Menu

Blog

Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 78

Feb 13, 2024

Tesla has cut the price of the Model Y for a limited time

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Tesla has temporarily cut the price of two Model Y configurations — so long as buyers take delivery in the coming weeks.

Feb 13, 2024

Astrobiologists Suggest the Earth Itself May Be an Intelligent Entity

Posted by in categories: alien life, climatology, sustainability

A group of researchers have posed a fascinating — and downright mind bending — thought experiment: If a planet like Earth can be “alive,” can it also have a mind of its own?

The team published a paper exploring this question in the International Journal of Astrobiology. In it, they present the idea of “planetary intelligence,” which describes the collective knowledge and cognition of an entire planet.

Though it seems like something ripped off the screen of a Marvel movie, they believe that the concept might actually help us deal with global issues such as climate change, or even help us discover extraterrestrial life.

Feb 12, 2024

Vanadium research makes key advance for capturing carbon from the air

Posted by in categories: chemistry, climatology, sustainability

A chemical element so visually striking it was named for a goddess shows a “Goldilocks” level of reactivity—neither too much nor too little—that makes it a strong candidate as a carbon scrubbing tool.

The element is , and research by Oregon State University scientists, published in Chemical Science, has demonstrated the ability of vanadium peroxide molecules to react with and bind —an important step toward improved technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The study is part of a $24 million federal effort to develop new methods for , or DAC, of carbon dioxide, a that’s produced by the burning of fossil fuels and is associated with climate change.

Feb 11, 2024

Approaching 1,000 km on a Single Charge — Scientists Discover Secret Ingredient That Can Boost EV Range

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, sustainability, transportation

At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the spotlight was on groundbreaking developments in AI and healthcare. However, battery technology is the game-changer at the heart of these innovations, enabling greater power efficiency. Importantly, electric vehicles are where this technology is being applied most intensely.

Today’s EVs can travel around 700 km on a single charge, while researchers are aiming for a 1,000 km battery range. Researchers are fervently exploring the use of silicon, known for its high storage capacity, as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries for EVs. However, despite its potential, bringing silicon into practical use remains a puzzle that researchers are still working hard to piece together.

Feb 11, 2024

A scalable photoelectrochemical system for green hydrogen production

Posted by in categories: chemistry, engineering, solar power, sustainability

If realized using solar energy or other renewable energy, water splitting could be a promising way of sustainably producing hydrogen (H2) on a large-scale. Most photoelectrochemical water splitting systems proposed so far, however, have been found to be either inefficient, unstable, or difficult to implement on a large-scale.

Researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) recently set out to develop a scalable and efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) system to produce green hydrogen. Their proposed system, outlined in Nature Energy, is based on an innovative formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI3) perovskite-based photoanode, encapsulated by an Ni foil/NiFeOOH electrocatalyst.

“Our group has thoroughly studied the challenges associated with practical solar hydrogen production,” Jae Sung Lee, Professor of Energy & Chemical Engineering at UNIST and co-author of the paper, told Tech Xplore. “As summarized in our most recent review paper, minimum 10% of solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency is required to develop viable practical PEC system, for which selecting an efficient material is the first criteria.”

Feb 9, 2024

EV sales would benefit from more auto show exposure

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Electric vehicles sales could account for 10 percent of the market in 2024, but getting there will take additional effort from dealers and manufacturers, including participation in auto shows.

Feb 9, 2024

This modular ‘pop-up solar canopy’ charges EVs off-grid

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

Meet PairTree – a solar-powered canopy that charges EVs off-grid – that’s made by US-based solar charging infrastructure manufacturer Paired Power.

PairTree, which started to roll out commercially late last year, is quick and easy to set up – it takes only about four hours – and its ballasted steel foundation fits right into a regular parking space. What sets it apart is its use of bifacial solar panels. These 4.6 kW units increase energy yield by up to 15% compared to traditional panels. This means that in practice, a PairTree unit’s performance rivals that of a 5.3 kW solar array.

PairTree features a UL 9450-listed lithium iron phosphate battery energy storage system, offering a spectrum of daily ranges from 75 to 230 miles, depending on the capacity chosen. It can support either one or two Level 2 EV chargers.

Feb 9, 2024

Tesla Cybertruck to be featured at 2024 Chicago Auto Show

Posted by in categories: climatology, sustainability

The Tesla Cybertruck, together with its stablemates, will be displayed at the 2024 Chicago Auto Show, one of the United States’ most prolific automotive events. Updates from the organizers of the 2024 Chicago Auto Show indicate that the Cybertruck has arrived at the event’s venue, and it is ready for some visitors.

The Chicago Auto Show is held every February at the McCormick Place convention center, and it is generally regarded as the largest auto show in North America. The 2024 Chicago Auto Show will be held from February 10 through February 19, though a press preview is scheduled to start February 8. A “First Look for Charity” Gala is also scheduled on February 9, 2024.

Considering the prolific nature of electric vehicles in the United States today, it is no surprise that the 2024 Chicago Auto Show would be featuring a number of EVs. These include electric cars from veteran automakers such as the 2025 BMW i5, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ, and the Ford F-150 Lightning Switchgear, to EVs from newcomers like the Lucid Air.

Feb 8, 2024

EVs that go 1,000 km on a single charge: Gel makes it possible

Posted by in categories: particle physics, robotics/AI, sustainability, transportation

Futuristic advancements in AI and healthcare stole the limelight at the tech extravaganza Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024. However, battery technology is the game-changer at the heart of these innovations, enabling greater power efficiency. Importantly, electric vehicles are where this technology is being applied most intensely. Today’s EVs can travel around 700km on a single charge, while researchers are aiming for a 1,000km battery range.

Researchers are fervently exploring the use of silicon, known for its high storage capacity, as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries for EVs. However, despite its potential, bringing silicon into practical use remains a puzzle that researchers are still working hard to piece together.

Enter Professor Soojin Park, PhD candidate Minjun Je, and Dr. Hye Bin Son from the Department of Chemistry at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). They have cracked the code, developing a pocket-friendly and rock-solid next-generation high-energy-density Li-ion battery system using micro silicon particles and gel polymer electrolytes.

Feb 8, 2024

SpaceX launches billion-dollar environmental research satellite for NASA

Posted by in categories: biological, climatology, education, satellites, sustainability

SpaceX launched an environmental research satellite for NASA early Thursday, a nearly $1 billion spacecraft that survived multiple cancellation threats and is now poised to shed new light on climate change and the complex interplay of heat-trapping carbon, aerosols and sea life on global scales.

The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission — PACE — “will dramatically advance our understanding of the relationship between aerosols and clouds, and the global energy balance,” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth sciences division. “This is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty in our ability to model the climate.”

Continue reading “SpaceX launches billion-dollar environmental research satellite for NASA” »

Page 78 of 642First7576777879808182Last