Energy
press releases.

Energy4 Feb 2025

Why your headphone battery doesn't last

Ever notice that batteries in electronics don't last as long as they did when they were brand new? An international research team led by The University of Texas at Austin took on this well-known battery challenge, called degradation, with a twist. They're focusing their work on real-world technology that many of us use daily: wireless earbuds. They deployed x-ray, infrared, and other imaging technologies to understand the complexities of all the technology packed in these tiny devices and learn why their battery lives erode over time. "This started with my personal headphones; I only wear the right one, and I found ...

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Energy4 Feb 2025

Study debunks nuclear test misinformation following 2024 Iran earthquake

A new study debunks claims that a magnitude 4.5 earthquake in Iran was a covert nuclear weapons test, as widely alleged on social media and some mainstream news outlets in October 2024, a period of heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Led by Johns Hopkins University scientists, the study warns about the potential consequences of mishandling and misinterpreting scientific information, particularly during periods of international conflict. The findings appear in the journal Seismica. “There was a concerted misinformation and disinformation campaign around this event that promoted the idea this was a nuclear test, ...

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Energy4 Feb 2025

Why do plants transport energy so efficiently and quickly?

The efficient conversion of solar energy into storable forms of chemical energy is the dream of many engineers. Nature found a perfect solution to this problem billions of years ago. The new study shows that quantum mechanics is not just for physicists but also plays a key role in biology. Photosynthetic organisms such as green plants use quantum mechanical processes to harness the energy of the sun, as Prof. Jürgen Hauer explains: “When light is absorbed in a leaf, for example, the electronic excitation energy is distributed over several states ...

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Energy30 Jan 2025

Polar bear population decline the direct result of extended ‘energy deficit’ due to lack of food

U of T Scarborough researchers have directly linked population decline in polar bears living in Western Hudson Bay to shrinking sea ice caused by climate change. The researchers developed a model that finds population decline is the result of the bears not getting enough energy, and that’s due to a lack of food caused by shorter hunting seasons on dwindling sea ice. “A loss of sea ice means bears spend less time hunting seals and more time fasting on land,” says Louise Archer, a U of T Scarborough postdoc and lead author of the study. “This negatively affects the bears’ energy ...

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Energy30 Jan 2025

Research update: Generating electricity from tacky tape

Zaps of static electricity might be a wintertime annoyance, but to certain scientists, they represent an untapped source of energy. Using a device called a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), mechanical energy can be converted into electrical energy using triboelectric effect static. Many TENGs contain expensive, specially fabricated materials, but one team has instead used inexpensive store-bought tape, plastic and aluminum metal. The researchers report an improved version of their tape-based TENG in ACS Omega. The research team, led by Gang Wang and Moon-Hyung Jang, previously stacked layers of a store-bought double-sided tape, plastic film and aluminum metal ...

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Energy28 Jan 2025

Flame retardants in battery enclosures may do more harm than good

As dangerous lithium-ion battery fires are on the rise, regulators and manufacturers are scrambling for solutions. Unfortunately, one common strategy may cause serious health harm and not work to slow or stop the fires. A new Viewpoint in Environmental Science & Technology explains that adding flame retardants to the plastic cases surrounding these batteries has no proven fire-safety benefit. The scientists further warn that the types of flame retardants widely used in electronics enclosures are linked to cancer and other health harms and can end up in children’s toys, food containers, and other products made from recycled plastic. “The use of flame ...

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Energy27 Jan 2025

Researchers discover new way to store hydrogen using lignin jet fuel

An international team of scientists has discovered a way to store and release volatile hydrogen using lignin-based jet fuel that could open new pathways for sustainable energy production. In a new study in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Washington State University Professor Bin Yang and colleagues demonstrated that a type of lignin-based jet fuel they developed can chemically bind hydrogen in a stable liquid form. The research has many potential applications in fuels and transportation and could ultimately make it easier to harness ...

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Energy24 Jan 2025

Battery-powered electric vehicles now match petrol and diesel counterparts for longevity

Battery-powered electric vehicles are now more reliable and can match the lifespans of traditional cars and vans with petrol and diesel engines - marking a pivotal moment in the drive towards sustainable transportation, a new study reveals. Researchers used nearly 300 million UK Ministry of Transport (MOT) test records charting the ‘health’ of every vehicle on the United Kingdom’s roads between 2005 and 2022 to estimate vehicle longevity and provide a comprehensive analysis of survival rates for different powertrains. The international research ...

