Japan-based automaker Nissan has released a prototype of a zero-emission ice cream van based on its own electric van. Ice-cream vans have been singled out as being responsible for a lot of air pollution, on account of mostly running on diesel engines and having to keep the engine idling throughout the day, both for the…
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For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, Britain is obtaining more power from zero-carbon sources than fossil fuels. The milestone has been passed for the first five months of 2019. National Grid says clean energy has nudged ahead with 48% of generation, against 47% for coal and gas. The rest is biomass burning. The…
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Deep declines in wind, solar and battery technology costs will result in a grid nearly half-powered by the two fast-growing renewable energy sources by 2050, according to the latest projections from BloombergNEF (BNEF). In its New Energy Outlook 2019 (NEO), BNEF sees these technologies ensuring that – at least until 2030 – the power sector…
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There are several benefits to owning an electric car in 2019; along with environmental brownie points, electric vehicles (EVs) get tax grants and are also exempt from certain congestion charges in some cities. However, one of the most obvious – but often unquantified – benefits of owning an EV are the low running costs. We’ll…
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‘This is a significant step forward on the road to baseload for renewable energy,’ says ScottishPower chief executive A vast “super battery” is set to be installed at the UK’s largest onshore wind farm where it will store power generated by 215 turbines. The battery – which will be half the size of a football pitch – has twice the…
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Covering a patch of North Africa’s Sahara desert in solar panels could provide an abundance of clean renewable energy for the world, a new analysis argues. A vast sunlight-powered installation could help humanity meet its targets for reducing carbon emissions and avoiding a climate disaster, but it would face a number of real-world issues before…
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A graph illustrating the interconnector’s trip and the subsequent drop in capacity. Image: Limejump. Flexibility providers sprung into action late last week after Britain’s interconnector suffered a trip, causing around 1GW of capacity to fall off the system. Last Friday the interconnector between Britain and France suffered a trip, causing its output to half in…
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Researchers have built a more efficient, more reliable potassium-oxygen battery, a step toward a potential solution for energy storage on the nation’s power grid and longer-lasting batteries in cell phones and laptops. In a study published Friday in the journal Batteries and Supercaps, researchers from The Ohio State University detailed their findings centring around the…
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Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have designed a new, organic cathode material for lithium batteries. With sulfur at its core, the material is more energy-dense, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly than traditional cathode materials in lithium batteries. The research was published in Advanced Energy Materials on April 10, 2019. Optimizing…
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Lithium-ion batteries commonly used in consumer electronics are notorious for bursting into flame when damaged or improperly packaged. These incidents occasionally have grave consequences, including burns, house fires and at least one plane crash. Inspired by the weird behaviour of some liquids that solidify on impact, researchers have developed a practical and inexpensive way to…
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