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Contrail avoidance is probably better for climate
It’s referred to as “contrail avoidance” and it has nothing to do with debunked conspiracy theories about secret chemicals added to airplane exhausts. But it’s likely to reduce the environmental...
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Cheap zinc-ion batteries can be made at a desk
Australian researchers have constructed a safe, cheap zinc battery – using an office laminator! They say their “aqueous zinc-ion batteries” could be recyclable, easy-to-make power sources for small...
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The leaderboards of solar power
Credit: J Studios / Getty Images Music charts, bestseller lists and sport ladders are well-established measures of success. Fans will anxiously watch their favourites climbing the charts, crowing with...
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Spanish nuclear fusion reactor takes a new approach
An international collaboration is trying to solve the world’s energy crisis by building a unique kind of fusion reactor. SMART (SMall Aspect Ratio Tokamak) is a fusion device being put together at the...
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Hydrogen vehicles get cleaner with pollutant scrubber
Hydrogen vehicles emit no carbon: their combustion engines rely on H2 alone. This has made them a promising option for zero-emissions heavy vehicles. But, like petrol cars, current hydrogen engines...
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Electric vehicles as grid storage? It’s right around the (model house) corner
Credit: Raja Islam / Getty Images Many Australians now sell solar power generated on their rooftops into the grid on sunny days. In a handful of years, it may be possible to do the same thing when...
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Better than nature: electro-ag could transform food
It might sound like science fiction, but bioengineers want to bypass photosynthesis and grow crops in tall, dark towers surrounded by solar panels. They estimate that their new strategy for...
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These pink crystals use magnets to super-cool hydrogen
Crystals of the magnetocaloric material. Credit: University of Groningen / Blake lab Researchers have made a material capable of cooling substances down to -253°C – enough to liquefy hydrogen – using...
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Soaring private jet use fuels rise in greenhouse gas emissions
Map of the 4.3 million direct city-to-city flights recorded in 2023 and assessed in the study. Credit: Stefan Gössling et al. Private jets are emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year –...
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New Zealand enters race for nuclear fusion with unique approach
A New Zealand company has become the first in the nation’s history to turn on a fusion machine. OpenStar technologies reached a crucial milestone in the development of nuclear fusion-first plasma....
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This stretchy lithium-ion battery is self-healing
Stretchy, self-healing lithium-ion batteries could be a viable power source for wearable mobile phones, soft robotics, and electronic skin, according to a new study. The researchers have made small,...
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The solar thermal tech that might power industry
Concentrated solar thermal mirrors. Credit: CSIRO Concentrated solar thermal has long promised to roll both solar power and energy storage into one technology. Another feature is being dangled by a...
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A ‘game-changing’ design for green hydrogen reactor
Scientists from Japan have developed new materials and methods to increase the efficiency and safety of a proof-of-concept green hydrogen reactor. The 100m2 reactor operated successfully outdoors,...
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One step closer to an eco-friendly, high-performance organic battery
Researchers at the University of New South Wales have made progress in developing their proton battery, which they believe will be cheaper than lithium-ion and safer for the environment. The research,...
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Sneak peak at GenCost shows renewables still winning
An Australian solar farm. Credit: Thurtell / Getty Images Renewables look likely to be the cheapest energy source in Australia again next year, according to a draft of the new Gencost report from the...
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Expert verdict on Gencost: renewables still cheaper than nuclear
Electricity lines in the La Trobe Valley, Victoria. Credit: Bloomberg Creative / Getty Images Independent energy experts largely – although not universally – agree with an economic analysis that finds...
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EV battery lifetime is longer in the real world, not the lab
Credit: Alexander Spatari / Getty Images Electric vehicle (EV) batteries may last longer in the real world than manufacturing lab tests predict, according to a new study. The researchers...
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Making zinc-sulphur batteries more stable
Zinc-sulphur batteries are a promising way to ease the strain on lithium: they have very high energy density, but are made of more sustainable materials. But for now, while researchers have been able...
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Upping solar efficiency by dancing with the wind
Fine-tuning their programming could help panels on solar farms perform better while resisting damage, according to a new study. The study, published in Physics of Fluids, outlines a way for panels to...
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The future of energy: 5 charged battery stories of 2024
Batteries are surging ahead in storage, speed, and efficiency. Here are 5 of our favourite battery science stories of the year. Can a thumb-sized nuclear battery last 50 years? The race to build a...
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