactors contribute to the mission of meeting the country’s climate goals, both now and if their operating licenses were extended?

    As the world races to discover solutions for reaching net zero, Kim’s report quantifies the economic value of bringing the existing nuclear fleet into the year 2100 and outlines its significant contributions in limiting global warming.

    Plants slated to close by 2050 could be among the most important players in a challenge that requires all carbon-free technology solutions that are available—emerging and existing—the report finds. New nuclear technology also has a part to play, and its contributions could be boosted by driving down construction costs.  

    “Even modest reductions in capital costs could bring big climate benefits,” said Kim. “Significant effort has been incorporated into the design of advanced reactors to reduce the use of all materials in general, such as concrete and steel, because that directly translates into reduced costs and carbon emissions.”

    Nuclear power reactors face an uncertain future

    The nuclear power fleet in the United States consists of 93 operating reactors across 28 states. Most of these plants were constructed and deployed between 1970-1990. This means half of the fleet has outlived its original operating license lifetime of 40 years. While most reactors have had their licenses renewed for an additional 20 years, and some for yet another 20, the total number of reactors that will receive a lifetime extension to operate a full 80 years from deployment is uncertain.

    Other countries also rely on nuclear energy. In France, for example, nuclear energy provides 70 percent of the country’s power supply. They and other countries will also have to consider whether to extend the lifetime, retire, or build new, modern reactors. However, the U.S. faces the potential retirement of a bulk of reactors in a short period of time—this could have a far stronger impact than the staggered closures other countries may experience.

    “Our existing nuclear power plants are aging and with their current 60-year lifetimes, nearly all of them will be gone by 2050. It’s ironic. We have a net zero goal to reach by 2050, yet our single largest source of carbon-free electricity is at risk of closure,“ said Kim.

    Exploring scenarios of lifetime extensions for nuclear power reactors

    Kim has built computational models that explore the interplay between economic processes, energy demand, and Earth’s climate since joining PNNL and JGCRI in 1995, when he was a doctoral intern with a fresh PhD in nuclear engineering. At JGCRI, researchers explore interactions between human, energy, and environmental systems to provide data for managing risks and analyzing options. His research is inspired by a drive to solve the energy and environmental crisis using modeling capabilities and tools like the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM), developed at PNNL.

    Kim used GCAM to model multiple scenarios of extending the lifetime of the existing nuclear fleet into 2100. The article, published in Nuclear Technology, put a value on lifetime license extensions from 40 to 100 years at $330 billion to $500 billion in mitigation cost savings under a scenario that limits global temperature to 2°C. Mitigation costs savings, or the carbon value, are amounts of dollars saved in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Legacy nuclear reactors alone have a carbon value of $500 billion if operational for 100 years. Every gigawatt of energy, or one nuclear power reactor, translates to $5 billion later saved. Because that gigawatt was produced without any carbon emitted into Earth’s atmosphere, no money would need to be spent to mitigate its effects.

    Maintaining existing nuclear power plants avoids replacing reactors with electricity sources that produce carbon emissions. In states where nuclear reactors have been shut down, carbon emissions have increased from replacing the carbon-free electricity with natural gas-generated electricity.

    Kim determined that lifetime extensions of existing nuclear power reactors from 60 to 80 years, without adding new nuclear capacity, contributed to a reduction of approximately 0.4 gigatons of carbon (GtCO2) emissions per year by 2050. The total cumulative difference in CO2 emissions between 2020 and 2100, in a scenario with lifetime extensions and future deployment of nuclear power plants (as compared to a scenario with a moratorium on new nuclear power plants), amounts to as much as 57 GtCO2.

    How much is 57 GtCO2? According to the International Energy Agency, U.S. carbon emissions in 2022 were 4.7 Gt, which means nuclear energy could save approximately 12 years’ worth of carbon emissions.

    An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on nuclear energy stated, “Nuclear power is therefore an effective greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation option, especially through license extensions of existing plants enabling investments in retro-fitting and upgrading.”

    However, in a follow-on report to his research, Kim addresses the additional savings potential of driving down capital costs of building new nuclear power plants.

    Removing the uncertainty in nuclear power costs can increase emissions savings

    Building new nuclear power plants is expensive and construction takes a long period of time. The largest costs are often capital costs: the one-time price paid to build new structures and equipment.

    Advanced reactors—including small modular reactors and microreactors—are being developed with new technologies, enhanced security features, smaller physical footprints, and more flexible deployment options. They are expected to play an important role in the future U.S. electricity system and carbon mitigation efforts.

    “One of most important attributes of small modular reactors and microreactors is the reduced construction time,” Kim said. “SMRs and microreactors will be factory fabricated and delivered to site on trucks, and the uncertainty associated with financing cost should be reduced or eliminated.”

