Heat from ice? It sounds like a joke—or maybe a paradox. But what if the future of warm, cozy homes lies in freezing water? As outlandish as it seems, an English research team is working on a heat pump that runs off actual ice … well, more like slushies. It’
Vanadium redox flow batteries are hitting the bigtime, and I mean big. One of the biggest Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) ever is a vanadium redox flow battery that just came online in China, with an even bigger one to come in Switzerland. And there’s even more on the
CORRECTION: the original version stated that silver “price has tripled in the past three years.” It’s demand that tripled, not price. As renewable energy installations multiply across the globe, the first generation of solar panels, wind turbine blades, and lithium batteries is reaching the end of its lifespan and
Solid-state batteries could address some of the biggest issues facing energy storage and EVs; safety, charge capacity, and longevity. But the biggest problem they face? Cost. You can probably see why my interest was piqued when I heard about a new electrode manufacturing technique that apparently uses less energy, less
“My God. The sheer scale of this, this is kind of blowing my mind.” -Matt Hearing about how massive wind turbines are built is one thing, but seeing it is another. Last year, I got to visit the Bekevar Wind Farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, months ahead of its completion in
As the new wave of generative AI scales up, so does its hunger for energy. Data centers are expanding at an unprecedented rate, putting immense strain on power grids and worsening years-long backlogs for electrical connections. With AI adoption accelerating across industries, big tech companies are tapping nuclear power as
Believe it or not, solar panels aren’t exactly pros at handling the sun. Sounds backward, right? But it’s true — excess heat can be a big problem for solar panels. It drags down their efficiency and can even shorten their lifespan. So, how do you keep something that’s
I published a video a while back about a solid state battery that’s available to purchase for yourself today, but very quickly, questions sprang up around its solid state bonafides. A few of you pointed me in the direction of a company that did a breakdown of Yoshino’s
Batteries don’t last forever — whether they’re in your phone, EV, or laptop. Extending battery life is a major engineering challenge, but what if there was a battery that could last over 100,000 cycles? A battery that could go an entire lifetime with little to no degradation? Imagine
CES can be a mixed bag, but it’s also a fascinating glimpse into where the tech industry thinks it’s heading. Beyond the overused trend of slapping AI onto everything—often to the point where it loses all meaning—there were several other exciting developments. Some of these ran
Industries have long been criticized for their environmental impact, but some companies are starting to break away from the pack and set new standards for sustainability and innovation. These companies aren’t just cutting back on emissions and waste, but reinventing the entire life cycle of their products. And who
Believe it or not, the long-promised next generation of solar panels are here. A tandem perovskite solar panel with higher efficiency than silicon alone has just arrived on the market. The first batch has already been purchased by an undisclosed U.S. customer, which will soon install them in a