The new development will curtail or reduce the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases.
Image: University of Cincinnati

The United States is wasting food at an alarming rate. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States, the country wastes 40 percent of all food produced—amounting to 1.3 billion tons of food waste produced.

But extra garbage and financial strain are not the only things food waste produces, it also generates a huge amount of greenhouse gas during decomposition. More specifically, global food waste creates 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas annually.

Those numbers were especially alarming to researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science, who proposed a way to transform food waste into bioenergy back in 2013. That proposal has just been accepted.

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The lab fabricated the 500-nanometer films by anodizing a cobalt film electrodeposited on a substrate.
Image: Rice University

Researchers from Rice University have discovered an efficient, robust way of drawing hydrogen and oxygen from water.

The researchers have developed a new catalyst of a cobalt-based thin film, which pumps out hydrogen and oxygen to feed fuel cells.

This from Rice University:

The inexpensive, highly porous material invented by the Rice lab of chemist James Tour may have advantages as a catalyst for the production of hydrogen via water electrolysis. A single film far thinner than a hair can be used as both the anode and cathode in an electrolysis device.

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This week we’re sitting down with Subhash C. Singhal of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a world leader in the study of solid oxide fuel cells and one of the lead organizer of our upcoming Glasgow conference. Listen as we explore the culture of national laboratories and industry, the future of solid oxide fuel cells, Singhal’s upbringing in India, and more!

Listen below and download this episode and others for free though the iTunes Store (search “ECS Podcast”), SoundCloud, or our RSS Feed.

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This year is shaping up to be a very green for the American energy sector. U.S. power emissions are expected to fall to a two-decade low in light of the year of “de-carbonization”.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports that CO₂ emissions from the power sector should drop to their lowest levels since 1994.

The factors most connect to this decline include:

• The instillation of more renewables than ever before—with around 18 new GW coming online.

• A record year for coal retirements—forecasting 23GW to come offline.

• The burning of more natural gas in 2015 than ever before.

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ECS member Shumin Fang was a contributor in a development that could dramatically improve the efficiency of batteries and fuel cells.
Image: Nature Communications

Sometimes the tiniest things could have the biggest impact—especially when it comes to battery technology.

New research from a collaborative team of engineers from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina developed a new material that could boost batteries’ power and help power plants.

ECS student member Shumin Fang of the University of South Carolina was a collaborator on the study. (Take a look at his paper on solid oxide fuel cells.)

The new material acts as a superhighway for ions, allowing for more powerful batteries and boosting the general efficiency of energy conversion.

Because batteries and fuel cells are limited by how fast ions can pass through the electrolyte, engineers must find a mix of electrolyte ingredients that allows for fast movement. This study proposes the answer to this in gadolinium doped ceria.

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A research team from Standford University has developed a high-performance aluminum battery.
Image: YouTube/Stanford University

Researchers have been attempting to make a commercially viable aluminum-ion battery for years. Now, a team from Stanford University may have developed just the thing to outpace widely used lithium-ion and alkaline batteries.

The new aluminum-ion battery demonstrates high performance, a fast charging time, long-lasting cycles, and is of low cost to produce.

“We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames,” said Hongjie Dai, a professor of chemistry at Stanford.

The researchers were able to achieve this novel battery by applying graphite as the cathode material.

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The hybrid supercapacitor can store large amounts of energy, recharge quickly, and last for more than 10,000 recharge cycles.
Image: UCLA

Researchers from UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) have developed a new generation of supercapacitors that not only emphasizes the best inherent properties of the supercapacitor itself, but also combines it with some of the best qualities of batteries to make a new energy storage medium.

The new supercapacitor is paper-thin and has an extremely fast recharge time. Additionally, it can last more than 10,000 recharge cycles.

Researchers believe this new development will yield real-world potential to address energy issues and improve personal electronics.

“The microsupercapacitor is a new evolving configuration, a very small rechargeable power source with a much higher capacity than previous lithium thin-film microbatteries,” said Maher El-Kady, co-author of the study and postdoctoral scholar.

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Silicon is the common material used in solar cells and computer chips, but gallium arsenide is an alternative material with many advantages.
Image: YouTube/Stanford University

When we think of chips and solar cells, we think of silicon. However, silicon isn’t the only chip-making material out there.

Researchers from Stanford University are turning their attention away from silicon and are looking toward gallium arsenide to make faster chips and more efficient solar cells.

Gallium arsenide is a semiconductor material with extraordinary properties. Electrons can travel six times faster in gallium arsenide than in silicon, allowing for faster operation of transistors. Unfortunately, cost effectiveness is not one of gallium arsenide’s alluring properties—which has caused researchers to opt for the much cheaper and less effective silicon material.

One single wafer of gallium arsenide could cost up to $5,000, whereas the same size wafer of silicon costs only $5.

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When it comes to light bulbs, we’ve seen a lot of transformation since Thomas Edison’s practical incandescent bulb. Since then we’ve delved into fluorescent lights, and more recently, LEDs. Now we’re moving on to the next big thing in light bulbs, and that just may be graphene.

The new bulb is projected to last longer and cut energy use by 10 percent.

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One small step for renewable energy, and one giant leap for Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has not burned one fossil fuel in over 75 days. The country is currently running completely on renewable energy, primarily due to heavy rains and geothermal energy.

The country is now producing enough electricity though hydropower systems, such as pump storage and run-of-the-river plants, to power the majority of Costa Rica. Pair that with additional geothermal, solar, and wind energy sources and 100 percent renewable energy efficiency is achieved.

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