    Kim used GCAM to investigate a range of nuclear plant capital costs with scenarios of alternative carbon mitigation policies, and U.S. economy-wide net-zero emission goals by 2050, 2060, and 2070.

    Among the multiple findings in the report for DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Kim found that an aggressive reduction of nuclear construction costs has a clear and pronounced impact on the expanded deployment of nuclear power under all scenarios, even without an explicit carbon mitigation policy.

    Continuing to generate electricity while removing all emissions of greenhouse gases by mid-century is a difficult challenge. “We must utilize all carbon-free technologies that are available to us,” said Kim, “and one of the great values of nuclear energy is that it doesn’t emit carbon while it’s generating power.”

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    About PNNL

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in sustainable energy and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. For more information on PNNL, visit PNNL’s News Center. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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  • Circuit boards from renewable raw materials

    Circuit boards from renewable raw materials

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    BYLINE: Rainer Klose

    Newswise — For many years, Thomas Geiger has been conducting research in the field of cellulose fibrils – fine fibers that can be produced from wood pulp or agricultural waste, for example. Cellulose fibrils hold great potential for sustainable production and the decarbonization of industry: they grow CO2-neutral in nature, burn without residues and are even compostable. They can be used for many purposes, for example as fiber reinforcement in technical rubber products such as pump membranes.

    But can cellulose fibrils perhaps also be used to make circuit boards that reduce the ecological footprint of computers? Printed circuit boards (PCBs) in particular are anything but innocent ecologically: They usually consist of glass fibers soaked in expoxy resin. Such a composite material is not recyclable and can so far only be disposed of properly in special pyrolysis plants.

    Computer mouse with an ivory look

    Geiger had already produced circuit boards from cellulose fibrils and investigated their biodegradation. Mixed with water, the bio-fibrils produce a thick sludge that can be dewatered and compacted in a special press. Together with a colleague, he produced 20 experimental boards, which were subjected to various mechanical tests and finally fitted with electronic components. The test succeeded, and the cellulose board released the soldered-on components after a few weeks in natural soil.

    Geiger had previously been involved in an Innosuisse project together with the OST University of Applied Sciences in Rapperswil, which produced housing parts for computer mice. The housing parts have a silky sheen and are similar in color and feel to workpieces made of ivory. But no manufacturer could be found who wanted to adopt the method. The price competition for small electronics is still too great for this – and conventional plastic injection molding processes have a clear advantage in this respect.

    Circuit boards made of wood wool or cellulose fibers and fibrils

    Recently, the opportunity arose to build on existing findings: Empa sustainability specialist Claudia Som was asked if she would like to collaborate on the EU research project Hypelignum. This is led by the Swedish materials research institute RISE and is looking for new ways of sustainably producing electronics. Claudia Som enlisted the help of her colleague Thomas Geiger.

    The project started in October 2022, and the research consortium, with participants from Austria, Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, plans to produce and evaluate eco circuit boards made of various materials: In addition to nanofibrillated cellulose (CNF), wood wool and wood pulp are being investigated as a base; wood veneer is also being used as a base for the circuit boards.

    Two Empa labs are collaborating on the project: Firstly, the sustainability specialists led by Claudia Som from the Technology and Society lab. Som will use material databases to calculate the ecological footprint of the eco circuit boards and compare the individual concepts with each other. Thomas Geiger from Empa’s Cellulose & Wood Materials laboratory will manufacture the circuit boards from renewable raw materials. Green electronics has long been a research focus of the lab, which is headed by Gustav Nyström; Nyström’s team has already developed various printed electronic components from biodegradable materials, such as batteries and displays. The requirements for industrially produced computer circuit boards, however, are not trivial: Not only must the boards have high mechanical strength, they must also not swell in humid conditions or form cracks at very low humidity.

    “Cellulose fibers can be a very good alternative to glass fiber composites,” Geiger explains. “We dewater the material in a special press with 150 tons of pressure. Then the cellulose fibrils stick together on their own without any additives. We call this ‘hornification’.” The key here is at what pressure, temperature and for how long the pressing process must take place to produce optimal results.

    Four demonstrators planned

    The EU project Hypelignum has ambitious goals: It aims not only to study printed circuit boards made from renewable and compostable raw materials, but also to develop conductive inks for the electrical connections between individual components. These inks are often made based on silver nanoparticles. The researchers are looking for cheaper and less scarce substitute materials, as well as an ecological production method for these nanoparticles.

    At the end of the project, four demonstrators ought to show what had been achieved: an ecologically exemplary printed circuit board, a large construction element made of wood that will be equipped with sensors and actuators, pieces of furniture that will be equipped with sensors in an automated production line, and finally a demonstrator that will prove the recyclability of all these components.

