A solar cell that does double duty for renewable energy

Grace Kaufman
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“In the quest for abundant, renewable alternatives to fossil fuels, scientists have sought to harvest the sun’s energy through “water splitting,” an artificial photosynthesis technique that uses sunlight to generate hydrogen fuel from water. But water-splitting devices have yet to live up to their potential because there still isn’t a design for materials with the…

Utilities benefit from renewable energy growth

Grace Kaufman
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“Even at a glance, NextEra Energy’s (NYSE: NEE) third-quarter results are impressive. Earnings per share grew 18 percent, thumping management’s long-term compound annual growth target of 6 to 8 percent. That keeps the utility on track for another 12 to 14 percent dividend boost early next year. But the best news is inside that performance.…

Can the electricity industry seize its resilience moment?

Grace Kaufman
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“Resilience discussions come and go in the energy industry. Storms like Hurricane Sandy and Matthew can spur a nationwide focus on resiliency, but change is largely concentrated in local areas that experienced the disaster. After a few news cycles, the topic fades into the background. However, experts agree that resilience is becoming much more important…

Turning algae into biofuel

Grace Kaufman
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“Algae is usually thought of as a bad thing but turns out it can can be turned into biofuel and jet fuel. “Basically what we’re doing is taking whole algae, harvested, and dried, and we’re pressure cooking it. Kind of like you do with your turkey over Thanksgiving,” said mentor to Yang Han and Research…

The drive behind smart cars and the security movement

Grace Kaufman
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“Transportation trends towards automation and increased usage of mobility services like Uber and Lyft is expected to rapidly expand the percentage of electric vehicles on the road, further increasing electricity demand, which will have significant impacts on infrastructure and will require upgrades to the energy system. The costs of these investments are likely to be…

A powerful new solar cell produces both hydrogen fuel and electrical power

Grace Kaufman
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“In a field that’s essentially water-bending meets renewable energy, researchers successfully harnessed photosynthesis to split water to produce hydrogen fuel. Splitting H2O at its molecular level is something scientists have been doing for over 200 years, and could hold the tantalizing key to an emission-free hydrogen economy — if only it could be scaled up.…

AI-powered smart outlet to help consumers save energy and take control of their homes

Grace Kaufman
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“Currant, a startup devoted to creating smart products that reduce energy consumption, today announced the Currant Smart Outlet — the first smart outlet on the market powered by artificial intelligence (AI). This unique outlet and its connected app enable customers to view a breakdown of their power usage and receive personalized, easy-to-implement suggestions for taking…

Why wind power isn’t the answer

Grace Kaufman
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“The punchline here is obvious: wind energy has been sold as a great source of “clean” energy. The reality is that wind energy’s expansion has been driven by federal subsidies and state-level mandates. Wind energy, cannot, and will not, meet a significant portion of our future energy needs because it requires too much land. Miller…
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