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Energy20 Jan 2025

KERI, overcomes the biggest challenge of the lithium–sulfur battery, the core of UAM

Dr. Park Jun-woo's team at KERI's Next Generation Battery Research Center has overcome a major obstacle to the commercialization of next-generation lithium–sulfur batteries and successfully developed large-area, high-capacity prototypes. The lithium–sulfur battery, composed of sulfur as the cathode (+) and lithium metal as the anode (-), has a theoretical energy density more than eight times that of lithium-ion batteries, demonstrating significant potential. Additionally, it uses abundant sulfur (S) instead of expensive rare earth elements, making it cost-effective and environmentally ...

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Energy17 Jan 2025

US Department of Energy announces Early Career Research Program for FY 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it is accepting applications for the 2025 DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program to support the research of outstanding scientists early in their careers. The program will support over 80 early career researchers for five years at U.S. academic institutions, DOE national laboratories, and Office of Science user facilities. “The vision, creativity, and effort of early career faculty drive innovation in the basic science enterprise. The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is dedicated to ...

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Energy17 Jan 2025

From lab to field: CABBI pipeline delivers oil-rich sorghum

Researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) have developed a new sorghum variant that can outperform soybeans in oil production, with great potential as a clean source of renewable fuel. Scientists have long worked to create new sustainable sources of vegetable oils, known as triacylglycerols (TAG), to meet the growing demand for renewable fuels like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. Currently, oil palm and oilseeds such as soybeans provide most TAG for renewable ...

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Energy13 Jan 2025

Wind turbines impair the access of bats to water bodies in agricultural landscapes

Bats depend on open bodies of water such as small ponds and lakes for foraging and drinking. Access to water is particularly important for survival in the increasingly hot and dry summers caused by climate change, the time when female bats are pregnant and rear their young. A scientific team from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has now shown that access to drinking sites is hampered by wind turbines in agricultural landscapes: Many bat species avoid the turbines and water bodies ...

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Energy13 Jan 2025

“The biggest challenge is lacking public acceptance of wind turbines”

In brief In their overview study, the team of researchers led by Russell McKenna identified 14 key impact categories of wind energy. They provide possible solutions for the identified impacts and suggest research priorities. More than 400 studies were included in the analysis. The review paper, recently published in the journal Joule, provides guidance for future studies and policy decisions. What is the study about, and what is its core message? Russell McKenna: The study looks at the impacts of wind energy on the systems in which it is embedded; whether environmental and climate systems, socio-economic, ...

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Energy13 Jan 2025

Safe and energy-efficient quasi-solid battery for electric vehicles and devices

Technological advances have led to the widespread use of electric devices and vehicles. These innovations are not only convenient but also environmentally friendly, offering an alternative to polluting fuel-driven machines. Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electrical appliances and vehicles. Commercial LIBs comprise an organic electrolyte solution, which is considered indispensable to make them energy efficient. However, ensuring safety becomes a concern and may be difficult to achieve with the rising market demand. While solid-state batteries can help mitigate safety issues, the interface between solid electrodes and the ...

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Energy10 Jan 2025

Hydrogen peroxide and the mystery of fruit ripening: ‘Signal messengers’ in plants

A research team led by Prof. QIN Guozheng from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has unveiled a previously unrecognized mechanism by which the RNA N6–methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase SlALKBH2 undergoes reduction-oxidation (redox) modification. This alteration affects its stability and its physiological role in regulating the normal ripening of tomato fruits. In this study, published in Nature Plants, the researchers deepened their understanding of the role of hydrogen peroxide ...

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Energy7 Jan 2025

Students and faculty to join research teams this spring at Department of Energy National Laboratories and a fusion facility

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A diverse group of 164 undergraduate students and six faculty will participate in unique workforce development programs at 11 of the nation’s national laboratories and a fusion facility during Spring 2025. This opportunity is part of a continuing effort by the Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure the nation has a strong, sustained workforce trained in the skills needed to address the energy, environment, and national security challenges of today and tomorrow. “The ...