    Infobox: Displays and batteries made from cellulose

    In 2022, an Empa research group led by Gustav Nyström succeeded in building a biodegradable display based on hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC). They used HPC as a substrate and added a small amount of carbon nanotubes, making the cellulose electrically conductive. By mixing in cellulose nanofibers (CNF), they brought the ink into a printable form. The display changes color depending on the applied electrical voltage; in addition, it can also serve as a pressure or tension sensor and has the potential to play a role as a biodegradable user interface in future eco-electronics.

    https://www.empa.ch/web/s604/bioelektronik

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  • New SLAC-Stanford Battery Center targets roadblocks to a sustainable energy transition

    New SLAC-Stanford Battery Center targets roadblocks to a sustainable energy transition

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    Newswise — Menlo Park, Calif. – The Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University today announced the launch of a new joint battery center at SLAC. It will bring together the resources and expertise of the national lab, the university and Silicon Valley to accelerate the deployment of batteries and other energy storage solutions as part of the energy transition that’s essential for addressing climate change.

    A key part of this transition will be to decarbonize the world’s transportation systems and electric grids ­– to power them without fossil fuels. To do so, society will need to develop the capacity to store several hundred terawatt-hours of sustainably generated energy. Only about 1% of that capacity is in place today.

    Filling the enormous gap between what we have and what we need is one of the biggest challenges in energy research and development. It will require that experts in chemistry, materials science, engineering and a host of other fields join forces to make batteries safer, more efficient and less costly and manufacture them more sustainably from earth-abundant materials, all on a global scale. 

    The SLAC-Stanford Battery Center will address that challenge. It will serve as the nexus for battery research at the lab and the university, bringing together large numbers of faculty, staff scientists, students and postdoctoral researchers from SLAC and Stanford for research, education and workforce training. 

     “We’re excited to launch this center and to work with our partners on tackling one of today’s most pressing global issues,” said interim SLAC Director Stephen Streiffer. “The center will leverage the combined strengths of Stanford and SLAC, including experts and industry partners from a wide variety of disciplines, and provide access to the lab’s world-class scientific facilities. All of these are important to move novel energy storage technologies out of the lab and into widespread use.”

    Expert research with unique tools

    Research and development at the center will span a vast range of systems – from understanding chemical reactions that store energy in electrodes to designing battery materials at the nanoscale, making and testing devices, improving manufacturing processes and finding ways to scale up those processes so they can become part of everyday life. 

    “It’s not enough to make a game-changing battery material in small amounts,” said Jagjit Nanda, a SLAC distinguished scientist, Stanford adjunct professor and executive director of the new center, whose background includes decades of battery research at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “We have to understand the manufacturing science needed to make it in larger quantities on a massive scale without compromising on performance.”

    Longstanding collaborations between SLAC and Stanford researchers have already produced many important insights into how batteries work and how to make them smaller, lighter, safer and more powerful. These studies have used machine learning to quickly identify the most promising battery materials from hundreds made in the lab, and measured the properties of those materials and the nanoscale details of battery operation at the lab’s synchrotron X-ray facility. SLAC’s X-ray free-electron laser is available, as well, for fundamental studies of energy-related materials and processes. 

    SLAC and Stanford also pioneered the use of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), a technique developed to image biology in atomic detail, to get the first clear look at finger-like growths that can degrade lithium-ion batteries and set them on fire. This technique has also been used to probe squishy layers that build up on electrodes and must be carefully managed, in research performed at the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES).

    Nanda said the center will also focus on making energy storage more sustainable, for instance by choosing materials that are abundant, easy to recycle and can be extracted in a way that’s less costly and produces fewer emissions.

    A unique collaboration in the heart of Silicon Valley 

    Battery Center Director Will Chueh, an associate professor at Stanford and faculty scientist at SLAC, emphasized that the center is located in the middle of Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial culture, two miles from the Stanford campus and a short walk away from large, world-class scientific facilities that only a national lab can provide. This generates advantages that would be impossible for any single partner to achieve, including outstanding educational and training opportunities for Stanford students and postdocs that will play an outsized role in shaping the next generation of energy researchers. 

    “There’s no other place in the world,” Chueh said, “where all of this comes together.”

    A pilot project for the center began in 2020 with two battery laboratories in SLAC’s Arrillaga Science Center where Stanford students and postdoctoral researchers have been synthesizing battery materials and evaluating devices. 

    The center is operated by SLAC’s Applied Energy Division and Stanford’s Precourt Energy Institute. Major funding for battery research at SLAC comes from the DOE Office of Science and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. SLAC’s Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) and Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray free-electron laser are DOE Office of Science user facilities.

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  • How Tech Bolsters the Fight Against Food Insecurity | Entrepreneur

    How Tech Bolsters the Fight Against Food Insecurity | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The human race numbered 1 billion people in 1804, the U.N. estimates. It took only 218 years since then for our population to multiply eightfold. That exponential growth creates challenges in securing the necessary resources to feed this growing population.

