A versatile new measurement system has been devised that can accurately and quickly measure the electric power output of solar energy devices. These abilities are very useful to the development and manufacture of next-generation solar energy cells. Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created the … [continued]
One of the biggest obstacles to large-scale use of hydrogen-powered fuel cells is in how to store the hydrogen, a task which currently requires high pressure,… which, itself, is energy intensive. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are aiming to solve this problem by creating new materials in which to store the hydrogen.
In 2003, an overheated power line near Cleveland, Ohio sagged into a tree and shorted out. It started a cascade of power line failures across the Midwest, Northeast and parts of Canada, and causing the worst blackout in U.S. history. Since then, utilities and grid operators have used new technology and procedures to prevent another major blackout – but can they compete with an aging grid and estimated $1 trillion in required new investment?
energyNOW! anchor Thalia Assuras looked at cutting-edge technology that can prevent blackouts before they occur, talked to federal officials about government efforts to create a safer and smarter grid, and went inside the high-tech nerve center of the country’s largest grid operator to see how we’re guarding the grid.
In one of those happy research accidents that lead to new breakthroughs, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new kind of nanowire that produces light, much like the glow produced by LED technology. The team was actually fine tuning a new method for … [continued]
