2022 Was Another Big Year for Hybrid Power Plants — Especially PV + Storage
Updated data compilation from Berkeley Lab tracks operating and proposed plants
Author: US Department of Energy
New Database Helps Quantify Materials Needed to Support Growth in Wind Energy
Reaching the Biden administration’s clean energy goals will mean significant expansion of wind energy. But constructing these wind energy facilities requires more than just ample wind. Energy technologies are built from a variety of raw materials, like concrete and nickel. And supplies of some of those materials are not as … [continued]
How Do We Inventory the Materials Needed To Build Wind & Solar Farms?
New Database Quantifies What the Country Needs To Meet Its Big Clean Energy Goals
From Cradle To Grave, Electric Vehicles Have Fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions Than Gas Vehicles
Cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for a small gasoline SUV in 2020 were estimated to be 429 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per mile, while the same size EV with 300 miles of range had 48% fewer GHG emissions. Argonne National Laboratory’s (Argonne) cradle-to-grave analysis considered everything from raw … [continued]
Cordova, Alaska, & NREL Push The Envelope of Microgrid Design
Researchers Use Real-Time Digital Twin To Deploy Advanced Microgrid Cordova, like so many other cities in Alaska, is not connected to a larger energy system. It is a microgrid, withstanding earthquakes, tsunamis, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, and winter superstorms to deliver power to 2,700 residents and robust fishing and tourism industries. … [continued]
Mirko Musa: Rescuing Rivers — & The World — With Help From Water Power
Mirko Musa was always fascinated by the power of rivers, specifically how these mighty waterways sculpt landscapes. Now, as a water power researcher, he’s finding ways to harness that power and protect rivers at the same time.
Recycling Revival: Creative Problem-Solving For EV Battery Recycling
After being stabilized in an ambulance as he struggled to breathe, Jonathan Harter hit a low point. It was 2020, he was very sick with COVID-19, and his job as a lab technician at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was ending along with his research funding. “It was a weird situation … [continued]
NREL Workshop Hosts Experts To Envision Tomorrow’s Sustainable Mobility Systems
The race to decarbonize the U.S. transportation sector is on. With a historic federal goal in place to eliminate nearly all greenhouse gas emissions from the sector by 2050, interest in clean transportation technologies has skyrocketed. But the nation still faces a pressing question: Which energy-efficient mobility strategies will get … [continued]
Microalgae vs. Mercury
In the search for ways to fight methylmercury in global waterways, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered that some forms of phytoplankton are good at degrading the potent neurotoxin. Phytoplankton, or microalgae, are known as accumulators of methylmercury. The plankton introduce methylmercury into the food chain, where it makes … [continued]
Researchers Strengthen Defenses Against Common Cyberattack
RICHLAND, Washington — Scientists have developed a better way to recognize a common internet attack, improving detection by 90 percent compared to current methods. The new technique developed by computer scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory works by keeping a watchful eye over ever-changing traffic patterns … [continued]