    In 2023, in much of the developed world, it may not feel like there is a lack of food or even shortages of certain products or items. Yes, food prices have been steadily rising, but when perusing the shelves of your local supermarket, it’s common to come across sea bass from Chile, avocados from Portugal, shrimp from Indonesia, olives from Greece and mangos from Thailand. This might create a false sense that food products from across the world are plentiful, but in reality, our current consumption rates will reach a tipping point.

    With wars and famines triggered by climate-induced natural disasters compounding our exploding population, innovative approaches to mitigating ongoing food shortages and future possible food crisis scenarios are imperative. And entrepreneurs are leveraging tech to tackle that challenge.

    Related: Market Forces Alone Likely Won’t Solve the Food-Security Problem

    Fermenting a food revolution

    Extreme-weather conditions disrupted recent harvests across Spain and North Africa, causing severe shortages of many common vegetables in the UK, including tomatoes and peppers. Developing countries like Somalia and North Korea, all too familiar with the horrors of starvation, find themselves amid devastating food shortages. In both countries, it is believed that around half the population suffers from a lack of nourishment.

    Food shortages caused by severe weather or other climatic conditions constantly plague poorer countries far worse than richer ones. These nations must look to solutions that are affordable and maximize the preservation of food products. Fermentation, a common practice across nearly every society used for pickling vegetables, producing yogurt and brewing alcoholic beverages, can be used by innovative founders to offer practical and affordable solutions.

    Industrial fermentation can expand the millennia-old practice by scaling up and adding new, healthier and tasty food options in an eco-friendly and affordable manner. As a metabolic process producing chemical changes in organic substrates, fermentation in food production refers to the use of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts and molds, to bring a desirable change to food or drink.

    And with modern tech, fermentation can be used on a near-unlimited number of organic foods and beverages, enabling them to enjoy drastically longer shelf lives. Advanced technology is helping make fermentation even more relevant.

    Related: Plant-Powered Future: 8 Trends in Vegan Meat, Egg and Dairy to Watch for in 2022

    Precision fermentation technology has been leveraged to produce drugs and food additives, but now scientists are developing new alternatives to classic food products. Alternative types of proteins, milk, cheeses, fungi, wheat and dairy products can provide populations with healthier and cheaper versions of familiar foods. Precision fermentation requires 1,700 times less land than the most efficient agricultural means of producing protein, and local communities and entrepreneurs can quickly adopt this technology around the globe to stabilize food supplies.

    Organic alternatives

    While fermentation tech will take time to maximize and scale up, agriculture remains the primary outlet to feed humans. The brutal war in Ukraine has disrupted wheat supplies by reducing the country’s output and complicating export efforts. A lesser-known consequence of the war is the disruption of the chemical-based fertilizer market, particularly those that use nitrogen such as Urea, which also harms soil, air and waterways.

    To mitigate the lack of nitrogen-based fertilizers caused by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, biological alternatives can help farmers meet the growing demand. Grace Breeding, an agro-tech startup, has developed organic bio-based fertilizers that have demonstrated the ability to reduce environmental damage while boosting yields on key crops, such as wheat and tomatoes.

    Related: One Year Later, The War in Ukraine Is Having a ‘Massive Environmental Impact’

    AI can play a part, too

    From biofertilizers to fermentation and plant-based meats, science and technology are increasingly colliding with food to help develop sustainable practices and products to counter food insecurity without harming the planet.

    But finding innovative ways to combat hunger today doesn’t stop there. Mainstream tech, like AI, can also play a role. A new study published in Science Advances demonstrates how machine learning techniques can successfully predict where and when the next food crisis will likely occur. By using deep learning to extract relevant text from a database of over 11 million articles focused on food-insecure nations published between 1980 and 2020, the algorithm was able to improve the accuracy of predictions on food insecurity up to a year in advance.

    By better anticipating where and when a food crisis outbreak will happen, humanitarian and relief organizations can efficiently plan, raise funds, delegate resources, and have boots—and food—on the ground earlier, thus drastically reducing the impact of famines.

    Innovation alone isn’t enough. It must be supported by private and public sector initiatives along with popular support. But without entrepreneurs capable of leveraging innovative solutions, the challenge at hand would be impossible.

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    Ariel Shapira

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  • Colorful films could help buildings, cars keep their cool

    Colorful films could help buildings, cars keep their cool

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    Newswise — INDIANAPOLIS, March 26, 2023 — The cold blast of an air conditioner can be a welcome relief as temperatures soar, but “A/C” units require large amounts of energy and can leak potent greenhouse gases. Today, scientists report an eco-friendly alternative — a plant-based film that gets cooler when exposed to sunlight and comes in a variety of textures and bright, iridescent colors. The material could someday keep buildings, cars and other structures cool without requiring external power.

