Editor Blogs

May 2024

Electrode Messiness leads to Better Supercapacitors

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge research team

Electrode Messiness leads to Better Supercapacitors

Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD

Supercapacitors have the potential to be a key component in the transition to renewable energy. They could easily be used more often in transportation or renewable energy to provide energy, in tandem with, or instead of batteries. Like batteries, they have been designed to store energy, but they offer advantages

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/31/2024

AI's Insatiable Appetite for Power

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

We’ve all heard that crypto is a ravenous energy hog (about 70 TWh per year in the U.S., according to the EIA). But what about everyone’s favorite talking point/ prognosticator of doom, AI? Artificial intelligence is slowly infiltrating every corner of our lives, from search engines to generative tools and even t

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/28/2024

New Development Could Make Zinc Batteries a Viable Alternative to Li-ion

Thor Balkhed

Reverant Crispin and Ziyauddin Khan, researchers at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics.

New Development Could Make Zinc Batteries a Viable Alternative to Li-ion

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Zinc batteries have long been touted as an alternative to the undisputed king of energy storage, lithium-ion, though reliability issues have held them back. A new development from Linköping University, Sweden could change that. We’re all familiar with lithium-ion batteries – the electrification of the automotive world and mass pr

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/20/2024

Could Net Zero Products Lead UK out of Manufacturing Decline

adobe

The green factory

Could Net Zero Products Lead UK out of Manufacturing Decline

Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD

The green industry has been a boon to many countries around the world. It has driven innovation and been a catalyst for the reshoring of manufacturing away from the far east to Europe and the Americas. Both the EU and the US have strongly incentivized industry to locate manufacturing facilities for green products in

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/17/2024

Why did Elon Musk Fire the Entire Supercharger Team?

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

The industry is still reeling from the news that Elon Musk sacked his entire Supercharger team. The biggest question seems to be – why? Musk made the surprising announcement last week, shocking everyone who saw the Supercharger network as one of Tesla’s greatest triumphs. As of January 2024, the Supercha

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/13/2024

New Research Shows Opportunities for Na-Ion Batteries

IDTechEx

Cell specifications, expected applications, and mass production plans of Na-ion battery players. Note: Gen 1 cell specifications as achieved are shown here, with Gen 2 cell targeted energy densities listed. Source:

New Research Shows Opportunities for Na-Ion Batteries

Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD

Of all the battery types that are in research at the moment, possibly the most promising chemistry, at least in the short-term, is sodium-ion (Na-ion). Although the chemistry offer slightly worse energy density than Li-ion batteries, it brings a lot more advantages to the table – it is cheaper, and bringing do

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/10/2024

Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (centre) with the project consortium of ENTISE, with Dr Nicolas Bucher, Head of Funded Projects, VARTA AG (third from left), and the CTO of VARTA AG, Rainer Hald (fourth from left). Credit: DUCKEK

Consortium to Research and Help Produce Sodium-Ion Batteries

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

What if the next big battery innovation had something in common with a regular food additive (in the name, anyway)? A consortium of 15 companies and universities, led by German’s Varta, have initiated a project to research and develop sodium-ion batteries. ENTISE (“Entwicklung der Natrium-Ionen-Technologi

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/06/2024

Solar Energy Boost Project Receives £1.1 Million Funding

University of Surrey

The solar thermal device will selectively absorb sunlight while also efficiently emitting heat as near-infrared radiation

Solar Energy Boost Project Receives Â£1.1 Million Funding

Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD

A team led by the University of Surrey that are aiming to transform the way we generate power at large scale has received funding to advance its work. The £1.1 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will be used to create new designs for surfaces that can select

. . . Learn More

Date:

05/03/2024