Energy Storage & Infrastructure

Aluminum, sulfur and rock salt create low-cost battery

Materials Today: As the world builds out ever larger installations of wind and solar power systems, the need is growing for economical, large-scale backup systems to provide power when the Sun is down and the air is calm. Today’s lithium-ion batteries…

Europe’s Scorching Summer Puts Unexpected Strain on Energy Supply

New York Times: In a Nordic land famous for its steep fjords, where water is very nearly a way of life, Sverre Eikeland scaled down the boulders that form the walls of one of Norway’s chief reservoirs, past the driftwood that protruded…

Solar-to-Jet-Fuel System Readies for Takeoff

IEEE Spectrum: As climate change edges from crisis to emergency, the aviation sector looks set to miss its 2050 goal of net-zero emissions. In the five years preceding the pandemic, the top four U.S. airlines—American, Delta, Southwest, and United—saw a 15…

More Energy on Less Land: The Drive to Shrink Solar’s Footprint

Yale Environment 360: From the ground, the new solar farm shimmers like a mirage oasis on a hot summer day. Instead of row after slanting row of shiny panels stretching taller than corn, this array, mounted directly on the earth, lies flat…