    The researchers will present their results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2023 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in-person March 26–30 and features more than 10,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

    “To make materials that remain cooler than the air around them during the day, you need something that reflects a lot of solar light and doesn’t absorb it, which would transform energy from the light into heat,” says Silvia Vignolini, Ph.D., the project’s principal investigator. “There are only a few materials that have this property, and adding color pigments would typically undo their cooling effects,” Vignolini adds.

    Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) is the ability of a surface to emit its own heat into space without it being absorbed by the air or atmosphere. The result is a surface that, without using any electrical power, can become several degrees colder than the air around it. When used on buildings or other structures, materials that promote this effect can help limit the use of air conditioning and other power-intensive cooling methods.

    Some paints and films currently in development can achieve PDRC, but most of them are white or have a mirrored finish, says Qingchen Shen, Ph.D., who is presenting the work at the meeting. Both Vignolini and Shen are at Cambridge University (U.K.). But a building owner who wanted to use a blue-colored PDRC paint would be out of luck — colored pigments, by definition, absorb specific wavelengths of sunlight and only reflect the colors we see, causing undesirable warming effects in the process.

    But there’s a way to achieve color without the use of pigments. Soap bubbles, for example, show a prism of different colors on their surfaces. These colors result from the way light interacts with differing thicknesses of the bubble’s film, a phenomenon called structural color. Part of Vignolini’s research focuses on identifying the causes behind different types of structural colors in nature. In one case, her group found that cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which are derived from the cellulose found in plants, could be made into iridescent, colorful films without any added pigment.

    As it turns out, cellulose is also one of the few naturally occurring materials that can promote PDRC. Vignolini learned this after hearing a talk from the first researchers to have created a cooling film material. “I thought wow, this is really amazing, and I never really thought cellulose could do this.”

    In recent work, Shen and Vignolini layered colorful CNC materials with a white-colored material made from ethyl cellulose, producing a colorful bi-layered PDRC film. They made films with vibrant blue, green and red colors that, when placed under sunlight, were an average of nearly 40 F cooler than the surrounding air. A square meter of the film generated over 120 Watts of cooling power, rivaling many types of residential air conditioners. The most challenging aspect of this research, Shen says, was finding a way to make the two layers stick together — on their own, the CNC films were brittle, and the ethyl cellulose layer had to be plasma-treated to get good adhesion. The result, however, was films that were robust and could be prepared several meters at a time in a standard manufacturing line.

    Since creating these first films, the researchers have been improving their aesthetic appearance. Using a method modified from approaches previously explored by the group, they’re making cellulose-based cooling films that are glittery and colorful. They’ve also adjusted the ethyl cellulose film to have different textures, like the differences between types of wood finishes used in architecture and interior design, says Shen. These changes would give people more options when incorporating PDRC effects in their homes, businesses, cars and other structures.

    The researchers now plan to find ways they can make their films even more functional. According to Shen, CNC materials can be used as sensors to detect environmental pollutants or weather changes, which could be useful if combined with the cooling power of their CNC-ethyl cellulose films. For example, a cobalt-colored PDRC on a building façade in a car-dense, urban area could someday keep the building cool and incorporate detectors that would alert officials to higher levels of smog-causing molecules in the air.

    The researchers acknowledge support and funding from Purdue University, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the European Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the European Union and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

    A recorded media briefing on this topic will be posted Monday, March 27, by 10 a.m. Eastern time at www.acs.org/acsspring2023briefings. Reporters can request access to media briefings during the embargo period by contacting [email protected].

    For health and safety information for ACS Spring 2023, please visit the FAQ webpage.

    The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

    To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact [email protected].

    Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

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    Title
    Structurally colored radiative cooling cellulosic films 

    Abstract
    Daytime radiative cooling (DRC) materials offer a sustainable approach to thermal management by exploiting net positive heat transfer to deep space. While such materials typically have a white or mirror-like appearance to maximize solar reflection, extending the palette of available colors is required to promote their real-world utilization. However, the incorporation of conventional absorption-based colorants inevitably leads to solar heating, which counteracts any radiative cooling effect. In this work, efficient sub-ambient DRC (Day: −4 °C, Night: −11 °C) from a vibrant, structurally colored film prepared from naturally derived cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), is instead demonstrated. Arising from the underlying photonic nanostructure, the film selectively reflects visible light resulting in intense, fade-resistant coloration, while maintaining a low solar absorption (~3%).  Additionally, a high emission within the mid-infrared atmospheric window (>90%) allows for significant radiative heat loss. By coating such CNC films onto a highly scattering, porous ethylcellulose (EC) base layer, any sunlight that penetrates the CNC layer is backscattered by the EC layer below, achieving broadband solar reflection and vibrant structural color simultaneously. Finally, scalable manufacturing using a commercially relevant roll-to-roll process validates the potential to produce such colored radiative cooling materials at a large scale from a low-cost and sustainable feedstock.