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Energy7 Jan 2025

Nuclear lipid droplets: Key regulators of aging and nuclear homeostasis

“A consistent feature of aging across diverse species is the progressive accumulation of lipid droplets (nLDs) within the nuclear compartment, which disrupts nuclear architecture and functionality.” BUFFALO, NY- January 7, 2025 – A new research perspective was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as “Aging (Albany NY)” and “Aging-US” by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 22 on December 9, 2024, entitled “Nuclear lipid droplets: a novel regulator of nuclear homeostasis ...

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Energy7 Jan 2025

Clean energy tax credit safeguards could save taxpayers $1 trillion

A new study published today in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research: Energy shows why new safeguards adopted by the U.S. Treasury Department are necessary to avoid substantial climate impacts and wasted taxpayer resources from a generous hydrogen production tax credit. The new study illustrates how, absent safeguards, hydrogen producers could potentially claim the highest level of tax credits ($3 per kilogram) for producing "gray" hydrogen from fossil natural gas, by blending in small amounts of biomethane or waste methane. ...

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Energy7 Jan 2025

Smarter memory: next-generation RAM with reduced energy consumption

Osaka, Japan – Numerous memory types for computing devices have emerged in recent years, aiming to overcome the limitations imposed by traditional random access memory (RAM). Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM) is one such memory type which offers several advantages over conventional RAM, including its non-volatility, high speed, increased storage capacity and enhanced endurance. Although remarkable improvements have been made to MRAM devices, reducing energy consumption during data writing remains a critical challenge. A study recently published in Advanced Science by researchers from Osaka University proposes a new technology for MRAM ...

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Energy2 Jan 2025

Secrets of migratory bats: They “surf” storm front winds to save energy

A species of migrating bat “surfs” the warm winds of incoming storm fronts to conserve energy, according to a study that used tags to track the tiny animals on their long journeys across central Europe. The findings offer new insights into how weather, physiology, and environmental factors shape bats’ seasonal migration patterns. While bird migration is well-documented and studied, this is not the case for seasonal migration of bats – particularly the few long-distance, migratory species. These nocturnal travelers face substantial challenges, ...

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Energy23 Dec 2024

Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $179 million in funding for three Microelectronics Science Research Centers (MSRCs). These three MSRCs will perform basic research in microelectronics materials, device and system design, and manufacturing science to transform future microelectronics technologies. The MSRCs were authorized by the Micro Act, passed in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, and complement the activities appropriated under the CHIPS and Science Act at the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, and other agencies. For decades, DOE has been at ...

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Energy20 Dec 2024

How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy

Passive interfaces, such as light switches or doorknobs, refer to hardware that can store energy, but the energy can only be used for the purpose it was intended. However, research is imagining new ways for that energy to be harvested and adapted — turning your doorknob could power your alarm system or opening your freezer could turn on your kitchen light. By integrating smart capabilities such as sensing and energy harvesting, Dr. Jeeeun Kim is transforming passive interfaces into adaptive interfaces, altering hardware to be used ...

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Energy18 Dec 2024

iEnergy has been officially included in the ESCI

We are thrilled to announce that our esteemed academic journal, iEnergy, has been officially included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) by Web of Science, a leading global provider of scientific and scholarly research information. All articles published by iEnergy since its establishment in 2022 will be included in ESCI. And it will receive the first impact factor in 2025. About iEnergy: iEnergy is a quarterly journal launched on March 2022. It has published 3 volumes (11 issues), in total 124 papers. Authors come from 21 countries, including ...

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Energy18 Dec 2024

New polymer ramps up quest for better data storage

A new material for high density data storage can be erased and recycled in a more efficient and sustainable way, providing a potential alternative to hard disk drives, solid-state drives and flash memory in future. The low-cost polymer stores data as ‘dents’, making a miniscule code in patterns, with the indents just nanometers in size – promising to store more data than typical hard disk drives. The new Flinders University Chalker Lab polymer, which can have the information in it wiped in seconds by short bursts of heat and be reused several times, is described in a major new ...

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Energy17 Dec 2024

The energy return on investment of global agriculture

A primary output of agriculture is food, an energy source for the human body. But agriculture also requires energy inputs. Kajwan Rasul and colleagues calculated the global energy return on investment for agriculture over time from 1995 to 2019. The authors constructed a model using two existing models, one that captures the energy use of agriculture and food processing and another that captures flows of agricultural commodities. The authors find that the return on energy investment for global agriculture has increased from .68 to .91 over ...

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