Metaspectral, a software company, has received funding as part of the smartEarth Canadian Space Agency initiative to build a method to systematically and methodically quantify the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels present at ground-elevation using hyperspectral data. Metaspectral has created a hybrid on-premise and cloud-based software platform that is used in a variety of industries to…
A look at five of the best-read stories of 2022
2022 has been a busy year for the R&D community, from the continuing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to the repercussions on the economy and funding for future research. We’ve seen some amazing breakthroughs and innovations — and welcomed back the R&D 100 Awards banquet dinner. It’s been a busy year in the industry. Here’s…
Industry partners use ORNL software to trim carbon footprint of buildings
From Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Two years after the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory provided a model of nearly every building in America, commercial partners are using the tool for tasks ranging from designing energy-efficient buildings and cities to linking energy efficiency to real estate value and risk. International companies like Google…
SwRI, Tec de Monterrey collaborate to advance sustainable manufacturing
From Southwest Research Institute Leaders of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey), a private, nonprofit, independent university based in Monterrey, Mexico, launched a new research initiative to advance sustainable manufacturing practices that protect the environment while developing materials and technology. SwRI President and CEO Adam Hamilton, P.E., and Dr. Guillermo…
Rensselaer researchers to focus on improving life and efficiency of nuclear reactors
Rensselaer Professor Jie Lian has been awarded $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Nuclear Energy University Research Program (NEUP) to conduct research and develop new materials that will make advanced nuclear reactors more resilient and economically efficient. Dr. Lian, the principal investigator of the project, will be joined by collaborators…
Glowing rocks, a new sport, and what we can learn about different approaches
Designer materials to keep plastic out of landfills
From Berkeley National Lab, By Alison Hatt Scientists have designed a new material system to overcome one of the biggest challenges in recycling consumer products: mixed-plastic recycling. Their achievement will help enable a much broader range of fully recyclable plastic products and brings into reach an efficient circular economy for durable goods like automobiles. We…
Researchers measure photovoltaic external quantum efficiency to transform the future of solar cells
Researchers at Swansea University, U.K., have proven that it is possible to achieve near-unity charge generation quantum yields in organic solar cells. These findings present a route for designing and constructing higher-performance solar cells, which help to secure the future using renewable energy sources to meet sustainability goals. The research, led by Dr. Wei Li…
Argonne webinar to explore the challenges of recycling lithium-ion batteries and solutions
Auto makers are racing to produce electric vehicles, but few firms know how to recycle old EV batteries. A scientist at Argonne National Laboratory is hosting a 15-minute webinar on June 29 at 1 p.m. CT that will describe the path businesses can take to recycle those batteries profitably. In 2020, over 1.7 million electric…
U.S. DOE grants $25M to advance clean hydrogen technologies for electricity generation
From the U.S. Department of Energy The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $24.9 million in funding for six research and development projects to support the advancement of clean hydrogen for electricity generation. DOE will partner with private companies to research advanced technology solutions that could make hydrogen a more available and effective fuel…
Advanced Ionics secures $4.2M for decarbonization of industrial hydrogen production
Advanced Ionics, a provider of next-generation industrial electrolyzers that can produce hydrogen for less than $1/kg, has announced the closing of its initial financing of $4.2 million led by Clean Energy Ventures, a venture capital firm funding early-stage climate tech innovations, with participation from SWAN Impact Network. By requiring significantly less electricity than other electrolyzers,…
MilliporeSigma’s ZooMAb antibodies earns first-ever ACT Label from My Green Lab
MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a science and technology company, has announced that its ZooMAb recombinant antibodies platform earned Accountability, Consistency and Transparency (ACT) label from My Green Lab, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a culture of sustainability in science. The first-ever antibody to achieve ACT…
The R&D 100 winner of the day: Eco-Mobility with Connected Powertrains
Southwest Research Institute developed Eco-Mobility with Connected Powertrains with Toyota Motor North America and the University of Michigan to achieve over 20% energy savings and reduced carbon emissions in connected and automated vehicles. This technology features algorithms, software and testing tools for route, speed profile and power flows to lower fuel consumption by leveraging vehicle-to-vehicle,…
Argonne to host webinar exploring benefits of replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen
Join Argonne experts for “Science at work: Combating climate change with hydrogen,” at 11:00 a.m. CDT, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, as they explore the environmental and economic benefits of replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen. Replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen could turn manufacturing and transportation into green industries. Companies can use hydrogen to reduce their carbon…
Curling stones: Circular, but not part of the circular economy
Greener chemistry, better planet
By Becky Chambers Hennessy, contributing writer If you haven’t heard the drumbeat from the American Chemical Society (ACS), April 17 marks the start of 2022 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week, designed to promote “the positive role that chemistry plays in the world.” But as important as that role is, let’s face it: “Chemistry” has an…
R&D 100 winner of the day: RE-Metal
Recycling rare earth elements from high-tech devices typically involves a toxic process that’s banned in many countries, including the United States. Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have developed a new environmentally friendly process known as RE-Metal that enables the recovery of rare earth metals from waste electronics and other sources. RE-Metal helps solve an enormous…
US Dept. of Energy funds Rensselaer’s development of technologies to reduce nuclear waste and advance clean energy
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded $607,505 from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to help develop technologies to resolve the waste and storage challenges associated with Advanced Nuclear Reactor fuel cycles. The project is funded through ARPA-E’s “Optimizing Nuclear Waste and Advanced Reactor Disposal Systems” (ONWARDS) program, which…
R&D 100 winner of the day: dGen
National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s dGen is an open-source software that simulates customer adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) through 2050. dGen is used by government and grid planning organizations to predict future energy systems at high spatial resolution and under diverse scenarios. It is an engine for equitably and cost-effectively integrating more DERs. The opensource…
The chemical cost of salting our roads
National Energy Storage Summit to jumpstart America’s energy storage future
On March 8 and 9, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is hosting the National Energy Storage Summit, a virtual public event that will connect thought leaders across industry, government, communities, and the research enterprise to catalyze partnerships and accelerate solutions around specific challenges to America’s energy storage future. Exponential energy storage deployment is both…
Driving sustainability through more eco-friendly laboratory equipment choices
By Adam Carter, Global Products Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific Working in a laboratory, you cannot help but notice the amount of waste material and energy use that comes from experiments. From the frequent use of single-use plastics and a reliance on transnational shipping of reagents, to the dependency on high-energy-consumption equipment like -80° C freezers…
Science at Work: Electric vs. conventional Vehicles – which are greener?
by Argonne National Laboratory Join Argonne experts as they explore the best ways to measure greenhouse gas emissions Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 12:00 PM – 12:15 PM EST Are electric vehicles (EVs) really better for the environment than conventional ones? With 30 EV models to be introduced this year, many are asking this same question.…
The U.S. Department of Energy looking to fund solar technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) announced the Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power (CSP) Fiscal Year 2022 Research, Development, and Demonstration funding program, which will award up to $25 million for innovative research and development projects in CSP technologies. These projects will accelerate the large-scale development and deployment of solar technologies. CSP technologies offer value as renewable energy resources that can…
R&D 100 winner of the day: Ubiquitous Water Wand (UWAW)
Ubiquitous Water Wand (UWAW), developed by Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Chyi Ding Technologies, is an ultrahigh efficiency vapor/air separation equipment which extracts clean water from the air we breathe. It provides ultra clean drinking water without water sources, cooling media or water filters. In conjunction with an air-conditioner, UWAW can also provide buildings…