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    American Chemical Society (ACS)

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  • More predictable renewable energy could lower costs

    More predictable renewable energy could lower costs

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    Newswise — Lower electricity costs for consumers and more reliable clean energy could be some of the benefits of a new study by the University of Adelaide researchers who have examined how predictable solar or wind energy generation is and the impact of it on profits in the electricity market.

    PhD candidate Sahand Karimi-Arpanahi and Dr Ali Pourmousavi Kani, Senior Lecturer from the University’s School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, have looked at different ways of achieving more predictable renewable energy with the aim of saving millions of dollars in operating costs, prevent clean energy spillage, and deliver lower-cost electricity.

    “One of the biggest challenges in the renewable energy sector is being able to reliably predict the amount of power generated,” said Mr Karimi-Arpanahi.

    “Owners of solar and wind farms sell their energy to the market ahead of time before it is generated; however, there are sizable penalties if they don’t produce what they promise, which can add up to millions of dollars annually.

    “Peaks and troughs are the reality of this form of power generation, however using predictability of energy generation as part of the decision to locate a solar or wind farm means that we can minimise supply fluctuations and better plan for them.”

    The team’s research, published in the data science journal Patterns, analysed six existing solar farms located in New South Wales, Australia and selected up to nine alternative sites, comparing the sites based on the current analysis parameters and when the predictability factor was also considered.

    The data showed that the optimal location changed when the predictability of energy generation was considered and led to a significant increase in the potential revenue generated by the site.

    Dr Pourmousavi Kani said the findings of this paper will be significant for the energy industry in planning new solar and wind farms and public policy design.

    “Researchers and practitioners in the energy sector have often overlooked this aspect, but hopefully our study will lead to change in the industry, better returns for investors, and lower prices for the customer,” he said.

    “The predictability of solar energy generation is the lowest in South Australia each year from August to October while it is highest in NSW during the same period.

    “In the event of proper interconnection between the two states, the more predictable power from NSW could be used to manage the higher uncertainties in the SA power grid during that time.”

    The researchers’ analysis of the fluctuations in energy output from solar farms may be applied to other applications in the energy industry.

    “The average predictability of renewable generation in each state can also inform power system operators and market participants in determining the time frame for the annual maintenance of their assets, ensuring the availability of enough reserve requirements when renewable resources have lower predictability,” said Dr Pourmousavi Kani.

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    University of Adelaide

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  • Safety Technology for Hydrogen Infrastructure in Underground Space

    Safety Technology for Hydrogen Infrastructure in Underground Space

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    Newswise — As an energy source that would help countries achieve carbon neutrality and energy security, hydrogen energy is being sought after globally as the energy source of the future. To this end, the European Union(EU) has introduced its strategy on hydrogen, implementing its plan to invest €470 billion(623 trillion Korean won) in 10 years to build a hydrogen-based society in the region. Germany, one of the most ardent supporters of global green initiatives, has put forward a national hydrogen strategy to invest a total of 1.2 trillion Korean won by 2030. The South Korean government is also investing in hydrogen city projects and infrastructure construction to inch closer to getting the hydrogen economy up and running.

    The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-suk) announced its plan to develop technologies pertaining to the entire course of an underground hydrogen infrastructure project, from its design and construction to its operation and management. Such technologies would fundamentally improve the safety of hydrogen facilities. The construction of new infrastructure in the CBD area may bring a more efficient integration with other renewable energy networks and help the development of source technologies for hydrogen infrastructure construction, technologies for which South Korea has depended on sourcing from other advanced countries.

    Safe and reliable infrastructure is crucial to the establishment of a hydrogen ecosystem. However, any ground-level hydrogen facility project tends to face fierce opposition from local residents, and the alternative of building them peripherally makes the project less cost-effective and efficient.

    Dr. Kim Yangkyun of the Hydrogen-infrastructure Research Cluster at KICT has developed the core safety engineering technologies for building reliable hydrogen infrastructure underground along with an active control system to mitigate the impact of possible hydrogen leaks and blasts. The new system can help control the ambient hydrogen concentration within an underground facility at all times via forced ventilation and can reduce risk up to 80% compared with similar above-ground facilities thanks to the introduction of roof-type vents that minimize blast overpressure in times of an emergency.

    Basically, any underground hydrogen infrastructure is an enclosed space. All risks of a potential blast should be eliminated by keeping the ambient hydrogen concentration below the Lower Flammable Limit (LFL) whenever a leak occurs. The active control system that Dr. Kim Yangkyun’s research team proposed maintains the quality of the atmosphere of the enclosed space to a normal level and can prevent blast accidents at times of emergency hydrogen gas leaks. An optimized interpretation was used, including multiple factors (shape, location, intake, and outtake capacities of the inlet/outlet) to formulate the conditions for ordinary times and for an emergency where the concentration of hydrogen gas in the facility is kept below the LFL or 4% of hydrogen by volume.

