The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced in July that it is commencing the “Long Duration Storage Shot” that will lower the cost of utility-scale, long-duration energy storage by 90% within 10 years. Long Duration Storage Shot is the second program established under the DOE’s wider strategy known as the “Energy Earthshots Initiative”. It will fund R&D efforts at national labs, set up demonstration energy storage projects, and support domestic manufacturing of energy storage systems. ...  more

Is there a way to achieve a cooling effect for buildings without turning on air-conditioners, fans, or any power? Saudi Arabian scientists have recently proposed a cooling system that does not require any power, and can attain a cooling effect through water and salt. The blazing sunlight also serves as a helping hand for the system. ...  more

There has been another new breakthrough in the development of nuclear fusion. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California has recently derived 1.3MJ of energy, and is marching one step closer to nuclear fusion ignition, which opens up new hope to a new possible clean energy. ...  more

Here comes 2021, just when you thought that 2020 was bad enough already. This year saw droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding, whereas Brazil is also facing a “drought of the century”. The country relies on hydroelectricity for 2/3 of its power supply, though the severe drought is exacerbating the supply of power and the agricultural sector, and has pushed up the prices of electricity and produce. ...  more

Chinese battery manufacturer and German chemical supplier BASF jointly announced on September 16 that they have signed a strategic framework agreement to collaborate on battery recycling and production of cathode active materials (CAMs). This partnership will support not only CATL in its localization efforts in Europe but also BASF in its global expansion. ...  more

According to a memorandum announced by the US Department of Energy last month, the approval of the preferential tax policy on renewable energy programs and module makers by the US Congress may amplify the intensity for the deployment of renewable energy, and the ratio of solar power generation is likely to rise from the existing 3% to 40% in 2035. ...  more