    If the active control system malfunctions and an explosion occurs, such an impact should be minimal. The roof-type vent of the deflagration venting system can reduce damage from blast overpressure inside the facility to a 20th. The real-scale experiment of vented deflagration conducted at KICT in 2021 showed that the maximum overpressure reduction effect could be obtained due to a sudden drop in blast overpressure when the explosion vent is bigger than the vent coefficient standard of 2.2. The effectiveness remained constant regardless of the hydrogen concentration or point of the deflagration. Another model was presented to calculate the size of the roof-type vent for the safe design of the underground hydrogen facility. The improved model was built on the minimum vent size model specified in guide NFPA68 of the US National Fire Protection Association to apply to underground hydrogen facilities.

    The research team focused on the fusion of functions: ventilations in normal time and after a blast accident. Dr. Kim Yangkyun, the head of the research team said, “The dual system of active control ventilation and the roof type vent is an integrated security technology for both emergency and non-emergency situations responding to all risks incurred in an accident by making the most of the limited cross-section area of the vent.”

    ###

    The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) is a government sponsored research institute established to contribute to the development of Korea’s construction industry and national economic growth by developing source and practical technology in the fields of construction and national land management.

    The research for this paper, “Development of technology to secure safety and acceptability for infrastructure in hydrogen city” was carried out under the KICT Research Program (project no. 20220232-001) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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    National Research Council of Science and Technology

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  • Physicists solve durability issue in next-generation solar cells

    Physicists solve durability issue in next-generation solar cells

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    Newswise — Physicists in the U.S. jumped a major hurdle standing in the way of the commercialization of solar cells created with halide perovskites as a lower-cost, higher-efficiency replacement for silicon when generating electricity from the sun.

    Published in the journal Science, the clean energy research led by The University of Toledo in collaboration with the University of Washington, University of Toronto, Northwestern University and Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology solved the problem with the durability of perovskite solar cells, taking the technology one step closer to powering solar panels in the consumer market.

    “Perovskite solar cells offer a route to lowering the cost of solar electricity given their high power conversion efficiencies and low manufacturing cost,” said Dr. Yanfa Yan, UToledo Distinguished University Professor of physics and a member of the UToledo Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization. “However, we needed to strengthen the emerging solar cell technology’s endurance during outdoor operation.”

    The technology needs to survive for decades outdoors in all kinds of weather and temperatures without corroding or breaking down.

    “This challenge is no longer a roadblock to deploying the potential of perovskite solar cells,” Yan said. “Our breakthrough work improved device stability and presents ways of achieving success after a decade of research and development.”

    The team discovered the ingredient that enhances adhesion and mechanical toughness.

    Researchers experimentally demonstrated that perovskite solar cells treated with 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (DPPP), a diphosphine Lewis base molecule, retained a high power conversion efficiency and exhibited superior durability after continuous operation under simulated sun illumination for more than 3,500 hours, or more than 145 days.

    They used what is called one sun illumination, which is equivalent to outdoor sunlight.

    “Phosphine-containing Lewis base molecules with two electron-donating atoms have a strong binding with the perovskite surface,” Yan said. “We saw the robust beneficial effects on perovskite film quality and device performance when we treated the perovskite solar cells with DPPP.”

    “DPPP is also a commercialized product with low cost and easy accessibility, which make it suitable for the commercialization of perovskite solar cells,” said Dr. Zhaoning Song, a research assistant professor in Yan’s lab at UToledo and one of the authors on the new paper.

    Researchers say the next step to move the technology forward is to employ their findings to make perovskite panels stable.

    Dr. Chongwen Li, the first author of the study and a UToledo alumnus, worked with Yan as a graduate student. Li earned his Ph.D. in physics from UToledo in 2020. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto.

    “Continuing to exploit the potentiality in the stability of perovskite solar cells is a crucial priority for the ongoing decarbonization of the world’s economy,” Li said. “After the successful demonstration of DPPP on improving the stability of perovskite solar cells, we are further applying it to large area perovskite solar panels and moving the prototype device forward to commercialization.”

    UToledo has been a trailblazer in solar energy research and development for more than 30 years.

    It has been a decade since Yan’s team at UToledo identified the ideal properties of perovskites, compound materials with a special crystal structure formed through chemistry, and started to focus their efforts on bringing together two different solar cells to increase the total electrical power generated by using two different parts of the sun’s spectrum.

    In November, a team of scientists from UToledo, the University of Toronto and Northwestern University collaborated to create an all-perovskite tandem solar cell with record-setting voltage. The research was published in the journal Nature.

    “Northwest Ohio is a global leader in solar technology, and The University of Toledo has been at the forefront of breakthrough after breakthrough. Investment and collaboration between the Department of Energy and world-class research professionals at our universities continues to pay dividends, as working men and women benefit from a growing solar industry,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. “As a leading member on Energy and Water Development, I’ll continue to champion smart investment to power American energy independence.”

    The Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization was created at UToledo in 2007 to support solar energy research and manufacturing with $18.6 million in support from the Ohio Department of Development, along with matching contributions of $30 million from federal agencies, universities and industrial partners.

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    University of Toledo

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  • Entrepreneur | The Evergreen Action Path to Reaching 100% Clean Energy

    Entrepreneur | The Evergreen Action Path to Reaching 100% Clean Energy

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The current United States Administration has an ambitious goal: Cut carbon emissions and reach 100% clean power by 2035. Is this even possible? A new report from the Evergreen Action organization, partnering with NRDC (Natural Resource Defense Council), charts just how it could be done.

    Making it over the last stretch

    The good news is that in recent years, the United States has come very far in growing its renewable energy sources, providing much cleaner electricity than in the past. These leaps and bounds in growth have led to an important question for the future: Where do we go from here?

    In many respects, the first clean energy targets were the easiest to meet, requiring the least effort and focusing on the areas that are easiest to change. The targets remaining for the 2035 goal are more difficult. They are likely to require more resources and regulations to meet, as well as a significant shift in the industry and public thought about how energy works.

    Governments have many tools to help cross this gap, but taking action quickly is essential. Businesses should now consider potential rebates and funding options to save time.

    Related: 5 Tips for Creatively Going Green With Your Business

    Utilizing the clean air act and EPA to Revolutionize the Power Sector

    The EPA has significant authority to regulate certain business activities that can pollute the environment and threaten the health of citizens. That can include regulating carbon production and fuel exhaust through the Clean Air Act and other measures. But it also needs to include enforcement, something the EPA has traditionally failed at: As the Evergreen Action report indicates, 39 states have currently failed to submit articles like regional haze SIPs (Sharing Information on Progress) as required by law. That cannot continue if energy goals are reached.

    How does EPA action help move to clean energy? Part of the label “clean” means that these sources naturally produce little or no exhaust or fumes: Compare what an electric vehicle does to the air around it vs. a gasoline engine, and it’s easy to see how that effect can multiply when applied to an entire city – or a power plant.

    That gives businesses a few different options to act on. Those that may encounter carbon reduction requirements in their industry should start planning on new energy sourcing now. Compliance will become more important than ever. California’s carbon restriction program from the last several years is a good example of where many other regions could be heading.

    Related: Protect the Environment, Protect Your Business

    Building on the efforts of the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act)

    The IRA was passed in 2022 and included many measures to help grow the U.S. economy. Part of that was the largest investment in the clean energy sector that the country has ever seen. In the coming years, America must focus on using those funds to make the maximum difference.

    One of the most critical efforts resulting from the bill is an investment in new infrastructure needed for clean electricity transmission. That infrastructure is much easier to develop in urban areas, such as with convenient EV battery chargers in parking lots. Rural areas face significant challenges. That’s why the IRA includes a vital $12.8 billion for rural utility financing. This money is designed to help rural areas transition to clean sources of power, forgive debts associated with high-carbon fuel sources so they can be more easily retired, and much more. It also provides funding for new public transmission lines and other important components that will be needed to meet future goals.

    The IRA includes tax credits and other various tools to help encourage businesses to adopt clean energy practices. If your business (especially those involved in any kind of energy or infrastructure work) hasn’t looked at IRA programs, now is the time to begin. Brushing up on government bid experience is also advisable.

    Funding alternative sources of power, including nuclear and wind

    The federal government also has many ways to encourage and fund research and adopt alternative energy technologies. That includes Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, State Climate Grants and other “Force Multipliers” programs to help advance energy goals. Clean sources of power, including more wind farms and the adoption of small nuclear reactors, will be required to meet goals, and their growing use should be met by efforts to educate the public on their benefits and safety.

    These competitive grants can help a variety of businesses. Still, it’s essential to bring in (or consult with) expert grant-writing services to ensure that the organization is dotting all the i’s and mastering the details necessary to qualify.

    Possible vs. Practical

    These steps are all possible – mechanisms exist to implement them. But, of course, there is another question: How practical are they given today’s political climate? Such broad changes need broad political buy-in and consensus, which does not currently exist in the United States. Congress is currently split between parties with very different ideas about energy and regulations. Any additional laws or changes are likely to either not have enough votes to pass or to be met with lawsuits that will eventually arrive at the Supreme Court.

    This situation doesn’t look likely to be resolved any time soon. But to meet our important goals in the 2030s, an energy agreement is required. Part of the solution lies in greater awareness and firmer plans, which means studies like this are vital. Other solutions lie with individual efforts by states and green energy initiatives from companies around the country. That means businesses must stay on their toes, watch for opportunities and prepare for a future where energy choices are more important than ever.

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    Abe Issa

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